Row romps home
Often a hold-up horse, Barry Geraghty allowed him stride on from the start and the tactics had his rivals in trouble a long way from home.
Golden Row jumped superbly, was clear with a circuit to cover and eventually crossed the line 20 lengths to the good over Fable.
Trainer, Edward O’Grady, was absent at the sales at Goffs, but one imagines Galway will loom large on the horizon for the nine-year-old.
The Guarantor, the first horse Willie Mullins has trained for Michael Smurfit, easily won the Bumper.
Jamie Codd waited until approaching the furlong pole before asking his charge to quicken and The Guarantor soon settled the issue.
Said Mullins: "He is a half-brother to Amberleigh House and was sent to me primarily to go chasing.
"He will do that sooner rather than later, but will probably head for a winners’ bumper next and have a run over hurdles.”
Michael Hourigan, who deprived Shane Broderick of his first winner as a trainer, when Achilles Spirit beat We’rejustfriends at Limerick, repeated the dose in the Railway Handicap Hurdle.
Garrett Cotter gave We’rejustfriends a copybook drive, producing the five-year-old to lead going to the last.
We’rejustfriends was a couple of lengths to the good half way up the run in, but Minella Captain, partnered by Paul Hourigan, finished with a flourish to get up on the line.
It isn’t often Christy Roche has a winner and the bookmakers are left singing, but that was the case after Botticino landed the Thurles Maiden Hurdle.
A big drifter in the market, 7-1 from 9-2, Botticino got the cheekiest of drives from Conor O’Dwyer.
He waited until after the last before asking his charge to quicken and the Bob Back gelding was only asked for the minimum to score by half a length.
If the layers were singing after that contest, then it a case of long faces following the Barbeque at Tipperary Handicap Chase.
Tony Martin, who doesn’t leave it behind him too often, landed a sizeable gamble with Its The Boss.
He was backed from 5-2 to 6-4 and was given an extraordinarily confident drive by Paul Carberry.
Its The Boss had a lot more in front of him than behind going to five out, but gradually reeled them in. He led two out and wasn’t hard pressed the beat the always prominent Oneofthesimpsons by two lengths.
Odds-on punters were left reeling after 1-2 shot Bassett Tiger could only manage fifth place in the first division of the Martin Moloney Building Contractor Beginners Chase.
Everything appeared to be working according to the script when Ruby Walsh eased Bassett Tiger into the lead early in the straight.
Willie Mullins’ gelding looked sure to score off the home turn, but found nothing between the last two obstacles and was already beaten when blundering badly at the last.
Meanwhile, Shay Barry was getting a generous response from Ira Hayes, drove him into the lead at the final fence and the result was never in doubt on the flat.
The second section saw the Thomond O’Mara trained Quiet Millfit oblige at 14-1.
Given an enterprising drive by Willie Slattery, the winner swept on before the third last and made the rest.
"He has to have firm ground”, reported O’Mara. "We will mix ’n match with him and he could go over hurdles at Bellewstown next.”
