HE had been restricted to just two outings this season and hadn’t run since October but Mr Diablo turned out better than ever from a 141-day absence to dominate the €50,000 TRI Equestrian Handicap Chase.
The feature event at Leopardstown’s last jumping fixture of the season looked a tricky one and, with top weight to shoulder, Mr Diablo was allowed to go off at 16/1. However, he made light of his position in the market with a display of some quality for Phillip Dempsey and his son Luke.
The Aidan Glynn-owned gelding was helping to force the pace from early on in the final circuit in this two-mile, five-furlong contest and he looked most assured at all stages, producing one good jump after another.
When Mr Diablo shook off The Mooch on the approach to the final fence victory was assured and he cleared that fence with aplomb before an eased-down one and three-quarter-length victory over the staying-on Emcon.
“He was quite free and I wasn’t sure if he’d get home under that weight but that was some performance,” said Dempsey. “He had a setback during the winter but this race had been the plan for a while and we might now look at the Guinness Handicap Chase at Punchestown. In the longer term he might be a horse for the Galway Plate.”
Jockey Jody McGarvey was deservedly the subject of notable acclaim as the dashing Great Field (15/8) made it two wins from as many starts over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase. Great Field produced a classy performance and a bold jump at the last looked to put the seal on a convincing display but he stumbled on landing and McGarvey executed a marvellous recovery to ensure he wasn’t pitched out of the saddle.
Despite this error, Great Field was far too strong for these opponents and he finished eight lengths clear of Don’t Touch It with Identity Thief finishing a well-held fourth. The exuberant Great Field turned in a free flowing and bold jumping display from the front although the J.P. McManus-owned gelding did give his supporters quite a scare when diving through the second last.
“It was a great performance from horse and jockey, Jody worked wonders to stay on board after the last,” commented trainer Willie Mullins. “This horse has improved a lot since Gowran and I think he’ll improve again. He will stay at home in the spring and I don’t think that I’d like to go further than two miles with him.”
CYCLONE AGAIN
The admirable Hidden Cyclone headlined an excellent afternoon for Shark Hanlon and Annette Mee as he made it 17 career wins in the Foxrock Cup Hurdle which kicked off a double for the owner and the trainer. The 11/4 favourite faced several intriguing but long-absent rivals and race fitness was the crucial factor at the conclusion of this two and a quarter-mile event.
The Danny Mullins-ridden 12-year-old did well to survive a bad early blunder after which he jumped out to his right, but he remained in the lead until headed by Bonbon Au Miel at the final flight. The latter hadn’t run since September 2014 and, on the run-in, a rallying Hidden Cyclone made his fitness tell as he got back up to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
“You wouldn’t expect a horse of his experience to make the mistake he did, and he jumped a bit right afterwards, but I gave him time to get his confidence back,” reflected Danny Mullins. “He battled well after the last and full credit to the Shark as he done a great job with this horse.”
The double was completed by the teak tough Camlann (9/4) in the Coral.ie Handicap Hurdle. Just 24 hours previously Camlann was denied a seemingly certain victory at Navan on very testing ground. However, any fears that the gelding’s outing on Saturday could have knocked the edge off him should have been allayed by the fact that he was able to turn out three times at the Galway Festival last summer.
Rachael Blackmore, who was making it 26 winners for the season, produced her mount to edge ahead on the run to the last flight. Once he got to the front Camlann stuck to his task well to defeat Joshua Lane by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He came out of Navan really well and he’s very tough to do that today. He’s been a very good horse for me, that’s the third time I’ve won on him,” reported the jockey.
MOUSE AGAIN
Mouse Morris made it three winners in eight days as Wishmoor (12/1) came back to the promise he showed earlier in the season to land the TRI Equestrian Superstore & Cafe Maiden Hurdle. A first Leopardstown winner for the trainer in 2258 days, the Gigginstown-owned gelding had kept some decent company this season and this was his first run in a maiden since he was third to Baltazar D’Allier at Naas in November.
Mark Enright struck for home rounding the last bend on the seven-year-old and he shrugged aside a last flight blunder to hold the staying-on Kaiser Black by two and a quarter lengths.
“He’ll head for a winners of one or a handicap next. He travelled a good bit better today than he did at Gowran last time,” stated Morris.
Paper Lantern (11/2) and Tulpar, who were separated by just a nose at Fairyhouse last month, dominated the finish of the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase with the former again emerging victorious. Paper Lantern was 2lb worse off this time but he extended his margin of victory to a length and three-quaters. The Oscar gelding was hard at work in behind the leaders turning for home but finished strongly for Donagh Meyler to get on top on the run-in.
“I shouldn’t have run him at Thurles after he won at Fairyhouse, I knew he wouldn’t handle the track,” commented Karl Thornton, who trains the winner for the Acorn Syndicate. “Better tracks do suit him well I’d say he might switch back to hurdles at Limerick in a couple of weeks.”
Joseph O’Brien was totally dominant in the TRM Excellence In Equine Nutrition (Pro/Am) Flat Race as his High Tide (9/1) led home a one-two-three for the stable. Jamie Codd was on board the unraced Montjeu gelding who picked up smartly to surge away from his strong travelling stablemate Us And Them over the last furlong.
At the line the half-brother to the smart sprinter Dinkum Diamond had seven and a half lengths to spare.
“Jamie rode him in work last week and liked him. I wasn’t intending on running him here but Jamie said he was ready for it,” declared the trainer. “He handled the ground well and picked up well, he was impressive. We’ll look for a winners’ bumper in about a month’s time.” Jockeys’ bans
ROBSON Aguiar picked up a two-day whip ban for his efforts on the unplaced Pyla in the handicap won by King Christophe.
Richie Deegan was suspended for two days for careless riding in the amateur riders’ handicap.
ACTING STEWARDS
T. Hunt, S. Barry, R. Hall, F. Gillespie, H. Hynes
HORSE TO FOLLOW
I SHOT THE SHERIFF (A.J. Martin): This 140-rated 10-year-old returned from two years off with a third to Hidden Cyclone in the conditions hurdle where he shaped up very nicely until tiring late on. He will be worth watching out for.