Aintree beckons for Flyer
After confirming that Mac’s Joy and her other first-day runners have arrived safely at Prestbury Park, Mrs Harrington suggested that Green Belt Flyer could be Aintree-bound following his convincing victory over Davenport Milenium and Adarma in the Kilcock Novice Chase.
A son of Leading Counsel, Green Belt Flyer jumped well for Robert Power to record his second win over fences and is now bound for some of the spring festivals, “There’s a suitable two-mile ‘novice’ for him at Aintree, or he could go for the valuable handicap at Fairyhouse (the ‘Dan Moore’).” The winning trainer explained: “He ran badly last time, but I probably ran him too quickly after he won at Tramore.
“But I gave him a good break this time.”
Debutant Knight Legend provided Harrington with the second leg of her double, when powering clear to record a surprise six-lengths success in the second division of the bumper.
Mrs Harrington said: “He’s always been a nice horse but I didn’t think he’d win today.
“I thought he’d need the run and told the owners not to come from England to see him run. He’s the first horse I’ve trained for them and, because they like Punchestown, he’ll probably run in a winners’ bumper there.”
Knight Legend provided Ross O’Sullivan (22) with his fifteenth career success on the racecourse, hours after he partnered the Niall Madden-trained Stormy Tribunal to victory at the point-to-point at Horse And Jockey.
Tony McCoy registered his first win at Naas in a decade on board the Christy Roche-trained, J P McManus-owned Far From Trouble in the opening Lakelands Maiden Hurdle but later picked up a one-day whip ban (March 24) for his handling of The Boys In Green in the Moate Handicap Chase.
Roche, who will aim Like-A-Butterfly at the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase rather than tomorrow’s Arkle, quipped: “It’s nice to get the boss’s week off to a good start. But we’ll let someone else take over from here.”
Later, McCoy’s urgings failed by a head to get The Boys In Green up in a thrilling finish against Cherry Hunter, ridden by claimer Robbie Colgan for in-form Jim Dreaper.
Paul Carberry, out of action with bruised ribs for over a week, aggravated the injury when winning the novice hurdle on Arteea and was stood down for the rest of the day, missing just one ride, but should be fit for Festival duty at Cheltenham tomorrow.
