JOHN Ryan’s remarkable course specialist Kylecrue, who failed to make the cut for last year’s Kerry National, brought his winning tally over fences at Listowel to four with a gutsy 6/1 success in last Sunday’s €40,000 Kerry Group Handicap Chase.
“He’s a great bit of stuff,” was the trainer’s assessment of Danny Mullins’s mount who led from start to finish and had too many guns for The Gatechecker in scoring by half a length in this two and a half mile contest.
Ryan enthused: “He’s never been beaten over fences here and was laid out for the race. That’s 11 races he’s won and over €250,000 in prize money. He loves that heavy ground.” Kylecrue turned out again on Wednesday for the Kerry National and was pulled up after making much of the running.
Sunday’s favourite Jack The Wire proved a disappointment, but was reported to be post-race normal when examined by the Turf Club veterinary officer at the request of the stewards.
Roger McGrath’s triple bumper winner Miss Eyecatcher turned on the style to open her chasing account at the second attempt under David Mullins in the Cheestrings Mares Novice Chase.
The steady 5/4 favourite, owned by the Connery Family Syndicate from Aglish and Clashmore, was foot-perfect throughout and drew away from the final obstacle to win at her ease by eight and a half lengths from Ask Susan.
Mullins was very taken by the performance, commenting: “She’s a big scopey mare and she’ll be better again on good ground.”
Miss Eyecatcher’s trainer echoed those sentiments and said: “She’s a lovely mare and is remarkably versatile as regards ground, but she won’t go on extreme ground.
“Hopefully there’s a rated novice chase for her in Tipperary in October and a graded one in Clonmel the following month. It was good prize money today and she’ll tip away in those and then we’ll bring her back in February/March for the springtime. Miss Orchestra is her grandam, so she’s bred to stay.”
Up-and-coming claimer Chris Meehan advertised his claims with his first double aboard The Game Changer for his boss Gordon Elliott and the Eric McNamara-trained Silver Planeur who gave him his third winner in four days.
Ballycasey was the punters’ choice for the Kerrymaid Hurdle and set off in front, tracked by The Game Changer, a winner at Ballinrobe on his previous start, who took it up between the last two. The hot-pot, however, rallied gamely to get to within a head of Gigginstown’s 4/1 winner at the line and Meehan reflected: “My horse just started to idle and get lonely in front, but did it quite nicely.
“I was wondering how he’d go on that ground (changed to heavy after the first race) and he took me there the whole way and settled very well. He jumped brilliant and, when push came to shove, he found a lot. He has massively found his way again and that was good from him today.”
McNamara kept the locals happy when his lightly-weighted 14/1 shot Silver Planeur delivered under Meehan in the Low Low Irish EBF Mares 80-109 Handicap Hurdle. The grey carried the colours of the Rathkeale House Syndicate to her half-length win over Open To The World, with the ‘good thing’ Queen Khaleesi back in third. The winning trainer was full of praise for the rider afterwards.
He revealed: “They’re all local lads in Rathkeale and we put the syndicate together in the hotel. She’s been running consistently and has come down the ratings, but she’s very small and, once the ground went heavy, I was anxious to claim off her.
“I didn’t even know what Chris looked like, but Gordon told me he was good and he’s given her a super ride, so hats off to him. He did exactly what he was told and I just thought he was particularly good on her for a lad claiming 7lb.”
Recent Down Royal scorer Minnie Dahill was all the rage for the opening Kerry Group 3-Y-O Hurdle but, having moved into a challenging position facing up to the second last, faded into fifth behind last month’s Killarney winner Grey Waters who got on-top under Shane Shortall close home for a neck follow-up for the Boragh Stud Syndicate.
The rider, who was also in the plate on the Joseph O’Brien-trained 7/2 chance last time, said: “She’s very tough. My biggest issue was getting something to tow me into the straight because she’s a little bit idle in front, but when I got stuck into her at the back of the last, she had enough left in the tank. She jumped the last like a handicapper, the way she did in Killarney, but the ground is very testing.”
The Noel Meade/Sean Flanagan alliance continued their winning ways in the Charleville Cheese Maiden Hurdle with Patricia Hunt’s French-bred 11/4 shot Champoleon who went to the head of affairs after three out and was three lengths too good for Antimatter. Market leader Brave Poppy was only fifth.
The winning jockey remarked: “He was unlucky he got the race taken off him at Punchestown last year, but that makes up for it and he’s come out and done it well. We didn’t go over-quick and he was a little bit idle coming down to the last, but he galloped all the way to the line.”
Barry Connell’s Massey’s Wood, a handsome son of Black Sam Bellamy, really caught the eye in the Kerry Group Flat Race when spread-eagling the field at the first time of asking for the Alan Fleming stable.
Sent to post the 1/2 favourite, the five-year-old made every yard, lobbing along in the hands of Steven Clements, and stretched right away to slam Crumpledandcreased with ease by 31 lengths.
“He’s a lovely looking horse and he’s done it quite well,” the trainer agreed. “I’m not sure if he’ll go for a winners’ bumper or go hurdling now, but he jumps really well and is a good stayer – he’ll get further, but two and a half miles is enough for him for a while.”
Foley whip ban
Barry John Foley picked up a three-day ban for his use of the whip in the latter stages of the fourth race and was also ordered to attend RACE for one day’s tuition in the correct use of the whip.
ACTING STEWARDS
S. McDonogh, B. Murphy, J. McGuire, J. O’Shaughnessy, S. Quinn
HORSE TO FOLLOW
MISS EYECATCHER (Roger McGrath): Having performed with real credit on her chasing bow, she could not be faulted second time around and measured her fences perfectly to win by a wide margin. Sure to go in again.