HIS recent efforts on the flat suggested that Swamp Fox had taken a big step forward since he was last seen over timber and that impression was reinforced in the most striking fashion as he annihilated his rivals in the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle.
On his first outing since winning the featured amateur rider’s flat handicap on the opening night of the Galway Festival, Joe Murphy’s charge looked right at home as he switched to jumping for the first time since February. As he went in search of his third win in succession the Tom Egan-owned gelding was sent off the 9/2 second favourite under David Mullins and his supporters would have been on good terms with themselves at all stages.
Swamp Fox travelled powefully at the head of the field and he held a decent lead for much of the race. Several of his rivals attempted to close up on the approach to the straight but Swamp Fox brushed them aside with ease. Once he cleared two out victory was assured and he extended his advantage all the way to the line to score by 11 lengths from Cradle Mountain. Plain Talking was third, while the favourite Tudor City pulled-up having been struggling at the rear with a circuit to run.
“I thought he’d need the run as he missed a little bit of time after his last run and he’s a very lazy horse at home,” said Joe Murphy. “We’ll have a look at the Cesarewitch next and then there is the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November. Our dream is to have a Cheltenham horse and maybe he will be the one.”
“David (Mullins) said he was a different horse with the blinkers and that he was the winner everywhere. I must also say that it is a great prvilege to win a race named after the late Liam Healy,” added the trainer.
Wayne Lordan enjoyed a good afternoon as he notched-up a double which concluded with a game success for Gentil J (7/2) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
The patiently-ridden daughter of Jeremy coped well with the ground to build on her encouraging debut second for Harry Rogers at Roscommon last month. Lordan produced the Edward McKenna-owned filly with a sustained effort that enabled her to defeat End Play by two and a quarter lengths.
“She just bumped into one at Roscommon and I was hoping she might win if she coped with the ground,” commented Rogers. “She doesn’t like being in front too soon and Wayne was good on her. With a bit of luck she might win again this season.”
Earlier, Lordan teamed up with the Tommy Stack-trained Galkina (11/2) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Fillies Maiden. The granddaughter of the high-class Sundrop finished in midfield on her debut at Tipperary last month but was altogether sharper here.
Galkina helped to force the pace and, having intially seen off Coppertone off the last bend, she found plenty to deal with Pink Jeanie as the last furlong loomed. In the closing stages, the Sue Magnier and Liz Stack-owned Pour Moi filly stayed on stoutly to score by three and a half lengths.
“She won well. She stays well and handled the ground, which was a big help,” commented Fozzy Stack. “My mother and Sue Magnier bred her and she’s the first winner out of the mare. She might try for blacktype before the end of the season.”
Several decent hurdlers from last season lined-up in the John F. McGuire Beginners Chase where Three Stars (7/2) got back on track over fences by defeating the Grade 2 scorer Ball D’Arc. Last season’s For Auction Novice Hudle winner didn’t run any sort of race on his chasing debut at Tramore in June but he was an entirely different proposition this time.
Davy Russell kept the Westerner gelding close to the pace before then sending him into a lead of several lengths turning in. Three Stars safely negotiated the last two fences for a three-length triumph over Ball D’Arc.
“He’s a big horse who would enjoy a galloping track and it was trainer error running him on fast ground at Tramore,” reflected Henry de Bromhead of the Robert Finnegan-owned gelding. “We gave him a break after Tramore and aimed towards this race and he did it well and got a super ride from Davy. I think his jumping will get better as he gets more experience and we’d be looking towards a two and a quarter-mile novice chase at Punchestown next month.”
The card concluded with a display of some quality from the Willie Mullins newcomer Bargy Lady (9/2) in the Kerry Petroleum Flat Race. This Yeats half-sister to a couple of useful winners was partnered by Richie Deegan, with Patrick Mullins unable to do the weight, and duly served notice that she is yet another promising mare for the champion trainer.
After challenging for the lead early in the straight, she stormed clear over the last furlong and a half to hand out a 15-length beating to The Last But One. The winner carries the colours of the Oakroom Racing Club.
The testing conditions made the opening Jet O’Carroll Memorial EB Maiden quite an endurance test for the six juveniles who took part and it produced something of a turn-up.
Neither the odds-on Ensign nor the 13/8 second favourite Cascavelle were able to deal with Jessica Harrington’s newcomer Escape Clause, who went to the front before halfway in this seven-furlong contest. Colm O’Donoghue’s mount shook off Cascavelle to go clear with over a furlong to run and he crossed the line with two and a half lengths to spare over the newcomer Tommy Hallinan. Ensign was struggling from a long way out before eventually filling third.
“Jessie liked him and we thought that he’d handle the ground. The conditions are testing out there, it’s deep ground and stamina really comes into play. He’s raw and will improve plenty,” commented the winning rider, who was carrying the colours of Juliette Cooper.
Stamp Of Authority (14/1) kicked off an excellent 10 minutes for Tom McCourt as she landed the Brandon Hotel Handicap for the trainer, who then went on to take the opener at Laytown.
A 13-race maiden coming into this event, Stamp Of Authority travelled sweetly throughout for apprentice Andrew Breslin and took control of the race turning for home.
The Caroline Jordan-owned gelding entered the last furlong with a useful lead and she finished with a length to spare over Ecoeye. This victory saw the 19-year-old jockey’s claim reduced from 10lb to 7lb.
ACTING STEWARDS
P.J.A. O’Connor, E. Flannery, Mrs V. Cooper, M. Carroll, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
RISING QUEEN (H. De Bromhead): This Stowaway filly had to settle for fourth in the bumper having raced a little freely in a forward position. She showed up well for much of the race and could progress very nicely from this initial outing.