China Rock and Ruby in sizzling form
Ruby Walsh was allowed dictate the pace on the Mouse Morris-trained seven-year-old and, with the exception of one blip at the fourth, the Presenting gelding jumped impeccably. And Ruby probably sealed victory with a fluent leap at the fourth last, where Sizing Europe was ponderous and lost ground and momentum. China Rock was in command from this point and stayed on stoutly to score by seven lengths.
Trainer Mouse Morris, never a man to get carried away, commented: “He was good today. We had the benefit of the run at Gowran. And Roger Quinlan, who rides him at home, told me he felt like a different horse since then. Ruby rode the horse in Gowran and I left tactics to him. But I knew he’d make it a test as Henry’s horse (Sizing Europe) was unproven over the trip. This was more our trip than Gowran (two and a half miles). And he won well.”
Earlier, Lossen My Load made all to retain his unbeaten record over fences in the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase, justifying ¼ favouritism at the expense of Darceys Dancer and proving some good news for de
Bromhead, Lynch and owners Alan and Ann Potts. Jumping with his customary enthusiasm, Loosen My Load was left in front at the third and dictated from that point, ultimately scoring by two and a half lengths.
Henry De Bromhead said: “He jumped great and I’m delighted. Andrew (Lynch) said he had a good blow turning into the straight and will improve again.”
Bookmaker reaction to Loosen My Load’s win saw him quoted at 25/1 for the ‘Sun Alliance’ by Boylesports, while Sean Graham make him a 14/1 shot for the ‘Arkle’.
“That was a good performance, although he’s probably only about 80% ready,” stated John ‘Shark’ Hanlon after watching his stable star Luska Lad, uneasy in the market (4/11 to 4/6) record a effortless win in the Grade 3 Ryans Cleaning Events Specialists Hurdle.
Having tracked Imperial Shabra from flagfall, Andrew McNamara sent the odds-on favourite into the lead at the second last flight and, soon in
command, he kept going strongly to beat Der Spieler comfortably by two and a half lengths.
Willie Mullins watched the opening maiden hurdle from the car park and, later, in the winners’ enclosure
declared, “That must be ride of the week,” after watching Ruby Walsh bring Inspector Clouseau (8/1 in the morning and a well-backed 4/12second favourite on track) from an apparently impossible position to foil the favourite Start Me Up and initiate a superb double, completed on China Rock.
“He had only six hordes behind him at the fourth last. And Ruby did a great job to win. This horse has come off the flat in England and has been very free. He’s only learning his job over hurdles. And Ruby did a great job getting him settled. He’s a good ground horse and won’t campaign through the winter.”
The well-touted four-year-olds Joe Smooth and Oscar Hill dominated the market for the bumper, confined to unraced horses. But both were left trailing as the Edward O’Grady-trained Straying Article powered clear under ‘Corky’ Carroll to triumph by 14lengths.
“He’s from a great family and I’m very pleased,” said a delighted O’Grady. “He’s only done one bit of work and I thought he’d be better for today’s run. So I’m thrilled. He did his job well and could well be sold. And I hope to keep him in the yard.”
Kayanna’s Rock, trained in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny by John Cahill and enterprisingly ridden by leading claimer Eddie O’Connell, scored a facile win in the www.punchestown.com Handicap Hurdle, surviving a bad blunder at the fourth hurdle before beating Jim Brown by five lengths.
The Bob Back mare, bred by her trainer, was defying a 16lb. rise in the ratings which followed her recent win at Clonmel.
And trainer Sean O’Brien enjoyed a welcome change of luck when 16/1 shot Skeheenarinky finally got off the mark, at the age of ten, in the Ingoldsby (Amateur) Handicap Chase, giving rider Ciaran Fennessy his fourth win under rules.
