Pittori justifies strong market support
The Charles Byrnes-trained son of Peintre Celebre, backed into 1/2 favouritism, outpointed Doctor Deejay in the hands of Paul Carberry and is a best-priced 33/1 shot (Paddy Power) for the JCB Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Carberry made his move soon after halfway on the Paddy Wilmot-owned winner, improving from the rear to press the eventual runner-up and, although there was little between the pair jumping the last, the winner was more fluent and outstayed his rival on the run-in, scoring by a length and three-quarters.
Trainer Byrnes commented: “He did it okay. I told Paul not to let it develop into a sprint, because our horse stays well and loves that deep ground. That’s why he made his move so early.”
Byrnes added: “He’ll run in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown on February 7 (the Spring Juvenile Hurdle) and we’ll know what level he is at after that.”
Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh shared a double, highlighted by the smooth success of Mourad which, despite a rating of 140, was ‘winning’ for the first time over hurdles, his only previous success having been gained on appeal at the Turf Club, having been beaten by Jumbo Rio at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve 2008.
Sent off 9/10 favourite, Mourad, trained during his flat days by John Oxx, moved into a remote second place with four flights to jump and gradually closed on front-running market-leader Rubi Light before forging into the lead before the final obstacle.
Mourad scored, emphatically, by ten lengths and Willie Mullins declared: “At last!” before suggesting “The extra trip (two and a half miles) helped him. He might go up further in trip as the season goes on. Two and a half miles will be a minimum for him.”
The trainer has no firm plan for Mourad, but a suggestion that the Coral Cup might be a target was not dismissed.
Similarly, the champion trainer has no firm plan for Citizen Vic, which made all and jumped particularly well to land the opening April Festival Beginners Chase at the expense of Corskeagh Royale.
The winner is owned by Donal O’Connor and delighted his trainer, who said: “That was grand. He jumped great in front. Ruby is in favour of going longer with him and I’m thinking of going shorter. So we’ll have to think about it. He might be good enough to win a winners’ race somewhere.”
Morning gamble Browns Baily was struggling a long way from home and finished a distant third while his fellow joint-favourite Chasing Cars fell at the fourth last when holding every chance.
Walsh and Mullins were denied a treble when Battlefront got the better of Clear Gold in the Racing UK Handicap Chase, dominated by the Walsh family.
Battlefront is trained by Ted Walsh for his wife Helen and was ridden by daughter Katie, upstaging big brother Ruby on this occasion. Ted commented: “It’s great to beat Ruby for a change. I think it’s the first time one of mine has beaten him. He’s beaten us often enough, like the day he got up on Numbersixvalverde to beat Jack High in the Irish National.
“Battlefront was bought as a fun horse for Katie to ride in the bank races. That’s his second win and, who knows, we might find another.”
The outcome might have been very different had Clear Gold not made a mistake at the third last, after which Ruby allowed him to regain his momentum before launching his challenge. Two lengths separated winner and runner-up at the line.
The market for the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle was dominated by the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Frascati Park and Noel Meade’s Perfect Smile.
But the layers got a ‘result’ when third favourite Stonemaster, ridden for Dessie Hughes by Davy Russell, got the better of protracted battle with the Paul Carberry-ridden Perfect Smile, scoring by a length and a quarter.
“He’s a nice, tough horse and might be good enough to win a winners’ race,” said trainer Hughes. “He’s still a weak type of horse and should continue to improve as he gets stronger.”
Trainer-rider Denis Hogan, who savoured his first training success when Kylebeg Krystle scored at Thurles on Sunday, struck again when the six-year-old mare, owned by his father Martin, defied a mandatory 6lb. penalty in the Thoroughbred County Handicap Hurdle.
The 5/2 favourite came from off the pace and struck the front on the run-in after the flattering Lastoftheleaders and Rock County made mistakes at the final flight, and held Duartin by a length.
The bumper, although probably a modest contest, produced the best finish of the day, with just two lengths covering the first four home.
Victory went to Miss Pilkington, trained by Robbie Burns and ridden by 7lb. claimer Robert Jones, which was supported at big prices on track, although returned a 20/1 shot.
Burns said: “I should never have run her last year. She was wrong and I should have waited. She’s a well-bred mare and I’ve always liked her, because she’s always done things well. It’s nice to have a winner. We had a small few quid on her, which helps.”
The riders of the second, third and fourth, Luke McNiff, Martin Fogarty and Robbie McNamara respectively, were in hot water with the Stewards and each picked up a one-day ban for excessive use of the whip.
