Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase

LAST season may not have ended in the desired fashion for Chris’s Dream but Henry de Bromhead’s charge started a new season with a handicap display par excellence to dominate the track’s biggest race of the year.

Just over two months after the trainer and owner Brian Acheson won the Kerry National with Poker Party, another of the season’s iconic staying handicaps came their way courtesy of a second season chaser. A Grade 2 winner over this course and distance last February, Chris’s Dream faced quite a test off a mark of 147 for his handicap chase debut.

However, the very strongly supported 9/2 chance ran riot to give jockey Robbie Power another big race victory just a day after his Haydock triumph on Lostintranslation.

Power and the winner’s many supporters would have been on good terms with themselves turning for home as Chris’s Dream cruised into the front rank. Shortly after the third last, the son of Mahler along with Fitzhenry, eased clear of the field and after two out Chris’s Dream moved into a clear lead.

Another bold jump at the last made sure of victory and the leader maintained a strong gallop to succeed by nine and a half lengths from Fitzhenry, with Portmore Lough and Space Cadet completing the placings.

“It’s brilliant and this was Brian’s (Acheson) idea. I was thinking in terms of a second-season race at Wexford a month ago but Brian said why don’t we go here and it made perfect sense,” commented de Bromhead. “He is a very good horse but just for the last two seasons his form has tailed off.

“We’ll try and space out his runs and that could mean that we miss Christmas but in truth today was the plan and we haven’t looked beyond this. I’m delighted for the horse and the owner and now we can see how he comes out of this,” added the winning trainer.

Tasty treble for in-form Elliott

THE defections of fellow Gigginstown House Stud-owned runners Abacadabras and Sixshooter rendered the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle nothing more than a routine workout for Fury Road who disposed of his rivals with the utmost ease to take centre stage in a treble for Gordon Elliott.

With just three rivals to take him on, the gelding was returned at 1/25 – the shortest price favourite in Ireland since Wicklow Brave won on the flat at Killarney in August 2018 – and he never broke sweat.

Davy Russell’s mount made all for an effortless 10-length success over Glamorgan Duke who netted his connections €8,500 for their canny placing.

“He’ll get three miles so our options are to come back here for a Grade 2 over this course and distance next month or wait for the three-miler at Limerick over Christmas or the Grade 1 over two and a half at Naas in early January,” commented Elliott.

The trainer’s treble concluded with Bigandbbeautiful once again showing that she has few peers in the mares’ bumper division.

The Andrew Bedford-owned five-year-old was a 6/5 chance to make it three wins on the spin in the Listed Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares Flat Race and she did so with ease.

A supremely confident Jamie Codd was happy to drop his mount out before letting her creep into contention from the turn-in and he was rewarded with an impressive effort late on. The daughter of Big Bad Bob swept past the newcomer Dreamingandhoping to score by six lengths.

“Our options are a little limited as she’s won three bumpers and maybe the mares’ Grade 2 at the Dublin Racing Festival is the place to go with her,” remarked the trainer.

The card began with a victory for Elliott as Thatsy (2/1) improved on a pair of runner-up finishes on his first two starts over jumps to land the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle. The Davy Russell-ridden produced quick jumps at the last two flights which were critical in giving him an edge over Entoucas who rallied well approaching the line but went down by a neck.

Entoucas crashed through the rail after the line and went straight into photographer Pat Healy who, after a hospital check-up, was found to be only bruised.

An enquiry into the incident found that there was no breach of any rules and riders involved in the finish were blameless, but due to the gravity of the situation the matter was referred on to the IHRB.

A shaken Elliott, who trains the winner for Kevin and Laura Haughey and Kieran Byrne, said of the winner: “The trip and ground suited and the first time tongue tie seemed to help. We’ll look towards Christmas now.”

Bonus for Cash Back

CASH Back produced a display of some verve to justify 11/10 favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase over an extended two miles.

The Willie Mullins runner forced a good pace and jumped a number of his fences with aplomb for Paul Townend. The 141-rated hurdler sustained his effort in the straight over Capuccimix whom he defeated by seven lengths.

“He’s a forward going horse in the mould of Un De Sceaux,” reported the trainer of the Watch This Space Syndicate winner.

Odds-on punters were left reeling in the Davis Civil Engineering Handicap Hurdle where Encore Lui (8/11) had to settle for second behind the Darragh O’Keeffe-ridden Bythesametoken who was continuing a fine run for Ross O’Sullivan.

This Downtown Syndicate-owned gelding was abject at Fairyhouse earlier in the week but the advice of Robbie Power to apply a tongue tie, a cross noseband and use waiting tactics worked on the 8/1 chance who scored by four and three-quarter lengths.

Martin Mooney was hit with a six-day whip ban for his efforts on the fifth-placed King’s War.

After showing promise previously, the Pat Fahy-trained Mister Fogpatches got his turn under Danny Mullins in the Mervyn Gray Construction Handicap Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles.

The 12/1 winner, owned by the trainer’s first cousin Joe Fahy, stuck to his task to edge ahead in the final strides at the expense of the valiant front-runner Oh’herewego.

Kevin Brogan, on third-placed favourite Cherif De L’isle, was banned for six days for whip abuse.