So Young and so promising
Impressive on his Irish debut at Leopardstown, the five-year-old was sent off a red-hot 1/6 favourite (from 1/4) and, having tracked Big Game Hunter throughout, was allowed edge into the lead approaching the final flight by Paul Townend before drawing away on the run-in to score by five lengths.
So Young carries the colours of Madeline McMahon, whose bookmaker son Luke described the winner as “well bought” after his three successes in France.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins arrived well after the race, but commented: “I’m told he opened up nicely on the run-in and Paul was happy with him. He shows more on the track than he does at home and looks like he has plenty of gears.
“We’ll keep our options open for the moment and see what happens on Sunday (Zaidpour runs in the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle). But, at this stage, my feeling is that he’ll go for the two and a half miler at Cheltenham, with Zaidpour running in the Supreme Novices.”
So Young is now a best-priced 12/1 shot (with Stan James) for his Cheltenham target, while Paddy Power cut him to 8/1 (from 10).
Roi Du Mee, in the colours of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, proved a facile winner of the Follow Us On Facebook Novice Chase, edging past front-running Bob Lingo at the third last before stretching clear for Davy Russell to triumph by eleven lengths.
The French-bred six-year-old was following-up a beginners success at Limerick and delighted trainer Gordon Elliott. “He did it well and seems to have improved a bit in his last couple of runs. He’s going the right way and will go for a Grade 2 at Naas in a few weeks (the Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase over two and a half miles on February 20) before we make any further plans.”
The familiar maroon and white Gigginstown House were back in the winner’s enclosure after Tofino Bay, trained by Dessie Hughes, provided Russell with a double in the Goffs Punchestown Festival Sale Maiden Hurdle.
The 6/4 favourite, a winning pointer and a promising fourth on his hurdling bow at Leopardstown, got the better of market rival Popcorn by a neck and survived a Stewards Enquiry into possible interference on the run-in.
Winning trainer Hughes is currently in Dubai, but Russell described the winner as “a promising horse, with some energy!”
The J P McManus owned veteran Garde Champetre justified 1/4 favouritism in the opening Glenfarclas P P Hogan Memorial Cross-County Chase, recording his first win since December 2009, but only after a tussle with gallant front-runner Lord Nelleries, which he ultimately beat by three and a half lengths.
It was an unconvincing performance by Enda Bolger’s charge, extending his cross country record under Nina Carberry. Frank Berry, representing the winning owner and trainer, admitted: “He got the job done. But he’s not getting any younger and is not as sharp as he used to be. He jumped adequately enough and, all going well, he’ll head back to Cheltenham.”
Curragh trainer Martin Brassil enjoyed a welcome winner when 20/1 shot Mister Farmer, in the Grand National-winning colours of Bernard Carroll, won the Eadestown Handicap Chase in the hands of Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden.
The ten-year-old jumped particularly well and came from off the pace to foil Not A Native and Betheholygobs (trained by Brassil’s brother John).
Brassil explained: “He handled the heavy ground better than I expected. He jumps really well, jumped himself into the race and won well. I though he’d improve from his first run back, over hurdles, at Fairyhouse, but he didn’t. So we decided to go back over fences with him and he’ll stick to fences for now.”
John O’Callaghan saddled recent Thurles winner Dazzling Susie to follow-up in the Punchestown Festival Goffs Sale Mares Flat Race, giving rider Barry John Foley his second success under rules.
“She’s a very good mare and improved a lot from her run in Thurles, although we were a bit worried about what they call in England the ‘bounce factor’, after such a long absence.
“She has small feet and you’d expect her to be better on better ground. But she’s handling winter ground well enough. I think she’s entitled to have a crack at the listed mares bumper in Aintree now.”
Trainer Michael O’Hare continued his impressive strike-rate when Turner Brown, becoming a course specialist, captured the three-mile Visit Punchestown.com Handicap Hurdle at the expense of Andrea’s Answer and The Burrow Vic.
After seeing his charge record his third win on the track, O’Hare commented: “He likes it around here and stuck at it well. I told you lads when he won here last month that he’d go for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham. I discovered afterwards that he wouldn’t be high enough to get into the race but, after this, he should be and that’s where he’ll go.”
O’Hare and claimer Mattie Bowes were expected to complete a double with hat-trick-seeking Accordion To Paddy in the following Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.
But the 5/4 favourite, trying to defy the hefty burden of 12-2, failed by thirteen lengths to peg back Alwaystheoptimist, trained by Stephen Cox and enterprisingly ridden by Paddy Kennedy to make all.
