Double boost for freeze victim Harney
Explained his daughter, Rachel: “He fell on the ice and had to have an operation on his elbow last night.”
Prairie Call was taken to the front over the second last by Robbie Colgan and held on for dear life close home as hot-pot, Golden Sunbird, closed with every stride.
“I wanted to wait for better ground for her, but my father insisted on running here”, reported Ms Harney.
The senior Harney then went on complete a double when his 25-1 shot, Kakagh, was awarded the Littleton Maiden Hurdle in the stewards’ room.
Kakagh and Colleoni went across the line locked together and the judge failed to separate them.
An inquiry was quickly called and the head-on revealed an open-and-shut case. Colleoni actually hampered his rival before the final flight and then drifted markedly towards the stands’ side on the run in.
Robert Power, on Colleoni, had his whip in the wrong hand (his right) and made little effort to keep his charge straight.
Colleoni constantly intimidated Kakagh to edge left and the pair ended up on the near rails. As well, Kakagh’s rider, John Cullen, lost an iron in the closing stages.
Dessie Hughes’ Action Master, who finished a remote seventh of seven behind Carlito Brigante in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown previously, got back on the winning trail in the W T O’Grady Memorial Hurdle.
“I put cheekpieces on at Leopardstown and he did nothing with them”, reported Hughes. Roger Loughran took the winner to the front coming away from two out and, despite weaving about a fair bit, Action Master stayed on doggedly to beat market leader, Sounds Of Jupiter, by a length.
Said Hughes: “He’s a nice horse and has loads of ability, but I don’t know what we will do with him now.”
Denis Hogan, better known for his association as a jockey with Charlie Swan, trained his first winner when Kylebeg Krystle defied top weight in the Tipperary Handicap Hurdle.
“I took out a licence in the summer just for the four horses we have at home”, said Hogan. “I use Charlie’s gallops.”
This might have been a low-grade contest, but the daughter of Oscar could hardly have been more impressive, cruising clear in the straight to score hard-held by five and a half lengths.
The layers got a screamer when Mouse Morris’ 16-1 shot Elysian Rock dug deep for Martin Ferris to land the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle.
Ferris drove him ahead going to the final flight and the King’s Theatre gelding found plenty to beat West Ship Master.
Morris said of of his charge, owned by Corkman, Michael O’Flynn: “He was well in himself today, but wants better ground.”
Willlie Mullins’ Rhyl Accord again proved most disappointing and is clearly nowhere near as good as was originally thought. Backed from 4-5 to 4-7, he was in trouble before the home turn and could only plug on one-paced to fill third spot.
David Splaine rode his seventh winner when guiding the Liam O’Brien-trained Capal Dubh Alainn to an 18 lengths success in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.
The five-year-old powered ahead off the home turn and now faces a fair old hike in the weights, you’d imagine.
Commented O’Brien: “Our gallops were frozen and he missed five or six days work. Jumping is the key to him and he will probably now go for another handicap.”
Tom Hogan’s newcomer, Shannon Spirit ran away with the Bumper, after Pauline Ryan had nudged him ahead with some two furlongs to run. “We always thought he was a nice horse, but were afraid of the ground”, said Hogan. “He will improve again for a better surface.”
