Gráinne A Chroí surprises with Grade 3 Mares Hurdle triumph at Punchestown
Grainne A Chroi & John Shinnick win the Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle. Pic: Healy Racing
Ther 16/1 outsider of the field, Gráinne A Chroí gave Marie Harding the biggest win of her training career when landing the Grade 3 Matchbook Betting Exchange Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.
Ridden by John Shinnick, the seven-year -old Mount Nelson mare, who won her maiden hurdle in Clonmel over a year ago but had been off the track for 342 days, stayed on stoutly to keep top-weight World Of Fortunes at bay by three-quarters of a length, with Kilbarry Saint in third and favourite Lantry Lady fourth.
“She’s a good, tough mare, our pet at home, and we’re delighted – that was amazing,” stated Harding, “She’s getting stronger as she gets older. But she got a bad fall after Christmas and we were a bit worried in the lead-up to today. She seemed in good form and her skin is unreal. And she did it really well.”
“She’s not over-big, but has a serious heart. We’ll see how she is in the morning before we start making plans. She’ll tell us where she’s going.”
All three maiden hurdles on the card were won by favourites, pride of place going to the Willie Mullins-trained How’s Hannah, who followed-up her course bumper success by justifying ½ favouritism in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Maiden Hurdle.
In the colours of the Temple Bloodstock Syndicate, the seven-year-old was in front from half-way before drawing clear and scoring, eased down, by two lengths from market rival Torpille Dagrostis, to whom she was conceding 8lb. The pair finished forty-two lengths clear of the rest.
How’s Hannah was ridden by Patrick Mullins, who declared, “She came highly-recommended by Tim Townend. I think she’s a very good mare. And I was keen to use one of my twenty-one rides against professionals on her.”
“We might look at the Grade 3 in Limerick on the Thursday of Cheltenham week (the ‘Shannon Spray’). She was due to run at Clonmel last week, but it was cancelled, so this is a week closer to the Limerick race. Long-term, we’d like to think we might be aiming at the Mares Chase in Cheltenham next year.”
The 125-rated Court Compliance, runner-up in his three previous hurdle starts, opened his account when making all to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle for owner-trainer Bill Durkan.
Ridden by Philip Byrnes, the Court Cave gelding jumped well on his way to a clear-cut victory over Newbrook Diamond and Boedic.
Durkan’s assistant Gary Bannon commented, “He’s been a bit frustrating, but has bumped into a few nice types. He was bought with chasing in mind and will only have one more run this season – we’ll have a crack at the three-mile novice handicap in Fairyhouse.”
Earlier, Straight John, no match for Cheltenham-bound Leader D’allier last time, made all to take the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Maiden Hurdle for Gordon Elliott, Robcour and Jack Kennedy, the 30/100 favourite beating Bulgaden Castle by almost four lengths.
“That’s a tight enough track and he really wants two and a half miles,” said Elliott, “But he’s very straight-forward and we’ll look for a rated novice for him next.”
The Fahey family enjoyed a memorable success in the four-year-old bumper as Niamh Fahey rallied her own Capri filly Keep Twisting to master well-backed Brady Hartsfield by three-quarters of a length.
The winner is trained by the winning owner/rider’s brother Mark, who said, “Niamh picked her out at the sales as a foal, with a view to racing and riding her, so it’s great. We’ve done very little with her at home, so it’s a bonus to win with her first time. I’d say she has a big engine.”
In the handicap action, Well Del (Calum Hogan) gave County Kilkenny handler David Walsh his first training success (he only has his licence since November) when making a successful stable debut in the Watch @SimonNOttRacing On You Tube Handicap Hurdle, collaring front-running Small Town Hero close home to score by a neck.
And the Mark Cahill-trained mare Rebel Cowgirl made all under Cian Quirke before foiling Poets Oath by a half-length in the (0-100) Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle.
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