PAT Flynn’s Gusty Rocky showed just what he is capable of when he puts it all together as he bolted up in the featured Coral.ie Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
The seven-year-old hadn’t won since picking up a decent handicap hurdle at Killarney almost a year ago, but his first attempt at three miles would suggest that he has found his true calling.
With Mark Enright sidelined following a fall at Down Royal the previous evening, Roger Loughran stepped in for the spare ride. After settling towards the rear, the 12/1 chance scythed through the pack to challenge for the lead with three to jump. He then brushed aside the pace-setting Rise Of An Empire after the next before a resounding eight and a lengths triumph over Steamboat Bill.
“When he ran at Tipperary last autumn he twisted something jumping and then lost his confidence a little bit so we ran him on the flat last time to sweeten him up,” said Pat Flynn.
“It was his first time at the trip but I thought that he’d get it. We could look at races like the two miles, five handicap hurdle at Galway that he was placed in last year.”
Anthony McCann sent out his first winner since October as the sparingly campaigned Zafarqand claimed the Coral.ie Maiden Hurdle. The eight-year-old was off the track for almost three years prior to his encouraging jumping debut at Limerick last month.
Davy Russell sent the Rita Shah-owned gelding to the front entering the straight and Zafarqand (3/1-7/4) took control between the last two flights for a three and a quarter-length triumph over Day Day. The favourite Macbride was a disappointing fourth.
“Oliver (Brady) always thought an awful lot of this horse and he came on a lot from Limerick,” commented McCann. “He will improve again from this. I’m pleased for Rita as we’d a little thing in the yard but she stuck by us and we’ve got that sorted out.”
Ellmarie Holden, who only received her training licence earlier this month, sent out her first winner from just her fourth runner with Static Jack in the Coral.ie Joe Bollard Memorial Flat Race.
The Lisronagh point-to-point winner, who is owned by the trainer’s father, Paul, made the running for Pat Collins and he maintained his effort well in the closing stages of this two and a half-mile bumper. None of his rivals were able to land a telling blow and the Heliostatic gelding crossed the line with eight and a half lengths to spare.
“I’ve eight jumpers in training,” reported the trainer. “This horse won his point-to-point well. We weren’t intending on going the bumper route with him but the trip suited him well.”
Fresh from getting a race in the stewards’ room at Wexford three days previously, the Noel Dooly-trained Coolfighter (6/1) defied top weight with authority in the Coral-sponsored 80-102 rated handicap hurdle.
The eight-year-old reeled off four wins in succession on the flat two years ago and has clearly returned to that form. David Splaine’s mount already had most of his rivals beaten off when he turned for home in the lead and he comfortably contained the favourite, Buonarotti Boy, between the last flights.
“He had plenty of weight but was coming back in grade to a 0-102 rated handicap today and this was probably going to be his last chance to run in one of these for a while so we were happy to let him take his chance. He’s a big horse who is well able to carry weight,” declared Dooly who trains the winner for the Cool Boys Partnership. “When he hits form he’s good and I probably did too much with him at home last year.”
PUNTERS’ BLOW
Punters were dealt something of a blow in the Coral.ie Hurdle as Tagg’s Island (7/1) upstaged the market leaders Buyer Beware and Jaime Sommers.
Danny Mullins made all the running on the Michael McCullagh-trained gelding, whose previous efforts over timber had yielded a second in a Wexford maiden several months ago. Hard as he tried, Buyer Beware couldn’t quite get to the winner after the last and went down by three-quarters of a length.
“Galway will be the next step. We might be aiming high but he did that well and hopefully the handicapper isn’t too hard on him,” remarked McCullagh, whose wife Sheila owns the four-year-old. “This ground or even better suits him well. He’s only small but he has a big heart.”
Danali (2/1) enjoyed a deserved change in fortune as she improved on a succession of placed efforts in the Coral.ie Mares Maiden Hurdle. The 116-rated daughter of Presenting had no difficulty dropping back from three miles to two and a half miles. Adrian Heskin’s mount readily picked off the front running Legal Proceedings after the last for a six-length triumph.
“She loves that ground and stays well. I’ll look for a conditions race, preferably over three miles, but two and a half is fine for her,” declared John Joe Walsh, whose charge is owned by Tommy Ward. “She ran very well at Clonmel the last day when she was giving two and a half stone to the winner (Oisin James) and was only beaten half a length.”
The Conor O’Dwyer-trained and Ricky Doyle-ridden El Vasco (3/1) took advantage of decent looking opportunity in the Coral-sponsored two and a half miles maiden hurdle.
The winner’s fifth to Tombstone in a Fairyhouse maiden last winter was the standout piece of form in this race but he was made to work hard by Fellow Indian. The pair were inseparable from the last and it was only by a short-head that the bobbing finish went the way of the Owen Curtin-owned six-year-old.
“He ran a couple of nice races in good maidens during the winter when he just wasn’t getting home on the ground,” stated O’Dwyer. “He loves this ground, I think we’ll see the best of him when he goes chasing and that might happen before the end of the summer.”