CHOSEN Mate has come a long way in the space of four weeks, and a crack at some of the best novices around now beckons for Gordon Elliott’s charge after he bagged the Grade 2 Paddy Power Onside App Novice Hurdle.
The winning point-to-pointer, who was snapped up for £32,000 in November, only made his debut four weeks previously when winning a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse.
There followed a second in a useful novice at Punchestown before the son of Well Chosen took advantage of good opportunity in a race his trainer was winning for the third time in four years.
Supporters of the 9/10 favourite would have been on good terms with themselves from early on as chief rival Jetez fell at the first and Davy Russell’s mount looked to have this two-mile contest wrapped up when he quickened smartly to hold a clear lead between the last two flights. However, the four-year-old Hannon finished with quite a rattle on the run-in and he almost nailed the idling Chosen Mate, but the Northern Four Racing Partnership-owned gelding got the verdict by a nose.
“He’s a grand horse who just does what he needs to and the plan now will be for him to go to Aintree for one of the novice hurdles. A well run two miles would suit him well, while he’d be fine stepping up to two and a half too,” said Elliott.
“Davy just had to change tactics when Jetez fell as he didn’t want to allow Paul Townend’s horse (Prince D’Aubrelle) a freebie up front. He’s a good jumper and I’d say there’s more to come from him. It was a good effort to give a stone away to the runner-up.”
DUG DEEP
Willie Mullins secured the Grade 3 WhatoddsPaddy? Chase for the first time in eight years as Cadmium outpointed last year’s winner Doctor Phoenix. Paul Townend, who was on board the Mullins-trained Golden Silver when he won in 2011, took the mount on the Supreme Horse Racing-owned gelding and they had to dig deep from two out to see off the runner-up.
The front duo jumped the last as one but Cadmium took his elder’s measure on the run-in to succeed by three lengths and record his third blacktype triumph in the last 10 months.
The trainer indicated that his charge would now tackle the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.
The progressive Poker Party (11/2) was amply rewarded for his rise up the weights as he claimed a lucrative success in the €50,000 Paddy Power 6th Bet Free Novice Handicap Chase.
Another big race winner for Henry de Bromhead, Rachael Blackmore and owner Brian Acheson, Poker Party found himself 12lbs higher in the weights for a second at Leopardstown over Christmas and a victory over this course and distance last month.
After leading with two to jump the seven-year-old dug deep from the last to contain Monatomic by two lengths.
“He’s really progressing. He got a little outpaced turning in but he was good and tough all the way to the line and I can’t see any reason why he can’t progress again,” reported the rider.
WELL DESERVED WIN
Few horses this season have deserved a victory as much as All For Joy (7/4) and Oliver McKiernan’s charge finally got his turn in the Naas Rugby Club Maiden Hurdle.
The seven-year-old had previously filled the runner-up spot in six of his seven starts but revelled in a return to front-running tactics.
The Keep The Faith Syndicate-owned gelding set a good gallop and jumped well for Barry Browne with the result that very few of his rivals ever counted. From the turn in the favourite Fast Buck was struggling to bridge the gap to the leader and he could do more after the last which left All For Joy to come home six lengths ahead of Momus.
“He’s been unlucky to come across a few good horses and the last day here we held him up a bit and he was a bit keen so today we said that we’d let him stride along and let him travel away within himself,” reported McKiernan.
“He works like a good horse at home and he got what he deserved today. He’ll step into a novice hurdle now.”
Midnight Run (5/6), who chased home Envoi Allen at Navan last time out, produced a stylish effort to make it two wins from three bumper starts in the Paddy Power-sponsored bumper.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned son of Well Chosen quickened nicely for Tom Hamilton to take charge of this race with well over a furlong to run and he defeated the previous bumper winner Column Of Fire by three and a half lengths.
Indications were that the Joseph O’Brien-trained own-brother to Carefully Selected could be aimed at the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown in two months’ time.
There was a surprise was lying in wait in the Profile Systems Supporting Naas RFC Handicap Hurdle where Gavin Cromwell’s Livingstones Quest, a 6,000gns purchase in October, produced by far his best effort since going jumping.
The Turlough Blessing-owned gelding hadn’t shown much on his first five runs over hurdles but a switch to this four-year-old only handicap and a light weight enabled him to defy his position as the 14/1 outsider of the field. Breen Kane produced the son of Showcasing to lead coming away from the final flight and Livingstones Quest hit the line with half a length to spare over the bottom-weight Viscount Wilson.
“He had a minor wind operation since he last ran and that’s probably helped, and it probably wasn’t much of a race,” reported the trainer.
Cromwell then made it a personal best of 30 winners for the season with Ming Dynasty (9/4) in the Paddy Rewards Club Handicap Hurdle.
smart performance
Formerly a Group 2 winner on the flat in France, he hadn’t looked the strongest of finishers on a few of his runs but Ger Fox timed things to perfection.
He produced Ming Dynasty to challenge at the last and the Martin Hannan-owned gelding quickened smartly to win with something to spare.
“It looked as though he was going to win a couple of times in the past and we cauterized his palate lately and that’s done the trick for him,” commented Cromwell.
“He was a very good flat horse at one stage and a bit of good ground helps him with his wind.”
Mon Lino took advantage of rating which was some 17lbs lower than the one he holds over hurdles in the Naas Rugby Club Handicap Chase.
The J.P. McManus-owned 5/4 favourite hadn’t shown much over fences prior to this, but on his last outing he finished an excellent fourth to Dallas Des Pictons at Leopardstown and he was going to be hard to beat if he ran anywhere close to that level.
Mon Lino eased to the front for Mark Walsh before the last fence en route to an easy six-and-a-half-length success over Danse Away.
“He didn’t show much bottle when he started off over fences but we were delighted with him when he switched back to hurdles last time. This wasn’t a strong race and the small field suited,” declared Paul Nolan.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
MUTADEFFEQ (G. Cromwell): He caught the eye with his strong-finishing fourth to stablemate Ming Dynasty. He will surely progress further after just four runs over timber.
Acting Stewards
Ms. M. Cosgrave, S. Barry, Mrs. T.K. Cooper, A. Byrne, P.D. Matthews