Restoration continues on upward curve
Noel Meade's gelding scored with any amount in hand, but had to survive a particularly scary moment after the final flight.
He went right down on his nose with pilot, Paul Carberry remarking: “I don't know what happened, he just stumbled.”
A relieved Meade said: “I thought he'd broken his leg.”
Restoration and Turks Wood took each other on from the start, but once Carberry asked Restoration to go for glory over three out the result was never in doubt.
The imposing son of Zafonic lengthened clear early in the straight and, despite disaster almost striking, won with a lot in hand.
Said Meade: “I took him to the Curragh for a handicap recently off a mark of 72. He cantered all over Arch Rebel before that at home and I thought he was a certainty.
“He ran very badly and I was just sick of him. Then we went to Kilbeggan and he looked a different horse, making the running. He will probably go for the Lartigue four-year-old Hurdle at Listowel next.”
Dermot Weld's So Amazing, who ran a race rich in promise when sixth first time up at Gowran Park, showed the benefit of that outing with a decent performance in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Maiden.
Pat Smullen had him out of stalls like a rocket and soon in front. The grey, Davidii, joined issue early in the straight, but the winner found loads for pressure and was well on top through the last hundred yards.
“He stuck at it well and is a good staying type of horse”, reported Smullen.
Speaking from home, Weld said that the Eyrefield Stakes over nine furlongs at Leopardstown would be next for his colt.
The teak-tough Coin Man completed a hat-trick with a typically gutsy front-running performance in the Lansdowne Real Estate EBF Novice Hurdle.
Shay Barry set a strong gallop, setting his partner alight on the approach to three from home. Coin Man quickly bounded away to beat A Little Different by five and a half lengths.
Commented trainer, Eoin Doyle: “He will have to get a breather now, but if the ground is good will go to Cheltenham for the November meeting.
“The likelihood is he will be chasing next season and could be a Galway Plate horse in time.”
Major Title, without a success since April of 2004 at Cork, was entrusted with favouritism in the Denis Moriarty Plant Hire Claiming Race, but again disappointed.
Johnny Murtagh kicked away on Dart Along early in the straight and Major Title was never going to reel in Michael McCullagh's charge.
Dart Along was claimed for €16,000 and joins Coin Man at Eoin Doyle's.
Michael Grassick trains Major Title and was very much out of luck as well with eventual runner-up, Indalo Bay, in the Fabric and Furniture Centre Handicap.
Indalo Bay was coming with what looked to be a winning challenge when his rider, Niall McCullagh, stopped riding with about forty yards to run.
McCullagh clearly mistook the winning post, which he subsequently admitted to the stewards, as Wayne Lordan beavered away to score on David Wachman's All Sorts Star, also successful in the race a year earlier.
The stewards had McCullagh in and came to a conclusion which really bemused one. The winning margin was only a neck and they decided that because Indalo Bay's ultimate placing hadn't been affected, McCullagh should be severely cautioned concerning his responsibilities in this regard in the future. Try explaining that to any unfortunate who backed Indalo Bay!
Jesssica Harrrington's Breathing Fire left some below-par efforts solidly behind with an easy win in the Crosse's Water Drilling Maiden Hurdle.
He eased ahead shortly after the second last to beat Darmas. Said Harrington: “That was a nice confidence-booster and will have done him a power of good.”
Harrington completed a quick double when Callow Lake took the Meadowlands Hotel Beginners Chase.
Superbly handled by up-and-coming Andrew Leigh, Callow Lake forged away from Articulation and Anno Jubilo after the last.
