Remarkable Limestone chalks up success no. 33
At a wet and blustery Fairyhouse yesterday, in front of an atttendance of 5,400, he won the Ballymore Properties Hatton’s Grace Hurdle for a third time, taking his career-tally to a quite unbelievable 33.
Partnered by Barry Geraghty, Limestone Lad was in no hurry to warm up, but once hitting top gear was simply awesome.
Geraghty, the eleventh pilot to win on the horse, said: “He didn’t do a stroke. I got half-serious with him turning in, there was a ton there.
“I could have asked him to race earlier, but didn’t want to because of the strong head-wind and the ground.’’
Limestone Lad, as usual, went straight into the lead, but, for much of the journey wasn’t able to establish a decisive advantage.
Paul Carberry, who normally partners him, was aboard Scottish Memories for his retained Noel Meade stable and was determined not to let the most popular horse in Irish National Hunt racing get too far away.
Indeed, Scottish Memories kept tabs on Limestone Lad, but when the war began to rage in earnest only one candidate had the bottle to go through the pain barrier.
Limestone Lad absolutely bounded away from the second last and crossed the line, despite being eased down, an easy eight lengths to the good.
Commented Michael Bowe: “He’s better than ever, I wish I was as good as him!
“It’s hard to believe he’s nearly eleven and still improving.’’
Bowe was in no way perturbed at how long it took Limestone Lad to move into overdrive.
“He getting clever and just waits for other horses to come up to him’’, he remarked.
Scottish Memories ran a cracking race and will surely benefit from dropping down in trip and not having to go toe-to-toe with Limestone Lad.
Ned Kelly, even if he was beaten a long way, did show a bit of sparkle and it would be premature to write him off.
Colonel Braxton, however, was a huge disappointment and, together with a poor effort in the SunAlliance Novices Chase at Cheltenham in March, is clearly a horse to swerve at the moment.
Paddy Power kept Limestone Lad at 7-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle. They go 2-1 Baracouda and 11-2 Bannow Bay.
Cashmans bet: 2-1 Baracouda, 7-1 Limestone Lad (from 9’s), and 9-1 Bannow Bay.
Limestone Lad returned to the reception of the day, but it would be nothing compared to what would greet him at the foot of the Cotswolds, if he could defy his advancing years.
To do that, though, one suspects he would have to have soft ground. On a better surface he would surely struggle to resist some of the speed merchants in the closing stages.
In the meantime he is now likely to head to Navan in under two weeks and then it will be the Woodies DIY Hurdle, over three miles, at Leopardstown at Christmas.
