JACK Kennedy moved six winners clear of Paul Townend at the head of the jockeys’ championship at Tipperary on Tuesday where he steered well-backed Morepowertoya to win the Junction Handicap Hurdle for trainer Paul Power.

Backed from 20/1 in the morning and returned 13/2, Rajsaman-gelding raced with the pace, led at the second last and stayed on well to comfortably beat Tingarren Express, to move Kennedy to 121 winners this season.

After the race trainer Power reported: “My brother Conor runs the (Going Global) syndicate and was keen to get Jack to ride and he is three-from-three for me now.

“He had an injury and we were happy enough with his first run back where he ran to the line at Naas. We thought - with the drying ground today - that he’d have a little squeak as he is a quick, little horse.

“My brother, a few local lads and a lad in Australia own him and he’ll be kept going for the summer.”

De Bromhead double

Racing began with the Welcome To Tipperary Maiden Hurdle, which provided jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead with the opening leg of a double, as Na Na Riogh made all.

Regarding the former point-to-point winner, de Bromhead’s assistant Robbie Power reported: “We were hoping he’d improve for a bit of nicer ground and he definitely has. He jumped and travelled, and Rachael said he quickened up going down to the second last.

“He has plenty of options but I think that’ll be it for the year. We’ll have a chat with Henry first but he is a chaser - that’s his job. He is fine big horse and it is great for Charlie and Nuala (Doocey, owners).”

De Bromhead and Blackmore completed their doubles in the TipperaryRaces.ie Rated Novice Chase as Music Of Tara (6/4) scored on her fences debut, when benefitting from a second last fence blunder by challenging Nine Graces, but nonetheless scoring by four lengths from runner-up So Des Flos.

Robbie Power said: “Music Of Tara jumped really really well and I was really impressed with her jumping. She won a ‘pot’ over hurdles and hopefully can go onwards and upwards over fences now.

“On the evidence of that, she could be a better chaser than hurdler and Rachael was very happy with her jumping. We’ll look at the calendar and see what options are there for her but she will stay going.”

Pinkerton puts best foot forward

DRYING ground resulted in two fancied runners being withdrawn from the Ballykisteen Beginners Chase and was won comfortably by the Noel Meade-trained, Philip Polly-owned Pinkerton (11/10 favourite) who scored under Sam Ewing.

Afterwards Meade said: “I suppose he was entitled to win with the way the race cut up, but he was pulling up a bit in front and got lonely. He (Ewing) said he also wouldn’t want it any quicker.

“When he started jumping fences first, he jumped them really well, and was good enough and jumped well today. He was probably entitled to win even better than he won, but he won, so I won’t complain. He will keep going for another while on easy ground.”

Trainer Philip Rothwell is enjoying his best seasonal and his The Busy Fool (11/5 favourite) landed the Follow Us On Social Media Novice Handicap Hurdle on handicap debut, under jockey James O’Sullivan.

The winner is owned by both Seamus Carthy and Tony Murray and today followed up a previous winter bumper win at Thurles.

Rothwell reported: “He is big, raw horse, we took our time with him and he is improving. The nicer ground has brought out improvement as well and that will sharpen him. He had been placed in three maiden hurdles at good winter tracks and hopefully he will come forward now.

“I’ll see how he is tomorrow and we might keep him for another fortnight or let him off and forget about him until maybe Down Royal next November. He won’t see a chase fence for 12 months.”

WILLIE Mullins landed the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bumper with impressive newcomer Not Negotiable (2/7 favourite), which justified strong market confidence under the champion trainer’s son Patrick Mullins.

Mullins junior reported: “She was quite green and had a good look at the road where I nearly came off her twice. She is a big mare with a big engine and I’d be thinking soft ground, at a trip, over fences is where she’d really be at her best.

“We came here for the two mile four furlongs and the ground had dried out a lot, but I think she is a proper winter mare. I’d be very excited with her and she is homebred by Nicola (Fitzgerald) who owns her. I’d be very surprised if she didn’t end up being a blacktype mare.”

The final jump race was the Tipperary Handicap Chase which was won by the Ray Hackett-trained Lady Kate (9/1), under Liam Quinlan.

The seven-year-old had previously pulled up on heavy ground last Christmas and following today’s race, Hackett stated: “She is a lovely, lovely, honest mare who ran well in Thurles (in mid-December) but the ground was so deep at Limerick during Christmas, where she gave herself a small drag behind.

Better

“It has worked out for the better now as I didn’t race her through the soft ground and is fresh and well now. She will run everywhere during the summer and, once she has a trip, she is fine.

“She is ground-versatile and is honest. The owners (Eamonn Stapleton) are local, this is their second horse with me and is their first winner, so I’m delighted for them.”