No soft touch for Hard Rock
The Michael Grassick-trained seven-year-old was lumbered with 10st 4lb in the Michael McNamara & Co Builders Dublin & Galway Handicap and was sent off at 8-1 as punters plunged on Nastrelli, the mount of the in-form Johnny Murtagh.
The 5-2 favourite never threatened, however, as up front Seamus Heffernan galvanised Hard Rock City to get back up and nail Warriors Key having been passed by that rival inside the last.
He was given a bump on the way for good measure but it made no difference and he was a short-head to the good at the line.
Little White Lie was another three-quarters of a length away in third.
Grassick said: “That was a great performance with the weight he had to carry, he battled very well. He’s been a good servant to the yard.
“We’ll see what happens now, we might give him a break and bring him back for the Group Three Concorde Stakes at Tipperary (October 7).”
Paul Gilligan landed his second big hurdling pot in as many days as Tai Lass stayed on strongly to land the Cork International Hotel And Airport Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
The trainer had seen his Nintytwo Team land the big handicap hurdle on Saturday, and registered a memorable double in this contest.
Held up in mid-division by Denis O’Regan, the 4-1 favourite made strides after the second last, but Swiss Cottage appeared to be travelling smoothly just in front of the winner.
The pair jumped the last together and it was Gilligan’s charge who pulled out more on the run-in, eventually posting a -length success over Green Mile, who stuck on well from off the pace to take second ahead of Swiss Cottage.
A dream week for Gilligan was complete with the cosy victory of Life For Rent (7-2) in the closing event, the Montrose Hotel (Pro/Am) Flat Race.
Life For Rent, owned by the Kiltormer, County-Galway based Hurl ‘N’ Ball Syndicate, successful with Nintytwo Team on Saturday, was give an ultra-confident tide by jockey-in-form Mikey O’Connor who produced him turning for home.
In front early in the final furlong, the seven-year-old stayed on strongly to beat Logan’s Run by two lengths, prompting winning trainer Gilligan to state boldly: “I thought he’d win all week. He’s a very good horse, good enough to win a third bumper. We might give him a short break before going for another bumper, either at Listowel or Tipperary in early October.”
Earlier, Pat Smullen drove uneasy favourite Instant Sparkle clear to slam Honey Run by ten lengths in the Mercer Hotel Fillies Maiden.
The daughter of Danehill, in the Moyglare Stud Farm colours, was a sixth winner of the week for both trainer Dermot Weld and stable-jockey Pat Smullen, who won the awards for leading trainer and rider at the meeting.
Less than twenty-four hours after failing a breath-test and being suspended for three days (starting next Sunday), Paul Carberry bounced back when guiding Brave Right to victory in the Corrib Village Beginners Chase.
Carberry gave Lenny Whitmore’s gelding, balloted out of Thursday’s Guinness Galway Hurdle, a confident ride, biding his time until sweeping past Articulation early in the straight to record an emphatic six-lengths win.
“He’s been very consistent and never runs a bad race,” said Whitmore. “He didn’t seem to stay two and a half miles over fences at Kilbeggan, although he won over the trip over hurdles. I’ll look for a winner’s race for him now.”
Pat Martin suggested that Miss Una’s next assignment is likely to be a handicap on the new all-weather track at Dundalk following her win, under Declan McDonogh, in the Parknasilla Hotel Handicap.
Miss Una denied Pat Fahy’s Hampshire a second win at the Festival by a half length. Martin said: “She loves a dig in the ground and all the rain helped. We’ll probably try her on the all-weather next.”
Having saddled three Guinness Galway Hurdle winners in five years, trainer Paul Nolan had relatively few runners at the 2007 Festival. But he didn’t leave empty-handed, thanks to the convincing, eight lengths win of Ardalan in the three-mile Tara Towers Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
Ridden by Paddy Flood, the Aga Khan-bred half-brother to mighty Azamour, powered clear for a clear-cut win.
Nolan explained: “I suppose he was well-handicapped originally. And Noel O’Brien (the handicapper) was probably right to give him 15lb. after he won in Downpatrick. He’s a small horse and will be better with light weights in better races than carrying big weights in weaker company. So I’ll have to find something suitable for him.
The final day crowd of 15,213, was down from 16,876 last year, leaving the overall attendance over the seven days down by 3.3%.
The Tote aggregate of 605,447.22 showed a decrease for the first time at the 2007 Festival, down from 650,342.
And, yet again, the bookmakers’ turnover reflected a significant drop on last year’s handlings, €1,638,611 compared to €1,986,543 last year.
Overall, Tote handlings for the week of €8,623,403.94 compared favourably with €7,778,325 last year.
