25/1 shot Battle Axe defies handicapper
And the nine-year-old, trained by John Lennon and strongly ridden by Sean Flanagan, defied the handicapper to land the two-mile handicap at the expense of Conna Castle and gambled-on Rock Street in an exciting tussle.
Battle Axe was raised a whopping 23lb by the handicapper following his recent third to Rock Street at Clonmel, but defied his new mark to give his Lennon the biggest success of his career.
“He’s a brilliant jumper and must be improving,” said Lennon. “We’ll see what weight he gets in the Irish Grand National. And he could go there.”
Jimmy Mangan, trainer of Conna Castle, didn’t have long to wait for compensation as Cheltenham hero Jamie Codd landed the Tetratema Perpetual Cup for him on Rudi Trucker.
After an incident-filled race, Rudi Trucker fought tenaciously to keep Penny Doc at bay, prompting Mangan to comment: “It looked tough out there, but he won well. He’ll go to Fairyhouse and Punchestown now.”
Favourite backers suffered early reverses when hot favourites Wickham Street and Drive On regardless were turned over in the opening maiden hurdles.
Johnny Levins gave the Shane Broderick-trained grey Britannicus an ultra-cool ride to hold the Mark Walsh-ridden Wickham Street by a neck in the opening Tetratema - Son Of The Tetrarch’ Maiden Hurdle.
And Beneath The Radar, back after a short break, stayed on stoutly to keep Drive On Regardless (Paul Townend) at bay by a half-length in the Great Oak Maiden Hurdle.
Mark Bolger, one of the best claimers around, landed the Goresbridge Handicap Hurdle on Cnoc An Einn.
The ten-year-old, displaced as favourite by the third Mutadarek, needed all of Bolger’s strength to short-head the fast-finishing Road Runner.
Relishing the drying ground, the Tony Mullins-trained Decoy Daddy, ridden by Davy Russell, belatedly opened his account over fences when making all in the Thomastown Beginners Chase, slamming Shan’t Complain by 20 lengths.
Mullins declared: “That’s a relief. He’s always worked like a good horse and came up against some very good horses in his novice hurdling days, horses like Venalmar. He’ll go to Fairyhouse and Punchestown. And I’ll talk to Davy (Russell) about whether he might be a Galway Plate horse.”
It was a day to remember for teenager Timmy O’Callaghan who savoured his first success on board Doc O’Donnell, trained by his father and namesake, which won the Bennettsbridge Flat Race, a point-to-point bumper, at the expense of Pay The Bounty, ridden by record-breaker Derek O’Connor.
Andrew Latta was removed to hospital for observation after a fall from Banntown Lady in the hunters’ chase. He was concussed after the fall and is, automatically, stood down for seven days.
Meanwhile, champion-jockey Pat Smullen and trainer Dermot Weld proved themselves in top form ahead of the start of the 2009 turf season at the Curragh tomorrow when completing a treble at Dundalk last night.
Smullen successfully adopted front-running tactics on Ma Ani and Signal Fire in the three-year-old maidens while a more patient approach yielded dividends on Ransomed Bride in the finale.
Ma Ani made a winning debut in the Mullen's Traditional Fast Food Fillies Maiden, proving too strong for joint-favourite Samba School.
Signal Fire, in the colours of Khalid Abdullah, dictated the pace in the Dundalk Democrat Maiden and ran out a facile winner from Imco Spirit.
Four-year-old Ransomed Bride, a half-sister to Rare Ransom, but uneasy in the market, completed the Weld/Smullen treble in the Armagh Tyre Distributors Maiden, quickening into a decisive lead approaching the furlong-pole before holding the late flourish of Regal Warrior.
Course specialist Cochlear got Tommy Stack and Wayne Lordan off the mark for the new season when recording his fourth course win in the Boylesports.com Handicap.
The five-year-old Danetime gelding has never won anywhere other than Dundalk, having opened his account off a lowly mark of 60. He won last night off 85 and is likely to return to the track in the coming weeks before campaigning elsewhere during the summer months.
Ridden confidently by Fran Berry, he swept down the outside to lead inside the final furlong and beat slow-starting Ain Jalout by a length.
Earlier, Kevin Manning adopted similarly patient tactics on top-weight Mourinho to land the opening Mullen's Go Racing Group Deals Handicap.
The one-mile Value Centre Dundalk Handicap developed into a tremendous tussle between the Brian Nolan-trained First Symphony and favourite Hujaylea, under a strong ride from Johnny Murtagh.
Victory, by a neck, went to the Davy Moran-ridden First Symphony, breaking her duck on the flat.
