Vintage Carberry springs National shock on Clipper
The duo were on the mark with Harchibald at Tipperary the previous Sunday and, of course, Always surprised Strong Project and Ansar at Gowran Park on Saturday.
This was vintage Carberry, nursing and cajoling a horse who often finds it difficult enough to put his best foot forward.
“Des (Sharkey, owner) has been trying to get me to sell this fellow, but I said there was a big race in him”, revealed Meade.
Pearly Jack, who has threatened a land a major prize in the past, looked the likely winner when edging ahead coming away from the third last.
But he ballooned the next and, suddenly, Michael Darcy was forced to go for everything.
Star Clipper was only a remote fifth heading to that penultimate fence, but Carberry had timed it to perfection and the eight-year-old quickened in style to lead on the flat.
Said Meade: “He’s a horse who goes well fresh and won’t run too much.
“I doubt you will see him again until the Paddy Power at Leopardstown at Christmas.”
Willie Mullins’ Euro Leader found the combination of the surface and top weight all too much. He was a poor sixth into the straight and was out of contention when falling at the final fence.
Commented Mullins: “The horse is grand, he just got tired on the ground.”
Carberry and Meade landed a double when heavily-backed Watson Lake beat Accordion Etoile in the Sherry Fitzgerald O’Malley Chase.
Watson Lake gave an exhibition of jumping in front, but Accordion Etoile, friendless in the market, ranged up as a big danger approaching the second last.
He ploughed into the obstacle, however, and Carberry didn’t have to be in any way hard on the winner in the closing stages.
“He had a little operation on his palate and we think that’s what was stopping him”, said Meade.
“It was a hell of a performance to give Accordion Etoile 15lbs. I’d like to step him up to two and a half miles now, but he could run in the Fortria ‘Chase (two miles) at Navan.”
Michael Hourigan’s Mossbank shaped like a star of the future when absolutely pulverising the opposition to take the Newenham Mulligan Novice Hurdle.
Backed at 33-1 in the morning, the imposing son of Anhsan was a relatively easy to back 9-1 shot on track.
Another supported at morning prices, as high as 8-1 and from 5-1 to 7-2 on course, Charles Byrnes’ Powerstation, swept ahead off the home turn.
But Denis O’Regan soon came there cantering on the winner and it was no contest once he let out an inch of rein.
Mossbank is the first horse trained by Hourigan to carry the colours of Gigginstown Stud, owned by Ryanair supremo, Michael O’Leary.
“I said after he won his point-to-point up the road (Lemonfield) he was the next Beef Or Salmon”, commented Hourigan
“You have seen it for yourselves.”
Edward O’Grady’s Sky’s The Limit, who had been struggling for a bit of form, found some with a vengeance when taking the Michael Punch and Partners’ Hurdle with a lot in hand.
The contest was off about 35 minutes late after a problem with the hurdles, four horses returning with lacerations in earlier contests.
The hurdles were examined, nothing untoward was found and the meeting went ahead with no more problems uncovered.
Confidently handled by Barry Geraghty, the grey sprinted to the front before the second last to easily beat well-backed Articulation.
Said O’Grady: “I didn’t expect him to run as well as that, I am very pleased with the manner in which he came away.”
It was the first time Sky’s The Limit had worn blinkers in this country, but did so when trained in France.
Strangely Brown, even accepting he may have needed the outing, proved very disappointing. He was none too good over the first and was in trouble a fair way out, eventually finishing eighth.
Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh had a measure of compenstaion for Euro Leader in the National when Roundstone Lady proved far too good for her rivals in the Pat Keogh BMW Handicap Hurdle.
Walsh drove the mare to the front two out and she stayed on strongly to beat A New Story by four and a half lengths.
“I thought two miles and six was too short for her, she needs all of three miles.
“But with the ground the way it was that brought stamina into play”, said Mullins.
Michael O’Brien’s Doctor Linton made an excellent start over fences in the Ladbrokes.ie EBF Beginners Chase.
Produced by Denis Cullen to lead before two out, he scampered clear to beat market leader, and mistake-prone, Kerryhead Windfarm.
Eternal Lady, trained by Christy Roche for Sue Magnier, was the business in the ring for the Bumper and tried to make all.
In the end, though, she was no match for Philip Fenton’s Cloghoge Lad, who cruised ahead well over a furlong down to score hard held by ten lengths for Kevin Power.
Eoin McCarthy (17), from Athea, Co Limerick, rode his fifth winner when Jimmy Spot On stretched clear in the straight to land the Oakbruce Properties Handicap Hurdle by nine lengths.
