Larkwing back on song for McNamara
The seven-year-old hadn’t run since the Cheltenham Festival in March, but stripped fit and well and ready to run for his life.
“We left the horse off after he disappointed in the County Hurdle”, reported McNamara. “We gelded him straight away and then brought him back with today’s race in mind.”
Salford City and Kalderon took each other on at the front and neither had anything left off the home turn, as Definate Spectacle took over.
Larkwing was soon in pursuit, but was awkward at the last and had to be bustled along on the flat by Barry Geraghty to wear down the leader.
“I don’t know where he will go next”, said McNamara. “We will try and find other opportunities like this and he can also go back to the flat.”
Oodachee won his tenth race for Charlie Swan when easily landing the Ballykisteen Hotel and Golf Resort Hurdle.
Always on the pace for David Casey, he jumped to the front four from home and market-rival Recovery Man never really threatened to get in a blow.
“He’s been a great old servant”, commented a delighted Swan. “All the things that have been said about the horse, I wish I had some more like him.
“Hopefully, he will now go to Galway. I don’t like running horses too often, but he’s in great form. He’s in the plate off 9-11 and that’s very tempting.”
The first three races on the card were on the flat and Johnny Murtagh won them all. The third leg was aboard the impressive Psalm, who had been mixing it with far better class.
Truth to tell she hardly turned a hair through the contest, cruising to the front a furlong down to score in a canter by five lengths.
Aidan O’Brien wasn’t at the meeting, but this will have done Psalm’s confidence no harm at all and she might just be one to keep on the right side for the second half of the campaign!
David Wachman’s Miss Puss was all the rage, with O’Brien’s newcomer, Hail Caesar, easy to back, in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
Miss Puss edged ahead at the furlong pole, but Murtagh now had Hail Caesar in full flow and the son of Montjeu quickened past to score by a snug three parts of a length.
Commented Murtagh: “He’s a nice horse, was a bit green, but once getting on top did it well.”
Murtagh made it up to Wachman in the next contest, the Irish Wheelchair Association Handicap, when guiding Pyrenees to a smooth victory.
It was the pilot at his best as well, making all the running and then kicking clear early in the straight to beat King Royal a length and a half.
Murtagh’s attempt to make it a clean sweep of all the flat contests on the programme was narrowly foiled in the five furlongs Mark Maher Construction Handicap.
He teamed up with Desert Ben, who failed by a head to cope with Adriatic, after the pair a real set-to through the final furlong.
David Moran partnered Adriatic, who is trained in Co. Meath my Michael Mulvany.
Eoin Griffin’s frustrating Caravino got it together for Andrew McNamara to take the O’Dwyer Tarmac Handicap Hurdle, easing ahead on the approach to the final flight.
“He has the ability, but doesn’t always show it”, said Griffin, rather realistically. “Andrew gave him a nice ride and he might go to Galway now.”
Jessica Harrington’s Zarinava, absent since finishing tenth of 20 at Aintree in April, looked a different proposition in a well contested Bumper.
He shot away under Pauline Ryan over a furlong out to beat Gwens Spirit by an impressive six lengths.
