NOT for the first time, Gordon Elliott pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in a major handicap chase as Aforementioned made the most of bottom weight to land the J.T. McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase.
This Gigginstown House Stud-owned seven-year-old had run to a reasonable level on his first few starts over fences but didn’t look a major handicap winner in waiting. However at Clonmel 10 days previously, he won a rated novice chase and he took another step forward here to give Gavin Brouder a career highlight in a most eventful edition of this €75,000 prize.
After one false start, the race got underway but there was immediately drama at the first where Doctor Duffy gave Davy Russell a very heavy fall which meant that this fence was bypassed for the next two circuits.
Doctor Duffy nearly brought down Aforementioned, Brouder did especially well to stay on, and badly hampered Portmore Lough yet it was this pair who eventually fought out the finish.
As a depleted field turned in for the final time Aforementioned, who had raced prominently, found himself vying for the lead with Portmore Lough and the veteran Westerner Point. The latter soon gave best and then after the last the winner found extra reserves to score by two and a half lengths.
“He’s a grand horse who probably got a lot of confidence from Clonmel last week and the light weight and Gavin’s claim were a big help too,” stated Elliott.
“He has the option of all those big staying handicap chases now and he’s likely to run in a few of them but he also has the option of coming back to novice company which is a help.”
Elliott was also expected to take the two and three-quarter-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase with Run Wild Fred but the odds-on shot had to settle for third having looked a likely winner turning for home.
The market leader was collared by Home By The Lee (8/1) and Ministerforsport at the last fence and it was the first-named who went on to strike for Joseph O’Brien and owner-breeder Sean O’Driscoll. This made it six winners in seven days for jockey J.J. Slevin.
Flanagan takes his chance for treble
IT was quite a day for Sean Flanagan who enjoyed a treble which contained a pair of chance winners after he stepped in for the sidelined duo of Keith Donoghue and Rachael Blackmore.
A fall at Fairyhouse the previous day meant that Donoghue missed the ride on the 40/1 rank outsider Formal Order in the Listed Bluegrass Horse Feed Novice Hurdle over two miles five furlongs.
The 11/10 favourite for this race, Commandingpresence, had moved into a slender lead at the final flight but he dived at that obstacle and came down to throw the race wide open.
For his part Formal Order looked held in fourth between the last two flights but the M&S Partnership-owned four-year-old finished with a flourish to collar the game front-runner Fairyhill Run in the final yards.
The winner was following up his victory in a useful looking Punchestown maiden hurdle last month.
Up in class
“I told Sean not to worry about his price as I thought he beat two good horses the last day. He’s stepped up in class today and is now two from two over hurdles which is great although I’m not sure where he will go now,” reported Smith.
Rachael Blackmore’s fall from Commandingpresence saw her stood down for the day and Flanagan took over on Henry de Bromhead’s Visioman (6/1) who bagged the two-mile, three-furlong chase for horses rated 145 or less.
The Alan Halsall-owned six-year-old collared the free-wheeling Djingle coming to the last fence to win by four lengths and follow up his handicap chase success at Kilbeggan last month. The Topham Chase at Aintree in the spring could be his long term objective.
Terrific training
A terrific training effort was in the offing earlier in the day as Noel Meade produced the Flanagan-ridden Cask Mate (5/2) in great shape off a 1,020 day layoff to run out an easy winner of the two-mile maiden hurdle.
The High Spirits Racing Club-owned seven-year-old, who boasted some quality hurdling form when last seen in action, looked as good as ever.
He tanked his way through the race, cruised to the front with two to jump and easily defeated the favourite, Frontal Assault, by four and a half lengths.
Working well
“When they have been off that long you never quite know what to expect but he had been working very well,” said the trainer.
“I wouldn’t mind giving him a run in a flat maiden before the end of the season and then he could go back for a novice hurdle.”
THE Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cailin Alainn Mares Hurdle turned into a benefit for Willie Mullins as he saddled a one-two with the red-hot favourite My Sister Sarah leading home stablemate Shanning at her leisure.
On the run to the third last, Paul Townend set sail for home on the Barnane Stud-owned daughter of Martaline whose stamina over this two and three quarter miles trip was assured. The 2/5 favourite, who was wearing cheek-pieces for the first time, soon held a good lead over her discouraged rivals and she coasted home by 10 lengths.
“The cheek-pieces sharpened up her jumping early on. She got a horrible fall in Leopardstown last year and was brought down in Cheltenham so she might have lost her confidence a bit. I was impressed with that,” stated Townend.
John Ryan was owner-trainer in the Irish Racing Wall Calendar 2021 Mares Handicap Hurdle where Kitty Galore (15/2) struck under Sean O’Keeffe.
Fresh from a third to Walking Fame at Killarney at the start of the week, she held a commanding lead throughout this two-mile affair and never saw another rival.
The game top weight Bridge Native closed in steadily from the turn-in but could never strike a telling blow and went down by two and a quarter lengths.
A tremendous season for Shark Hanlon’s Balinaboola Steel (15/2) got even better as he notched up his fourth win of the campaign in the David Fitzgerald Memorial Handicap Hurdle over three miles.
The Seamus Tobin-owned gelding had risen 22lb in the weights since June. Bryan Cooper’s mount wasn’t that fluent two out but he soon righted himself and kept on well to see off Ask Heather by two and a quarter lengths.