Top marks for brave Zanwood
Zanwood, a horse who has had more than his share of problems, has started to come to himself and, after going to the front before the third last, buckled down well in the closing stages to hold Top Mark, who looked sure to swamp him between the final two flights.
McNamara senior gave much of the credit for the victory to Dan O’Neill, the man with the magic hands who will always be associated with the great Danoli.
Commented the trainer: “He has been crippled all his life, was a very bad mover and his action was terrible.
“We had just about given up, but Dan got him right. Vets don’t really believe in that sort of thing, but I’d send a horse to Biddy Earley if I thought it would help!”
It was the second leg of a double for McNamara junior, who powered Herkel to a hard-fought success in the Urlingford Maiden Hurdle.
Edward O’Grady’s charge got the best of a desperate three-way struggle from the final flight by a short head and a neck over Tawaagg and Grange Alainn.
Herkel finally mastered the flattering Grange Alainn on the run in, but Tawaagg finished with a real flourish and would have scored in another stride.
Disappointment of the contest was market-leader Power Of Attorney, who started to struggle badly on the ground from the third last, after travelling sweetly to that point.
The stewards went through the motions of holding an inquiry, but an alteration to the placings was never a possibility.
They were, though, satisfied that Kevin Coleman, who partnered Grange Alainn, had ridden carelessly and suspended him for two days.
The stewards weren’t too pleased with the manner in which he gave evidence either and fined Coleman e200.
Ruby Walsh turned certain defeat into glorious victory with a whirlwind drive aboard Willie Mullins’ Palace Merano in the Cashel Maiden Hurdle.
Phoenix Run looked sure to score for most of the straight and came away from the last with a healthy advantage.
But Walsh simply would not accept the seemingly inevitable and Palace Merano grabbed the lead in the last stride.
There was a sting in the tail for Walsh, however, and he was given a one-day suspension for using his whip with excessive frequency.
Said Mullins: “This horse has been crying out for a trip and will have no problem staying three miles. He’s a chaser in the making.”
Mullins and Walsh completed a double when Templars Hall won his third race at the track - he's never scored anywhere else - when successful in the Horse and Jockey Handicap Chase.
Templars Hall, without a victory since taking the same race two years earlier, had just joined issue with front-running Buckland Gold when that one blundered and parted company with Tom Doyle two out.
Said Mullins: “He will probably come back here in two weeks time, if there’s a race for him. He’s going to be harder to place over fences now and could revert to hurdles.”
Mullins then landed a treble when his son, Patrick, guided Blackstairmountain to a facile 18 lengths win in the Bumper, galloping all over the opposition through the last three furlongs.
“I think I will keep him for Punchestown,” revealed Mullins. “He will be much better on better ground and will run at the summer Festivals and could be a real Galway horse.”
Jimmy Mangan’s Go Sandy Go redeemed the promise of her Cork second to Brotenstown with a powerful display of front-running, aided by superb jumping, to land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Mares Beginners Chase.
“The old master himself (Paul Carberry), when we turn to him we mean business,” exclaimed Mangan, with more than a hint of satisfaction.
The Littleton Handicap Hurdle wasn’t much of a contest, but did produce an impressive winner in the Michael McDonagh-trained Letterlee Star.
Taken into the lead two out by Sean McDermott, the Old Vic gelding quickly scampered clear to win unextended by seven lengths.
