Give the public what it wants and they will turn up in their droves
Last Sunday week some 5,000 were in attendance at Tipperary. Eight races, with five of them National Hunt, clearly found approval with punters.
Fast-forward to Limerick last Sunday and the approval rating was even higher. This time all eight contests were of the National Hunt variety and in the region of 7,500 came through the gates.
That was impressive and you would imagine most will want to return to Limerick, because racing was of a high quality and there was a lively and first-class atmosphere through the afternoon.
Smashing training performance by Michael Hourigan to produce Mossbank spot-on to land the valuable Munster National on his reappearance.
Hourigan has long regarded Mossbank as the natural successor to Beef Or Salmon, but prior to Sunday the horse had only managed one success over fences, a novice chase at Clonmel a year ago.
Essentially, he had been quite disappointing, but is still only seven-year-old, so has plenty of time on his side.
It is obvious now that Mossbank goes best fresh, so Hourigan’s next move is going to be interesting.
The trainer had him in the form of his life, but the trick now is to be able to get his charge to repeat that level of consistency on a regular basis.
Shuil Aris got mugged from the final flight by Major Finnegan in the two mile and five novice hurdle at Limerick and it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what to make of Paul Nolan’s mare.
She is currently rated on 128 by the handicapper and if she is as good as that then Major Finnegan should not have been able to concede her 9lbs.
The five-year-old looked quite one-paced when Ruby Walsh rode her to finish second to Grangeclare Lark in a two and a quarter mile Grade 3 at Punchestown last April.
John Cullen made plenty of use of her at Limerick, tactics which appeared ideal, but she still failed to get home in front. Perhaps, stepping up to three miles will be the answer!
English-based Irish trainer, Brendan Duke, won the two and a quarter mile novice hurdle with Mister Benedictine and he is a pressman’s dream.
Duke will never use a handful of words, when he can think of another fifty, and certainly wears his heart on his sleeve.
He was pessimistic before the race that his horse would get the trip, so the manner in which Mister Benedictine stayed on came as a pleasant surprise-at least to the trainer.
Eugene O’Sullivan’s Head Waiter, beaten a short head into second, was surely the one to take out of the race, however.
He fought like a lion all the way up the straight and the evidence is that he is much more effective with plenty of cut in the ground.
Fancied Prairie Moonlight to beat Gemini Lucy in the conditions chase, but it was Gemini Lucy who was much the stronger in the closing stages.
Gemini Lucy has been done for her wind and arrived on the back of a rather dismal effort over flights at Cork.
But she just loves jumping fences and has courage in abundance. Two smart mares and an enhancing of reputations in both cases.
At Naas on Sunday trainer, Mick Murphy, added to his growing reputation when taking a premier handicap with Menwaal.
Murphy does really well with horses bought out of other yards and Menwaal, a son of Montjeu, is a typical example.
He used to be trained by Kevin Prendergast and was owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. The five-year-old ran a cracker first time up for Murphy at Listowel and Sunday was only the second time he has represented his new handler.
Purchased as a prospective hurdler, Menwaal is increasingly looking to have been rather a shrewd buy.
