THE appearance of Punchestown Champion Bumper second, Disko, in the opening Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle at Galway, promised to provide an early highlight on last Sunday’s seven race card.
Disko was upstaged by his fellow Gigginstown House Stud-owned rival though, with Archive (8/1 into 7s) initiating a brace for the Co Westmeath-based outfit.
Eoin Griffin’s Archive, with David Mullins up, always had 4/7 shot, Disko, the mount of Bryan Cooper, in his sights, as the odds-on chance endeavoured to make all.
For much of the two miles the expectations of the market seemed set to be bourne out, but Archive had that decisive change of gear on the run-in, to oblige by half a length. They left Jetstream Jack 29 lengths behind in third.
Griffin admitted his hopes pre-race weren’t high, but he did say: “I thought his experience might help him. He loves that ground but I don’t know if he’ll go on winter heavy. He might be the type to do better in the spring. I’d imagine he’ll be tried on soft ground at some stage though.”
Thirty five minutes later, in the SanServ Rated Novice Chase, Gordon Elliott did the honours for Gigginstown House, sending out Lord Scoundrel (8/13) to comfortably prevail under Bryan Cooper.
Lord Scoundrel is now from two over fences, and after this eight length dismissal of Waaheb, Cooper remarked: “He’s turned inside-out since going over fences and that’s what he was bred to do. He was a bit careful today but is actually better going left-handed.
“He’ll be in the 130s now, and will have to step up to graded company, but he’ll pay his way.”
Among the other promising youngsters on show was Copy That. J.P. McManus’ four-year-old proved best by half a length in the featured Faber Audiovisuals Handicap Hurdle.
The Eddie Harty-trained, and ‘Slippers’ Madden-ridden 3/1 favourite, had bottom-weight here, on the back of a Lartigue Hurdle fourth placing.
Copy That headed the front-running Smiler at the last, and he was always doing enough on the run-in to hold Rocky Court, and Mrs Mac Veale, by half a length and a length and a half.
Rocky Court’s handler, Stephen Mahon, later saddled newcomer, Champagne Harmony (7/2), in the T.V.O’Brien Memorial (Pro/Am) Flat Race, and Tom Quinn’s Stowaway gelding gave rise to much hope for his future with the display he put in under Nina Carberry.
Glendine River became the third beaten odds-on chance of the afternoon in this bumper, but time may show it was no disgrace in losing out by six and a half lengths to Champagne Harmony.
Mahon revealed: “He jumps really well and I had a hunter cert for him. I don’t normally send my good horses point-to-pointing though. He’s a chaser in the making and reminds me of Prince Of Tara (Troytown Chase winner). That’s the regard I hold him in.”
In the www.swordsecurity.com (Q.R.) Race, and the CCTV Venue Control Maiden Hurdle, it was the Fahey brothers that were dominant.
Jarlath Fahey gave John O’Neill the spin on his wonderful servant, Jennies Jewel (11/4), in the qualified riders’ contest.
Andrew McIntyre’s Flemensfirth mare gained her first flat win, and her fifth in all, when seeing off Paul Fahey’s representative, Do Try Dolly, by eight lengths. Good Tradition (8/13) was four and three quarters of a length off the two mares in third.
Jarlath Fahey reported: “We knew there’d be no pace in the race so we said we’d do the donkey work. She’s as genuine as they come and kept galloping and finding. This will probably be her last season as she’ll be covered in the spring.”
In the CCTV Venue Control Maiden Hurdle it was the turn of Jarlath and Paul’s brother, Peter, to get in on the act with Deputy Marshall (5/2), partnered to a half a length victory by Andrew Lynch.
Eventual runner-up Solar Heat looked a likely winner when leading two out, but Deputy Marshall got the better of her in the closing stages.
Christopher Kelly from Kilrainey in Kildare, owns and bred Deputy Marshall, and Fahey credited his staff for getting the horse to settle.
In the Renvyle House Hotel Handicap Chase, Battling Boru (7/1) lived up to his name when holding off fellow 7/1 chance, Venture Lazarus (hit odds of 1/10 in running on a leading betting exchange) by a neck.
Andrew Lynch, rider of the next winner, Deputy Marshall, delivered Venture Lazarus with what looked like perfect timing from off the pace. However, the pace-setting Battling Boru just wasn’t to be denied for Tony and Danny Mullins.
The Shoot A Hoop Syndicate’s (four Burke brothers from Athlone) nine-year-old has now twice been successful around Ballybrit, and he’ll be left off once the ground turns soft or heavy.
Whip ban
Robbie Colgan’s use of the whip from the final fence landed him with a two-day ban after the handicap chase. He rode the final place finisher, Polish Partisan, and the stewards found that Colgan continued to use the stick after his chance of winning or being placed was clearly gone.
ACTING STEWARDS
P.J.A. O’Connor, H. Williams, A. Ryan, Dr K. Walsh, H Hynes
HORSE TO FOLLOW
SOLAR HEAT (Mrs D.A Love): She got a 6lb rise in the weights for her second place finish to Deputy Marshall. However, she may be progressive as she was having just her fifth start over flights, and her third outing for this yard.