Ruby Walsh: Stumptown makes each-way appeal in Kerry National
CONTENDER: Stumptown is pushed out by Danny Mullins. Pic: Healy Racing.
Listowel started with a bang last Sunday, as is usually the case in the vibrant north Kerry town, but the action on the track kept par with that in the town. The punters only got paid out on course on two winning favourites, which doesn't tell half the story. Nurburgring passed the post in front in the opener but was rightly placed second after causing interference to Wodhooh on the run home, and the first winner quickly became a loser for those on The Island.
Space Tourist blew out before Costanuci collected, and Silver Gazette ran into a cul-de-sac when coming with his charge going to the last in the fourth. There is a saying amongst jockeys that you always “close the door” on rivals, but that means before the caller has rung the doorbell, not when they have a foot over the threshold. So, for the second time on Sunday, the Listowel stewards nailed their call.
Cian Quirke was too far over the threshold for Sean Flanagan to stop him from coming through the gap, but at least the stewards didn't insult Sean's penalty by deeming him guilty of careless riding. The movement of Sean's left arm showed everyone he meant to move left, so the stewards found him guilty of improper riding, which is what it was, and his ban and the terminology reflect the offence of over-enthusiastic competitiveness.
That was of little solace to favourite backers, and it got worse when Uncle Phil downed Gracchus De Balme before Saint Sam tipped up when leading at the last. Still, all was rectified in the punting world when Willie and Patrick won the bumper to give the brave souls on The Island something to bring back to town.
A slow start to a long week, but nowhere near as slow as the IHRB investigation into a financial matter of “grave importance”. I believed that when Darragh O'Loughlin broke this news to a meeting of the PAC members, it was “a matter of urgency”. That was June 29, which in nine days’ time will have been four months ago, a third of a year or 57 working days ago. We were lucky the Listowel stewards were working faster on Sunday, but it does raise another matter of “importance”. What is taking so long?
I doubt that will bother too many in Listowel today, where the Kerry National will be the puzzle most want to solve.
The Galway Plate is a good place to start, but Hewick's participation in that made it a very different race to this. He had to shoulder 11st12lb, but more importantly, his superiority over Ash Tree Meadow and Authorised Art in rating terms meant both of them went to post at Ballybrit carrying 10st5lb and less.
Roll onto Kerry where they are now the top weights and top-rated runners, which could hinder the petite Authorised Art. The saying is weight can stop a train, after all.
Outside of Authorised Art, Ash Tree Meadow has to give a minimum of 12lbs to those who reoppose him from Galway and immediately my eye is drawn to those down the field in the Plate rather than the first two.
Ciel De Neige and Gabbys Cross, in particular, catch the eye because the first two at Galway were first and second at the second fence, the ninth and the third-last, where Gabbys Cross was 15th and Ciel De Neige 17th.
Ash Tree Meadow kept going to win, Authorised Art plugged away to be second, but Ciel De Neige managed to run past 11 horses from 17th to home and, of those who ran at Galway, to me he looks to be the value. Gabby's Cross didn't finish quite as well and, interestingly, looks like the fourth choice of the De Bromhead runners.
Rachael Blackmore has gone for Ain't That A Shame, who was unlucky in the Munster National and the Paddy Power Chase. He didn't stay the four miles two and a half furlongs of the Aintree Grand National, where his race was run before crossing back over the Melling Road for the final time. This should be more up his street, and I can see why Rachael has opted for him over Life In The Park.
Darragh O’Keeffe retains his association with Toss Again, who completes Henry's team, and he could run well if getting into a similar rhythm as he did when winning the Blazers at Galway.
Jack Kennedy could have ridden any one of six of the Elliott seven as replacing Danny Gilligan on Ash Tree Meadow makes no mathematical sense, as Danny claimed seven off his back when winning the Plate.
Jack has opted for Salvador Ziggy but must have considered Chemical Energy, too, as his profile suits this event. A second-season novice dropping into a handicap company with a summer improvement under his belt appeals to me.
Still, he would need to be observed in the parade ring for a fitness gauge or you could just take Jack's hint, but, to my mind, Salvador Ziggy's mark is high for what he has thus far achieved over fences.
Gevrey would appreciate every drop of rainfall that is forecast, and so would The Goffer. Still, I would consider Hurricane Georgie a surprise winner and can give a slight chance to Tullybeg.
Stealthy Tom and Foxy Jacks are old rivals now, but the former has risen sharply in the weights, and the latter is better off going the other way around.
A Wave Of The Sea and Born By The Sea have to improve from their Galway efforts, but Stumptown looks like he used Galway as a prep for this and, at six years of age, could well be the one open to the most improvement for Danny Mullins and Gavin Cromwell. As I write, he is a double-figure price and is the one that will carry my few quid each-way.
