Carberry’s patience pays off on Shady Lad
Carberry rode a patient race, gradually creeping into the contest and then powering the five-year-old into the lead after the second last.
Shady Lad stayed on strongly to beat Coolnahilla, who was decidedly unlucky. The grey was holding every chance when making a dreadful blunder two out.
It brought him to a virtual standstill and he did well to fight back and grab a minor placing.
Said Bolger of Shady Lad: "Coming here I would have been happy if he finished in the first three or four, so it has worked out great. He’s in another three miler at Leopardstown and might go there next.”
Poulakerry was the one most punters wanted in the first division of the Killough Maiden Hurdle.
He won alright, but it took a magical drive from Carberry to land the wagers.
First reserve Julies Boy led coming away from the penultimate flight and looked to be holding the market leader for most of the straight.
But Carberry got one last burst from his charge and Poulakerry poked his head in front on the line.
Gilian O’Brien represented trainer, Noel Meade, and said: "I don’t know where he will go next, but he will go further.”
The real talking point of the contest, though, was the performance of third placed, Kaoutchou.
Arthur Moore’s charge, making his debut over flights and having his second race, was given kid-glove treatment by Conor O’Dwyer in the closing stages.
O’Dwyer reported to the stewards that Kaoutchou was hampered on the bend into the straight and was one-paced thereafter. Nevertheless, it was a surprise the stewards didn’t inquire into the performance.
The Carberry double took his total for the campaign to 70, eight in front of nearest rival, Barry Geraghty.
John Joe Walsh’s Rattothetatt, who ran a nice race over flights at Thurles the previous Wednesday, benefitted from an excellent Kieran Gaule ride to land the Gift Horse Gallery Horse and Jockey Hotel Handicap Chase.
Jamica Plane jumped to the front five out and appeared to have the eventual winner’s measure between the final two fences. But Rattothetatt rallied and when Jamica Plane got it all wrong at the last, Gaule quickly drove his mount clear to score by two and a half lengths.
"If he hadn’t run so well here a couple of days earlier, I’d have thought he was a certainty, but he never puts two good efforts together”, reported Walsh.
Odds-on punters had their fingers burnt when Star Clipper could only finish third in the Horse and Jockey Hotel Hurdle.
Star Clipper, a horse who finds little or nothing off the bridle, was hammered from 4-7 to 4-9, but made bad mistake at the fourth and it was always going to be a struggle for him from that point.
He tracked the leaders into the straight, but never threatened to raise his tempo when the questions were popped by Paul Carberry.
Brave Thought edged ahead before two out and was always holding Ruby Walsh and Cregg House in the closing stages.
Walsh, however, had to snatch up about thirty yards from the line and a stewards’ inquiry was inevitable.
The head-on clearly showed the winner taking Cregg House’s ground, after hanging badly to his left.
The stewards decided Brave Thought hadn’t improved his placing and the result remained unaltered.
Brave Thought’s rider, Adrian Lane, however, was found guilty of careless riding and suspended for one day.
Tony Martin’s Bizet, suspended for 42 days after attracting the attentions of the stewards in a Down Royal bumper last month, landed a big punt on his return in the Moycarkey Handicap Hurdle.
Supported from 7-4 to evens, he scored doing handstands, under a typically confident Ruby Walsh drive.
Walsh, this was his 50th of the season, was content to lob along in mid-field, before producing Bizet heading to the last.
Bizet was soon in front and simply cantrered clear, without having to be asked any sort of question.
Punters were on easy-street again in the Holycross Novice Handicap Hurdle when favourite, Future Strike, proved too strong for his rivals.
A failed gamble at Fairyhouse previously, he redressed the balance in style with an effortless succcess.
Philip Carberry sent Future Stike ahead over the third last and only had to ask for the minimum to beat Mr Meyer. "He’s in a few places over Christmas, but we’ll see how he is”, said trainer, John Hassett.
The layers got a good result when 10-1 shot Milford Rose made every yard of the running to take the second section of the Killough Maiden Hurdle.
Larkhill Joe joined issue over the last, but Martin Mooney had saved a bit and Milford Rose battled on to score by half a length.
Commented trainer, Leslie Young: "She’s tough and may have a run or two in novice company and then go handicapping.”
Trainer Andrew McNamara’s 19-year-old son, also Andrew, rode his second winner when pushing Anniesthyne into the lead with over a furlong to go to beat Champagne Ronnie in the Bumper.
