Gagewell off to a flyer
Winner of his maiden at Navan, Gagewell Flyer (backed here from 9/1 to 6/1) dictated the pace throughout and stayed on stoutly up the hill to beat Fists Of Fury by four lengths.
An incident at the fourth last hurdle undoubtedly had a bearing on the outcome as Si C’Etait Vrai, tracking the leaders, took a crashing fall, badly hampering favourite Bishopsfurze, which had jumped badly throughout. Untidy at the hurdle himself, Paul Townend’s mount dropped out of contention quickly and trailed in a distant last of five finishers.
Meanwhile, Gagewell Flyer’s pursuers could never get on terms and the strapping Deploy gelding won well, prompting Willie Mullins to state: “He had a bit of luck when the other horse went out of the race. But this horse is improving all the time. He gallops and all day and jumps well.
“Emmet gets a great tune out of these horses and this is the third winner he’s ridden for me this week. Like Bishopsfurze, Gagewell Flyer will have no trouble going out to three miles. He’ll be entered for both the Neptune Investments Novice Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham.”
Earlier, the Mullins-trained Cadspeed, sent off a red-hot 8/15 favourite, flopped in the Irish Stallion Farms Novice Chase. In contrast to his chasing debut at Clonmel, Cadpseed was held up by Paul Townend but never appeared to be travelling with his customary zest, eventually finishing a well-beaten third behind Uncle Tom Cobley and Prince Erik.
Winning trainer Conor O’Dwyer said: “Uncle Tom, Cobley was a bit disappointing last year, when most of our horses weren’t right. He was always going to be a chaser. I couldn’t find a suitable ‘beginners’ for him so, when I saw this race cutting up, we decided to have a crack.
“He jumped super and won well. He stays well and needs a good gallop on soft ground to show his best. We’ll be in no hurry with him. We’ll just tip away with him and see what he builds into. He’s a big horse, with plenty of scope for more improvement. It’s just nice to have a winner, particularly in a good race like this.”
Claimer Bryan Cooper, who left Punchestown on Friday with a suspected broken arm before being x-rayed and cleared to ride, enjoyed a welcome boost when partnering 5/4 favourite White Star Line to victory in the opening Annual Membership At Naas Maiden Hurdle.
The Patsy Byrne-owned Saddler’s Hall gelding progressed from mid-division and challenged, travelling best, from the second last. But he had to driven out by Cooper on the run-in to get the better of 16/1 stable-companion Dun Masc by a head.
Winner and runner-up are trained by Dessie Hughes, who commented: “It’s about time he did it, although he has come up against some good horses in last few runs. He stays well and will be better on better ground. He’ll go for a novice somewhere and I’m delighted with the other horse (Dun Masc). He broke a bone in a hind-leg last year and had to have six months off. He ran very well and will improve plenty from the run.”
It was a day to remember for 7lb. claimer Martin Burke, who partnered his first winner as a professional when Quarton, trained by Tim Doyle for his wife Claire, got the better of front-running Driveheron in the three-year-old maiden hurdle.
Burke, a brother of Julie, who has done so well since moving to England, was based with Edward O’Grady during his amateur days, and was partnering his sixth winner here.
A delighted Doyle explained: “He ran a smashing race in Limerick during the week and seemed to have come on from it. We thought a bit of him on the flat last year, but he never delivered.
“He’s taken to hurdling well and we’ll have to step him up in class now. We’ll see what progress he’ll make.”
The five-runner bumper turned into a sprint and saw the Noel Meade-trained, Nina Carberry-ridden Willie John get the better of the 5/4 favourite Tusa Eire, representing the Mullins partnership of Willie and Patrick, by a neck.
A son of Monashee Mountain, Willie John carries the colours of his trainer, who explained: “He’s a lovely big horse, but needs soft ground. He was ready to run last year and went to the races twice. But we withdrew him both days because the ground was too fast and later in the year he had a splint problem.
“I was a bit worried today, because the horses were held up by the weather. We brought this fellow to work in Dundalk and he blew up. So I wasn’t sure he was ready enough for this. But he did it well and will improve.”
