No Russell amnesty for McCririck
The veteran analyst was critical of Limerick man O’Connell’s ride on Irish Festival banker Dunguib in Tuesday’s opening race, the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle in which the Philip Fenton-trained favourite could only finish third.
The decision to retain O’Connell for the race, despite the fact that he had been on board the year before when Dunguib won the Champion Bumper, had been a hot topic of conversation for a number of months.
Russell made his displeasure known when approached by McCririck’s Channel 4 colleague Derek Thompson just moments after his winning ride here yesterday and he elaborated in the winners enclosure.
“As a colleague to Brian, I have been in his position. I have been young starting off,” said the Youghal jockey. “I would have been very insulted by the comments said on the television this morning.
“If he was maybe at my level or Ruby’s, Timmy Murphy’s or Tony McCoy’s he could take it on the chin. We’re not at the bottom of the ladder. He needs help. In a sporting manner, those things should not be said. We are sportsmen and we don’t deserve that and Brian O’Connell did not deserve that. He wasn’t the best horse yesterday and if you lost your money on it take it on the chin. He had to take it on the chin. He lost as much as everybody else did and he doesn’t need someone like John McCririck, who doesn’t know one end of a horse from the other ... he is a punter and let him take it on the chin, like a good solid man would take it on the chin. McCririck should apologise to Brian”
An unflinching Russell spoiled what appeared to be an RSA Chase already gift-wrapped for Nicky Henderson when driving Michaal O’Leary’s Weapon’s Amnesty to a deserved victory, the first Irish-trained winner on St Patrick’s Day.
The performance was faultless with Russell sticking determinedly to the inside rail throughout before letting rip when Citizen Vic suffered a fatal fall at the second last.
O’Leary said: “It was unbelievable. They don’t always come back the following year and I thought the ex-French horse (Long Run) looked very hot, and Punchestowns too. This is compensation for Charles (Byrnes) after Solwhit’s disappointing run in the Champion Hurdle yesterday.
Owner Byrnes is now keen to go for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which the seven-year-old is 8-1 with sponsors totesport, but O’Leary added: “I don’t think he’d be good enough for a Gold Cup as RSA horses tend to be too slow, but we’ll certainly enjoy today.”
Byrnes added: “It was an unbelievable round of jumping but we had by far the most experienced horse. You could almost call him a handicapper against novices.
“It just shows that this horse is better round here than anywhere else. I’m shocked by the ease of his win but I knew he’d put in an improved performance compared to his last two runs, simply because of the course and the better ground.
“Davy switched him off and was just brilliant. It will be doubtful you’d see him again this season but, please God, he’ll be back here next year for the Gold Cup.”
Of his trio, Henderson said: “Long Run lunged at a couple, but it almost looked like he didn’t stay. He’s only a baby and we will iron those kinks out. Punchestowns cannot have been quite right. He lost a shoe from the foot that was giving him a problem at some point in the race. That doesn’t help.”
Henderson later reported Punchestowns had returned sore.
