BATTLEOVERDOYEN retained his unbeaten record over fences in the Grade 2 Liam And Valerie Brennan Memorial Florida Pearl Novice Chase but Gordon Elliott’s charge had to work harder than odds of 2/5 suggested beforehand.
The strapping six-year-old took really well to fences at Galway last month but this two-and-three-quarter-mile affair promised to provide him with a much more meaningful test and among those lying in wait was the Kim Muir hero Any Second Now.
That one provided the market leader with a good examination and got him off the bridle turning for home before the Davy Russell-ridden Battleoverdoyen raised his game.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned winner got on top before the last and stuck to his task to defeat the 150-rated Any Second Now, who is bound for the Paddy Power Chase, by five lengths. There was a further gap of three and a quarter lengths back to the 146-rated Ex Patriot in a race that Elliott was winning for the third time in four years.
“I’m happy. He probably doesn’t do a whole lot in front and I’m not sure how well he was suited by the three fences down the back being taken out due to the sun,” said Elliott. “It was a fair step-up in class from Galway and I think he will come into his own over three miles so we will look towards the Grade 1 over three miles at Leopardstown over Christmas.”
Commanding
For the second year in succession, Stormy Ireland picked up the Listed Frontline Security Grabel Mares Hurdle and she did so in typically commanding fashion.
The Sullivan Bloodstock-owned and Paul Townend-ridden five-year-old was her usual exuberant self as she dominated this race from the front and she needed just a brief shake of the reins after the last in this two-and-a-quarter-mile race to defeat Black Tears by four lengths.
“She did that well and the conditions of the ace suited. Eglantine Du Seuil (third) badly needed the run,” reported Willie Mullins.
“She jumps so well we had thought about chasing for her but the owner has Laurina going chasing this season so we will have to see.”
YANWORTH, a recruit of rare quality to the cross-country scene, made a winning start to life in this discipline as he justified 5/6 favouritism in the EMS Copiers Risk Of Thunder Chase.
A dual Grade 1 winner and successful five times at Grade 2 level, this J.P. McManus-owned gelding also went off favourite for the 2017 Champion Hurdle.
Enda Bolger’s charge had to work for this success and it was only approaching the last that Mark Walsh’s mount started to get the better of the front-running Ballyboker Bridge before reaching the line a length and a half ahead of Neverushacon.
Yanworth will now tackle a cross-country race at Cheltenham next month.
Double
The Pat Fahy-trained Drop The Anchor made it a double for McManus and Mark Walsh in the Irish Daily Mirror Handicap Hurdle. Chasing his first victory since a Listowel bumper in September 2018, the 2/1 joint-favourite had the measure of the front-running Scheu Time from before the last.
He went on to defeat that opponent by two and a half lengths.
Punches Cross came within half a length of giving the owner a treble in the Ryans Cleaning Handicap Chase but he couldn’t quite reel in the tenacious front-runner Freewheelin Dylan (7/1) who struck for Dermot McLoughlin and Ricky Doyle.
This was a fourth career success for the Sheila Mangan-owned son of Curtain Time who could have the Irish Grand National ahead.
There was a nasty incident before the fourth last where three horses came down on the flat.
This left Luke Dempsey with a lower leg injury.
Queally eyes graded riches for improving Sacchoandvanzetti
THE useful Sacchoandvanzetti (13/2), who contested a five-furlong maiden as recently as August, made it two wins from three starts over timber in the Nally Bros Hyundai Supporting Longford GAA 3-Y-O Hurdle. The Jody McGarvey-ridden son of Finsceal Fior was joined by the favourite Pasley (in receipt of 7lbs) at the last but he still had any amount left in reserve and he asserted on the run in to prevail by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s professional and he’s tough. It’s nice to win two with him before the good juveniles come out and I’d say he will go to Doncaster next month for a Grade 2 (Summit Juvenile Hurdle),” reported John Queally who trains the winner for Michael Ryan.
The Ted Walsh-trained Dewcup (4/1) made it quite a day for Michael Ryan by taking Mervyn Gray Construction (Pro/Am) Flat Race on his first start since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree last April.
Patrick Mullins, who was out of luck on his two rides at Cork earlier in the day, was on board this four-year-old and the pair cruised to the front with over a furlong to run before a smooth four-length triumph over course winner Fantasio D’Alene.
“He’s a nice horse and he’s bred to be a nice horse too. We have the option of going jumping but there is a nice winners’ bumper at Navan next month that he could go for,” reported Walsh.
A week after running a very pleasing third to Andy Dufresne at Navan, the Charles Byrnes-trained Alpine Cobra took advantage of an appreciably easier assignment in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles.
The heavily backed evens favourite was produced with his challenge by Kevin Brouder turning for home and sustained that effort to defeat Fully Charged by a length and a half. The six-year-old carries the colours of the Nay Syndicate.