CHAMPION trainer Willie Mullins and champion jockey Ruby Walsh combined for doubles at Galway on Monday with both men also claiming the featured and dramatic Deacy Gilligan Irish EBF Mares Hurdle with 15/8 favourite Contingency.
The daughter of Champs Elysees was in strong contention as the field moved into the dip the final time as 9/4 second favourite Jaime Sommers also moved into a challenging position. However, the race changed dramatically at that second last flight as Jaime Sommers, racing on the outer, blundered and unseated Cathal Landers.
Contingency soon moved to the front and in the end stayed on to beat The Bridie Crowe.
Mullins wasn’t present but Walsh later commented: “She has a great way of doing things, she is a grand and relaxed mare. She jumped an awful lot better today, she was a little untidy at the last. Obviously she stays really well and hopefully she can improve again.
“She was well bought and hopefully her owners (Bowes Lodge Stables) will have plenty of fun with her.”
Mullins and Walsh earlier won the opening Galway 2020 Maiden Hurdle with 1/2 favourite and hurdling debutante Stratum in the Penhill colours of Anthony Bloom.
Following the four-year-old gelding’s decisive win, Walsh reported: “Obviously he was a 92 rated horse on the flat so you’d be hoping he’d have the ability in that kind of a race.
“He had to do it the hard way as there was no pace and had to go along in front. He was a bit green but jumped well on the whole and it will be onwards and upwards with him.
“He quickened well but having said that I was able to go steady on a flat horse and the main dangers were bumper horses so you’d be hoping you’d have more speed than them. In a better race, he’d be a better horse.”
The winner was bought out of the John Gosden yard for 160,000gns.
The other maiden hurdle on the card, a two-mile, five-furlong contest, was won by another hurdling newcomer but point-to-point winning Moyross (5/4 favourite), for trainer Noel Meade, jockey Sean Flanagan and owner Patricia Hunt.
Meade reported afterwards: “I was disappointed with him the three times I ran him bumpers but I suppose he is not really a bumper horse. I’ve liked him from the time we got him and I decided to give the bumpers a miss and start jumping. It’s not set in stone that he will stay over hurdles for that long either as he is a long-striding, big horse.
“You will the see the best of him when he is going three miles and jumping fences.”
MCMANUS WINNER
The other hurdle race was won by another of National Hunt’s big names with the J.P. McManus-owned Dundrum Lad winning the Anglo Printers sponsored handicap hurdle.
Ridden by Donie McInerney, the well backed 11/2 chance scored a length win over Oskar High and afterwards winning trainer Mags Mullins said: “I’m delighted with him and he’s coming along nicely and jumped super. It’s lovely to have a winner for Mr McManus and Frank (Berry, McManus’ racing manager) has been a great help.
“Donie gave him a lovely ride and that’s his first ride for me – 7lbs was a help.
“I don’t think he wants bottomless ground and I thought Listowel would a bit heavy for him so we said we’d wait – we picked it right and it doesn’t always go that way!
“I’ll talk to Frank (Berry) and see where we go next but I’m delighted with the horse, charmed!”
The opening chase race, the Colm Quinn BMW Beginners Chase, was won by another well-backed winner as 9/4 chance Montana Belle made a winning fences debut for trainer Henry de Bromhead and jockey Andrew Lynch.
De Bromhead wasn’t present to witness his Roger Brookhouse-owned mare’s easy five-length win and Lynch said: “She jumped the fences in the dip well the first time so I was always happy she’d jump them well the second time around and, while I wasn’t confident, I was pretty sure I’d pick up the leader on the run-in.
“It was her first run back from the Cheltenham Festival and her first run over fences and Henry (de Bromhead) said he was happy with her coming here.”
20TH ATTEMPT
The Paul Stafford-trained Fenlon’s Hill got off the mark at the 20th career attempt in the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase, scoring a length win under 7lb claimer Adam Shortt.
Co Dublin based Stafford later said: “I fancied him a little bit today – he has been consistent since he went over fences and was probably unlucky the last day in Perth to bump into a decent enough horse with flat speed. I thought this race suited and thankfully it has worked out. He is a smashing horse but hasn’t been easy to train and has had a wind operation and has only improved since.
“John (Blake, owner, from Raheny) has been with me a long time but is not with us today, unfortunately as his mother-in-law isn’t well. He usually leads him up so it was a pity but I hope everything is alright. He is in at Ballinrobe on Thursday and we’ll see how he is before making up our minds.”
The concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Bumper was won Jimmy Finn’s Mysloegin, who maintained the trainer/breeder’s excellent recent association with winning jockey Liam Quinlan.
A sizeable gamble on Minnies Secret (12/1 in the morning, and 5/1 on track in to 9/4 favourite at the off) came unstuck in the race as the Charles Byrnes-trained mare only managed third place under Derek O’Connor.
A delighted Jimmy Finn commented: “Liam has ridden two on the track for me now and they have both won. Little Miss Shamrock won a hunter chase for us in Cork last Easter and he’s ridden two point-to-pointers for me – one won and the other was second so that’s not a bad old record!
“She was due her turn and Liam gave her a super ride and I have to give him a lot of credit. The plan was to jump off a little further up but they went a right gallop and she battled in the straight. She hit the front a bit soon a few days and he landed her there at the right time today.
“She jumps hurdles really well and I think that’ll be her game. She’s homebred and please God we’ll breed from her down the line too.”
Acting Stewards
D. Pugh, P.J. O’Connor, Justice R. Groarke, D. Gavin, M.F. O’Donoghue
Horse To Follow
JAIME SOMMERS (M. J. Bowe) She is out of top racemare Solerina and was an unlucky loser today. She looks a very progressive mare.