THE diminutive and teak-tough Folsom Blue rolled back the years and showed courage and determination aplenty to bridge a four-year gap in the BoyleSports Grand National Trial Handicap Chase.
An inspired £21,000 purchase at Goffs UK in the autumn, the 11-year-old was looking for just his second win over fences since he claimed this prize in 2014. Some excellent runs in quality handicap hurdles this season pointed to a big showing here and he headed the market at 5/1.
Folsom Blue, whose owners (Core Syndicate) include At The Races front man Gary O’Brien, kept close to the pace throughout this three and a half-mile marathon which was run on his favoured heavy ground.
The gallant front-runner Baie Des Iles remained in front jumping the second last but it was shortly after this that Jack Kennedy began to ask Folsom Blue for his all.
The veteran responded well to take several lengths out of the field but Isleofhopesanddreams was a menacing presence as he moved into a closing second. A ponderous leap at the last looked as though it might spell disaster for Folsom Blue and all the initiative swung in favour of Isleofhopesanddreams who moved ahead.
The winner is a dour stayer though and he responded to Kennedy’s every call to force his way back to the front late on, prevailing by a length and a half. Baie Des Iles was 13 lengths back in third with Space Cadet completing the placings.
HONEST
“He’s a very honest horse. It was a worry running him back just a week after he ran at Sandown but they didn’t go very fast that day and he came out of that race very well,” said Elliott.
“All credit to Gary (O’Brien). He was the one that picked him out at the sales and bought him so I’m delighted for him.
“He jumped well apart from the last where he just jammed on and Jack felt he just could have done with some company at that stage. I’d say that we’ll head towards the Irish National now.”
After finding Grade 1 company too much on his last couple of outings, the useful Elliott inmate Hardline (5/2) took advantage of an appreciably easier assignment in the Listed INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle. The 5/2 joint-favourite was stalking chief rival Riders Onthe Storm when that one dived at the second last flight and this left Hardline vying for the lead off the last bend.
He soon moved ahead for Davy Russell and despite not being all that fluent at the final flight he still defeated Riders Onthe Storm by two and a quarter lengths.
“He’s a grand horse but he’s just that bit below Grade 1 level,” reported Elliott of the Gigginstown-owned winner.
“It wasn’t ideal that he was left in front for as long as he was but that was just the way the race turned out. He’ll keep going in these types of races and he will be a nice chaser next year.”
TERRIFIC
Getaway John capped a terrific day for Elliott as he trounced his opponents in the four-runner Star Medical Supporting Kilmacud Crokes Hurdling (Pro/Am) Flat Race. In the colours of Dunlavin-based John Doyle, who was married the previous day, the Getaway gelding was a 4/7 chance to make up for a near miss at Fairyhouse last month and did so in style under Jamie Codd.
He led from some way out and then quickened up well inside the last couple of furlongs to put the result beyond doubt, eventually finishing some eight and a half lengths ahead of the newcomer Castle North.
“He learnt plenty and improved plenty from the last day and I think he’d good enough to try a winners’ bumper next,” observed Elliott.
For the second year in succession Auvergnat (7/2) emerged victorious in the P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase to lead home a one-two-three for Enda Bolger and J.P. McManus. The victorious eight-year-old again demonstrated his aptitude for the demands posed by this discipline and he seemed sure to score when Donie McInerney sent him past Josies Orders early on the run-in.
The latter fought back splendidly to force a bobbing finish but his younger rival held on by a short-head. There was a gap of 10 lengths back to Blue Templar whose effort showed that he may not be long in making his mark in this sphere.
CHELTENHAM
“That’s their job done and we’ll freshen them up and bring them to Cheltenham,” stated Bolger of his first two finishers. “Whether they will be good enough to handle Cause Of Causes and the likes at Cheltenham I don’t know but Auvergnat is still a relatively young horse.”
Gilgamboa (8/13) then made it a double for Bolger and Gigginstwon as the former Grade 1 scorer saw off the rising star Burning Ambition in the hunter chase. The front pair produced a cracking duel from the second last fence and Burning Ambition looked as though he might be poised to extend his winning sequence when he led before the last.
However, Gilgamboa was far from done with and Nina Carberry conjured a powerful late surge from the 10-year-old who asserted on the run-in to pull two and three-quarter lengths clear.
“That was a proper race, the younger horse served it up to him,” commented Bolger. “He’s not eligible for Cheltenham this year so we’d be looking at going for the Tetratema at Gowran and then on to Liverpool. Soft ground is important to him.”
The fine attitude that High Sparrow showed to win a bumper at Limerick over Christmas once again stood him in good stead in the Michael Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained son of Shantou (13/8) was always close to the pace for J.J. Slevin and led turning for home but he was joined and headed by Caltex nearing the last flight.
High Sparrow rallied splendidly on the run-in to prevail by a length and a half.
“He’s tough. He battled really well in Limerick and he did the same today,” reflected O’Brien of the Best Of The Rest Syndicate-owned winner.
“He will stay further too. We’ll look for something for him in a month to six weeks.”
SUPPORT
A deluge of late support for Wood Emery was a notable pointer to his chances in the Racing UK-sponsored three-mile handicap hurdle and Alan Fleming’s charge duly obliged. The Barry Connell-owned gelding, who was wearing a first-time tongue tie for his handicap debut, was backed from 12/1 into 13/2 for his first outing in exactly a year and he won with something to spare.
Denis O’Regan gave the impression that he had the favourite, Swingbridge, covered on the run to the last and Wood Emery delivered to come three and a quarter lengths clear on the run-in.
“He was a bit immature last season and the horses weren’t running great at the time either. He jumps well and should win plenty of races,” reported Alan Fleming.
ACTING STEWARDS
P. Caffrey, T. Hunt, N. O’Byrne, Ms. L. Reynolds, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
LONE WOLF (J.P. O’Brien): The five-year-old ran very well on his hurdling debut to finish third to Hardline, which suggests that he will develop into a novice of substance in the coming months.