GoldenSilver sparkles
The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old has struck up a formidable partnership with teenager Paul Townend and was produced to challenge front-running Blueberry Boy on the approach to the final fence before asserting and scoring by three lengths.
Golden Silver was recording his fifth career success, ridden on every occasion by Townend. And trainer Mullins stated: “that’s nice compensation for Cheltenham (he finished sixth to old rival Big Zeb in the Queen Mother Champion Chase) and I’m delighted for Paul.”
Mullins, who also saddled gambled-on favourite Jayo (9/4 to 6/4), added: “Jayo just didn’t jump and made a terrible mistake at the second last. But this horse loves the heavy ground. That’s the key to him. And that’s why I decided to run him. Conditions were in his favour. And it was worth taking the chance, going for such a big pot, despite top weight. He’s a tough horse and, if he comes out of the race well, he’ll go to Punchestown for the Boylesports.com Champion Chase. I’ll be praying for rain but, once the ground is safe, he’ll run.”
The featured Ladbrokes.com Handicap Hurdle produced another shock winner, Un Hinged, which made all under Alan Crowe to foil the Willie Mullins-trained favourite C’Est Ca (7/2 to 2/1), providing owner-trainer John Coleman, whose wife Diane bred the ten-year-old, with his biggest training success.
“I didn’t fully expect that. But I’m thrilled,” said Coleman, who is based in Donadea, County Kildare.
“It’s a wonderful day for us. He’s a fairly wound-up horse and James (Nash) suggested changing tactics with him. The plan is to go chasing after this.”
Nash, assistant to Coleman, added: “He needs easy ground and loved jumping. He didn’t do a tap in the Lincoln the last day. So we decided to do something different with him. That’s why Alan made the running and, realistically, he got a ‘freebie’ in front. He’s been a great servant, both on the flat and over hurdles. And this is an unbelievable prize to win with a ten-year-old. He had a lovely weight and his form with Magnanimity has stood up well.”
Earlier, Magnanimity, which finished third to Un Hinged at Navan in January, continued Davy Russell’s rich vein of form, getting the better of front-running Frascati Park in the Grade 2 Bobbyjo Bar Festival Novice Hurdle.
Magnanimity, another winner at the meeting for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, was gaining compensation, having been denied a run in Cheltenham’s Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle when missing the cut.
Dessie Hughes said: “He’s a nice young horse and is just coming to himself. At Navan, he had to make his own pace, but stayed on strongly. He’s an out and out chaser. And I’mlooking forward to next season. We brought hi to Cheltenham, but he was balloted out of the three-mile novice.”
But Hughes stressed: “He’s entered at Punchestown and will probably go for the two-and-a-half Grade 1 (the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle).”
Peter Casey saddled the diminutive filly Fingal Rock to win the Grade 3 Weatherbys Ireland GSB 4-Y-0 Hurdle in the hands of Irish National hero Andrew McNamara.
Having only her second outing over hurdles, the Rock Of Gibraltar filly, bred by her trainer, fought off the attentions of favourite Doctor Deejay on the run-in to triumph by a length and a quarter. “She’s only a small filly and I thought she hated the heavy,” said Casey. “I was nearly hoping it’d be called off this morning. I was delighted with her first run over hurdles at Naas. And this race was always the plan. She might go to Punchestown, or go back to the flat. And I have plenty of her bothers and sisters at home!”
Tallow-based Sean Aherne won the Joseph R O’Reilly Memorial Hunters Chase with 12-year-old Beantown, recording his first win for more than two years.
Ridden by Declan Queally and carrying the colours of Boston-based Eoin Barry, Beantown made virtually all the running and had his task simplified when nearest challenger Private Developer took a crashing fall at the last, leaving Aherne’s veteran to beat Hi Cloy by three lengths.
“It’s great that he’s come back to form,” said Aherne. “Some of his form is very respectable, like his second to Hot Weld in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham four years ago. We tried cheekpieces on him today, instead of blinkers. And, if he’s okay, he’ll probably go for the champion hunters at Punchestown.”
The opening Irish Daily Mirror Novice Handicap Chase proved a real slog in the very testing conditions. And Sang Bleu, trained in Craughwell, County Galway by Pauline Gavin, coped best with the conditions to beat Karinga Queen and favourite Summer Seeds. Only three finished.
The winning trainer commented: “He wasn’t right the last day, but is back to his best. He handled the heavy ground well, although he’ll go onbetter. And we might keep him going over the summer.”
