TWO Gigginstown House Stud-owned chasers returned in fine style for the 2017/18 campaign, while Noel Meade, Sean Flanagan and Joseph O’Brien also bagged doubles on Tuesday’s Galway card.
Gigginstown, Meade and Flanagan combined to take the Ryans Cleaning Chase with A Genie In Abottle.
A Genie In Abottle (6/4) was shaded for favouritism by Arbre De Vie (5/4). However, it proved to be no contest out on the track as Arbre De Vie finished a well-beaten fourth of the five runners. He came back distressed after his effort.
Mala Beach made an excellent comeback off a 561-day break but he eventually had to yield by two and a half lengths to the front-running A Genie In Abottle.
“He’ll probably be entered in the Grade 1 Nicholson Chase in Down Royal but maybe the Troytown Chase is the race for him,” said Meade.
“It’ll be heavy ground at Navan and that might be his job and could be a more realistic target.”
Flanagan started the day for Meade in the Eamon McElroy silks on The Rory Story in the Mervue Maiden Hurdle. McElroy owns this Flemensfirth gelding with Linda Shanahan and Sue Magnier.
On his first outing since the end of December, The Rory Story certainly didn’t go un-backed. He was returned an 8/1 chance, from 10/1 on track and bigger earlier.
Odds-on favourite Poli Roi made a mistake two out but along the stand’s rail on the run-in he had every chance. The Rory Story was too strong though, prevailing by four lengths.
“After getting his wind done and having a break he’s come back in a much nicer horse,” reflected Meade.
“He’s a decent sort and loves that ground, which is heavy, heavy. I wouldn’t be afraid of going three miles with him.”
Henry de Bromhead was the man responsible for the other Gigginstown House Stud winner on the day. The easy-to-back Calino D’airy (14/1) could hardly have made a better start over fences in the GalwayRaces.com Beginners Chase.
A point-to-point winner for Donnchadh Doyle in May 2016, Calino D’airy was bought by Gigginstown afterwards for £150,000.
There could be plenty of big days ahead with him judging by this stylish display. Bryan Cooper’s mount soon led, he asserted approaching the straight, and then kept up the gallop for a three-length win over Close Shave.
Cooper commented afterwards: “On that evidence he’ll definitely make a better chaser than hurdler.”
A Grade 2 two-miler at Punchestown next month could now feature on Calino D’airy’s agenda.
Jospeh O’Brien set the ball rolling for his brace when Persistent (3/1 into 9/4 favourite) supplemented a recent Tipperary success, scoring in the Galway City & Salthill Publicans Charity Handicap Hurdle.
Barry Geraghty was aboard the Montjeu gelding for his boss, J.P. McManus. It was comfortable for the four-year-old at the finish, as he saw off St Lawrence Gap, by two and a half lengths.
Early markets flagged up the possibility of The Gunner Murphy winning on attempt number one, in the Jamie Kyne Memorial INH Flat Race.
The fact that O’Brien had booked Derek O’Connor was another positive. Equipped with a tongue-strap, The Gunner Murphy did drift to the stand’s rail in the straight, but that didn’t stop him getting the upper hand on First Approach (5/2 into 15/8 favourite) by half a length.
“I hadn’t sat on him before today but we were very concerned about the ground because it is quite testing,” revealed O’Connor of Linda Shanahan’s Oscar gelding. Shanahan and her husband, Paul, are also part-owners of earlier victor The Rory Story.
O’Connor added: “It was a good performance from a horse first time out to handle the conditions as he did, and he showed a good bit of speed in the finish. I think he’s very nice.”
Elsewhere, Patrick McKeown’s Presenting Mahler showed a commendable attitude to make just about all in the Guinness Handicap Chase.
For that formidable duo of John Ryan and Danny Mullins, Presenting Mahler (10/1 into 9/1) held on by half a length from the fast finishing Black Zero.
“We gave her a run (two days earlier – fourth at Limerick) as she is really stuffy and that run must have put her spot on for today. You need to work her hard. Only for her making a mistake at Limerick she would have won that as well,” stated Ryan.
Bosman Rule (6/1 into 5/1), the third choice of punters, was brought to a halt before the third last fence by Ruby Walsh. He reported that his mount never jumped or travelled.
Walsh, and Bosman Rule’s trainer, Willie Mullins, did better in race two. Owned by the Supreme Horse Racing Club and Brett Graham, Closutton’s Shanning (3/1) convincingly landed the Galway City & Salthill Publicans Rated Novice Hurdle by three lengths.
Joseph O’Brien had the second and third home, Mischievious Max and Hardback.
Shanning, a four-year-old daughter of Spanish Moon, is now two from two over flights. She won on her sole start on the flat in her native France as well.
“The more races we can find where we can keep her in under 11st would be a big addition to her,” reasoned Walsh in the aftermath.
Whip ban
BARRY John Foley, rider of the sixth home, All’s Quiet, was found to have used his whip above shoulder height.
The 5Ib conditional picked up a four-day ban and he was referred to RACE for a day of tuition on the correct use of the whip.
ACTING STEWARDS
M. Hickey, S. McDonagh, A. Ryan, T. McDonagh & L. Wyer
HORSE TO FOLLOW
FIRST APPROACH (N. Meade): He didn’t do much wrong when beaten on his first racecourse start, by a promising sort in The Gunner Murphy.