OWNER Michael O’Leary, through his Gigginstown House Stud, continues to bag multiple winners and recorded a four-timer at Punchestown on Wednesday, highlighted by the win of last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle third Mengli Khan in the Download The Betdaq App Beginners Chase.
The son of Lope De Vega filled third place in both Cheltenham’s and Punchestown’s Grade 1 two-mile novice hurdles last season and now, under champion jockey Davy Russell, jumped well on his chase debut to score impressively, by 10 lengths, from Forge Meadows.
Trainer Gordon Elliott said: “I thought it was a good performance. When he had something to aim at he winged fences. Davy said they just weren’t going quick enough down the back and he let him stride on. He jumped the fourth last and third last very well, and he went to pop the last two which he’ll probably learn from.
“He looks to be a chaser with the big bone of him. I’d say he’ll go straight to Leopardstown now. The scope he showed is what really impressed me.”
FOUR-TIMER
Gigginstown’s third winner on the day was with Judgement Day (7/2), who completed a four-timer of his own over fences in the Betdaq Rated Novice Chase.
Ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the Henry de Bromhead trained front-running son of Martaline made all when blitzing his rivals to eventually beat Kildorrery by two and a half lengths.
De Bromhead commented: “Any horse to win four on the bounce is good going. He started off in Kilbeggan and has won over three and back to two and a half; he’s a good tough horse.
“I couldn’t win with him over hurdles but he seems to have really improved for the fences.
“We did a couple of the early entries for Leopardstown and we put him in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase and the three-mile novice chase.”
Racing began with the Betdaq Trading Tools Maiden Hurdle which saw the Gigginstown-owned and Noel Meade-trained Daly Tiger (6/4 favourite) lead home a one-two-three for owner O’Leary.
Gigginstown scooped all the prize money in a maiden hurdle at Navan on Sunday and here Daly Tiger, under jockey Sean Flanagan, led home Gigginstown’s other runners Alighted and Acronym.
Winning trainer Meade later said: “He should improve a lot as he’s had an infection on the top of his wither and he had to do work without a jockey for quite a while.
“Sean (Flanagan) said he jumped well and picked up well. We thought he was a nice horse last year. Hopefully he can go somewhere decent.
“It wasn’t the plan to make the running but it worked out well around that track as it’s quite tight.”
The Gigginstown four-timer was completed in the concluding Betdaq Commission Back Bumper as expensive purchase Battleoverdoyen belatedly made his debut for the owner when completing a double for Mengli Khan’s trainer Gordon Elliott.
Battleoverdoyen was purchased by O’Leary for £235,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Horses In Training Sale five days after his debut point-to-point win for trainer Jerry Cosgrave in April 2017 but failed to see any action since then.
Here, under Lisa O’Neill, the son of Doyen comfortably beat runner-up Minella Beat by six and a half lengths.
Delighted trainer Elliott said: “He’s a big chaser and a horse for the future. We think he’s very smart.
“He’d a few niggly problems last year and we didn’t get to run him. He’s only a baby and we might go for that two-mile, three-furlong bumper in Naas. He jumps brilliant and he’s a gorgeous looking horse.
“Lisa said he was very green going to the start, and it was only the last half-furlong that he got going.”
DEBUTANTE
Jockey Danny Mullins was another to complete a double on the day and began by winning the ChangingfortheBettor (Mares) Handicap Hurdle on the Billy Lanigan-trained mare and handicap debutante Stucker Hill.
The daughter of Milan had failed to win in eight previous racecourse outings but was a previous point-to-point winner and here beat Demi Plie by five and a half lengths.
Lanigan said: “She won a point-to-point in Westmeath with Jamie Codd and she’s taken a while to adjust to the hurdles but she’s not too bad.
“Seosamh Murphy, the co-owner and breeder, sadly lost his dear dad last week. (The other part-owner) Sarah Ann O’Hanlon’s husband Paddy, who is our vet, is an uncle of Danny Mullins.
“Hopefully we’ll find something over Christmas and she would prefer softer ground than we had today. She stays well.”
An hour and a half later Mullins completed his brace on his mother Mags Mullins’ Gunfire Reef in the Betdaq High Liquidity Handicap Chase.
The eight-year-old Italian owned gelding began his career racing in France for trainer Louisa Carberry and having failed to win in six starts in France, got off the mark on his eighth Irish start when beating runner-up Se Mo Laoch.
Trainer Mags Mullins later commented: “He’s a tricky auld devil and Shane Kelly rides him every day. Today he didn’t know he was in a race and Danny gave him a lovely spin around.
“He’ll keep going in those type of races, and as the ground gets softer he might improve. His owner Daniel Furini is from Italy and he’s delighted.”
The Oliver McKiernan-trained Gallant John Joe caused a minor 10/1 upset to win the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle scoring under 5lb claimer Barry Browne.
The son of Presenting is named after McKiernan’s fellow Cavan countyman and footballing great John Joe O’Reilly, and McKiernan said: “He’s strengthened up and grew over the summer.
“I was disappointed when I heard the hurdles (in the back straight) were gone as I think he’s a good jumper.
“I thought it was a decent enough performance. Barry was very good on him especially on the last bend as he sensed traffic problems in front, so he moved wide and got a clear run. Perhaps it left him in front a bit earlier than he wanted to but it worked out. We’ll probably head for Leopardstown at Christmas, and I don’t think he’ll have a problem with three miles.”
Acting Stewards
P. Caffrey, R. Hall,
M. Hickey, N. McCaffrey,
L Walsh
Horse To Follow
FORGE MEADOW (J. Harrington): She bumped into the exciting Mengli Khan in the beginners’ chase but can make it third time lucky next time over fences.