Pady poised for a fencing career
Tom Cooper’s six-year-old finished fourth behind Fiveforthree in the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle on Friday.
Cooper now has high hopes his Grade One winner will turn into a smart novice chaser next term.
“He’s run his race but the ground was a bit dead and he missed a couple of hurdles as well, which didn’t help,” said Cooper.
“In races as competitive as that you can’t afford to do that.
“He just had to use up a bit too much to get to the leaders and when he got there, he just stayed on.
“If he didn’t have to use up too much petrol beforehand it may have been a different result.
“That will be him for the season now, I’d imagine, and he’ll go novice chasing next year – which is something to look forward to.”
Meanwhile River Liane burst a blood vessel when finishing down the field in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle won by Crack Away Jack.
All the rage for the race following an effortless victory at Leopardstown, he travelled supremely well until the penultimate flight, after which he emptied very quickly.
However, trainer Tom Cooper has revealed the four-year-old had a genuine excuse for his recent eclipse and intimated that he has probably run his last race of the season.
“He burst a blood vessel but at least we have a reason for why he stopped so quick,” said Cooper.
“He hit the third-last and by the time they got to the second-last he was gone.
“I would say he has more than likely finished for the season now.”
Kevin Coleman was hit with a mammoth 50-day suspension for failing to take all permissible measures to obtain the best placing aboard Paul Kristian at Limerick on Saturday.
Trained by Liam Burke, the eventual runner-up was beaten six lengths by Adrian Maguire’s Let Yourself Go in the St Patrick’s Day Maiden Hurdle.
When interviewed by the stewards, Coleman stated his instructions had been to settle his mount in second or third position and race towards the outside of the field on the best of the ground.
In running he stated that his mount hung and jumped right throughout the race, but also that he had ridden his mount to the best of his ability under a hands and heels ride as instructed by Burke.
Burke stated that his charge had too hard a race in a bumper in his first start at Gowran, did not eat up for four days afterwards and was quite specific in his instructions to the rider not to use the whip, but ultimately felt that Coleman should have made more effort, particularly from the second-last hurdle.
The stewards also received a report from the Turf Club veterinary officer who stated that the animal was clinically normal post-race apart from a few minor cuts. Having reviewed the video of the race and considered the evidence, the stewards noted Burke’s explanation but were of the opinion that Coleman was in breach of Rule 212 and therefore suspended him for 50 days.
