Charles jumps to victory blindfold
The Irish pair joined a select band with two or more triumphs in this gruelling classic when they defeated Robert Smith and Mr Springfield after a duel against the clock.
Smith and his courageous nine-year-old, who had won the Derby Trial two days earlier, went first and attempted to win from the front. They set a cracking pace, but Mr Springfield, who was making his Derby debut, tired. He lowered the first part of the Devil’s Dyke and sealed his fate by hooking off the front rail of the last with a front hoof.
Charles had lurched off the precipitous Bank in the first round and left his 13-year-old mare to jump the rails at the bottom without any help from him. ‘‘It was a bit of a blur,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve got this poncey hat but luckily Corrada used her own eyes.’’
The pair had the 10-fence jump-off course at their mercy, sailing clear again in a canter nearly 16 seconds in arrears. ‘‘I’d never have won if Robert had gone clear,’’ admitted Charles. ‘‘Corrada only has one gear, she couldn’t have gone any faster.’’
Heavy rain soaked the three-quarter mile course from the start but Charles, also celebrating the birth of his third child six days earlier, a daughter, Sienna, said: ‘‘There was a bit of grease on the floor but it wasn’t too bad.’’ In the smallest ever field with 22 starters, Smith was the first to jump round faultlessly and win an ovation for his brilliant horsemanship.
It looked good enough to win the day until Charles joined him with an equally memorable round. ‘‘I thought I might have been trying this a year too early for Mr Springfield,’’ said Smith. ‘‘But he has been in such cracking form. He jumps off nervous energy and would normally keep his accuracy at that speed, but as we turned back to the Dyke he felt drained. He dragged me all the way home.’’ Of the eight horses eliminated, the most unlucky was Tim Stockdale, whose consistent Derby specialist, Fresh Direct Wiston Bridget, slipped down the Bank and sprawled into a heap at the bottom. Stockdale was lucky to escape without injury.
Meanwhile, Conor Swail and Capt Gerry Flynn also kept the Irish flag flying in Gijon, Spain, over the weekend. Yesterday, Swail rode Windgates Mystique to victory in a 1.40m two-phase class.
On Saturday, Army rider Flynn got the ball rolling with a win on the 11-year-old Cruising mare Rincoola Abu.
At home, it was Clem McMahon who was in the limelight, notching up a double of grand prix wins at the weekend.
McMahon took the Estuary Fuels Grand Prix in Limerick on Dark Flight, the Kathleen McDermott-owned horse also carrying him to victory in Saturday’s North Wexford Grand Prix.
However, it was Francis Connors who made the most impact on the Kerrygold Grand Prix League. The Waterford rider took advantage of league leader Swail’s decision to compete in Spain, netting valuable points with Cruiseway when runner-up to McMahon in both competitions.
The results move Connors up to 84 points against what were formerly regarded as Swail’s unassailable 105 points.
