Well backed Tawaagg delivers in style
The five-year-old Kyllachy gelding, a prolific winner over hurdles but a beaten favourite in his two previous starts on the level, was well backed off-course and sent off a strong 5/4 favourite.
Paul Townend settled him in the leading group before making his move on the approach to the straight, Soon in front and in command, Tawaagg stretched clear to beat Hassuna by eight lengths.
Willie Mullins commented: “He won well and we’ll keep mixing it with him, over hurdles and on the flat.
“But he was rated 70 coming into today’s race and I’m not sure he’d win a handicap off his new mark.”
Riding honours went to Wayne Lordan who complete a double on Law Officer and The Pott Reidy to bring his seasonal tally to 47.
Law Officer, a morning gamble, challenged between horses on the home-turn before forging clear to land the opening Sponsor A Race At Tramore Handicap.
The winner is trained by Edward O’Grady, who quipped: “It’s a bit late in the season to break my duck on the flat. But he won well and will have one more run over hurdles before we put him away. He should make a nice dual-purpose horse next year.”
Lordan followed-up when winning the Waterford & Tramore Directors Handicap on The Pott Reidy, trained by Thomond O’Mara, who is attending the Newmarket Sales.
The Jim O’Shea-owned gelding made his move on the outside before the straight and kept going well to beat Lus Na Hoiche by a length and a quarter.
Captive Audience, off the track since May, was displaced as favourite for the Lisselan Ladies Flat Race by locally-trained Mr Clyde, but made all under an astute ride by Katie Walsh.
The six-year-old, a half-brother-by Saddler’s Hall, to the ill-fated Nick Dundee was a rare bumper winner for David Myerscough, who said: “He kept plugging away and stayed at it well. He should improve from the run and will probably go popping obstacles now.
“He’ll probably go straight over fences.”
Henry de Bromhead, hoping that rain arrives to allow sable star Sizing Europe reappear at Punchestown next Thursday, saddled former point-to-pointer Royal Choice, ridden by Andrew Lynch, to win the www.tramore-racecourse.com Maiden Hurdle.
De Bromhead admitted being “delighted” by the mare’s win, explaining: “It should be a tonic for my aunt in England, Ann Young, who bred her, because she’s quite sick. I was running this mare over the wrong trip last year. Andrew says she just wants to gallop over that trip (two miles). She jumps brilliant and will jump fences soon.”
Trainer Philip Redmond declared: “He finally got his head in front,” after seeing Hatton’s Wood, enterprisingly ridden by Andrew Thornton, make all to land the Newtown Handicap Chase at the expense of Doheny’s Bar. The winner is owned by his breeder Chris Hatton, a neighbour of Redmond’s near Gorey, County Wexford.
“Good ground and jumping are his forte,” added Redmond.
“I just hope he’s Ok in the morning and, if he is, he’ll go for another handicap before the ground goes on him.”
* Tommy Ryan was suspended for two days following a ragged start to the Newtown Handicap Chase, the Stewards considering that he had “willfully turned his mount around after the tape had been released” and finding him in breach of ‘Rule 40’.
