The Midnight Club bound for Aintree
The Midnight Club, runner-up to Siegemaster in the ‘Thyestes’ on his seasonal debut, got the better of stable-companion Arbor Supreme by a length, with Oscar Time third and Vic Venturi fourth.
The second leg of a Grade 2 double for Paul Townend, The Midnight Club was registering his first win in the familiar Ricci colours while the chestnut’s previous owners, the Cistercian College Roscrea Racing Syndicate were successful in the bumper with debutant Vesper Bell, which completed a double for champion trainer Willie Mullins.
“I’m happy with both horses,’’ Mullins said. “I knew The Midnight Club had come on well from his first run back, in the Thyestes. And it was good to see Arbor Supreme coming back to a bit of form after a poor run in the Welsh National.
“Both horses are being trained for Aintree. And it’s very unlikely that either will run again before then.”
Martin Lynch, trainer of the third Oscar Time, also expressed himself “very happy” with the day’s business. “It was the first time Sam (Waley-Cohen) has ridden him over fences in public. The horse jumped super and will probably go straight to Aintree now.”
Mullins completed his double when Vesper Time, ridden by his son Patrick and apparently struggling to get on terms with the leaders early in the straight, eventually wore down Aupcharlie to score by a neck and justify 9/10 favouritism in the Rockview Flat Race. Earlier, Paul Townend had initiated his big-race double when Little Green made it fifth-time-lucky over hurdles in the Grade 2 Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle, getting the better of Chaperoned by two lengths.
Little Green was a welcome graded-race winner for Eric McNamara, who said: “I’ve always felt she was good enough to win a maiden.”
Controversy surrounded the outcome of the ITBA Fillies Scheme Mares Novice Hurdle, in which the Charlie Swan-trained favourite Stephanie Kate (David Casey) held the late challenge of the Bryan Cooper-ridden Definite Class by a neck.
A stewards enquiry followed, investigating an incident on the approach to the final flight, in which the runner-up appeared to be hampered when trying to challenge up the inside of Casey’s mount before being switched.
After lengthy deliberation, the stewards decided to disqualify Stephanie Kate, promote the Dessie Hughes-trained Clonmel maiden winner Definite Class and to suspend David Casey for four days for ‘improper riding”.
It was a day to remember, for an unusual reason, for jockey-in-form Barry Geraghty who partnered the Adrian Maguire-trained Good Time Donie to victory in a race carrying his own name, the Read Barry Geraghty’s Blog On Attheraces.com Handicap Hurdle.
Off the mark in a Down Royal maiden last time, Good Time Donie proved eight lengths too good for Marlay Park.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Ballymak was sent off a red-hot 8/13 favourite to continue the superb run of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud in the beginners chase. But Davy Russell’s mount, apparently outpaced at a crucial stage, had to settle for the runner-up berth, failing by only a head to collar Arabella Boy, enterprisingly ridden by Paul Carberry.
Arabella Boy was gaining an overdue success over fences for trainer Enda Bolger, who said: “That should do his confidence good. He’s a safe old jumper. And Paul just let him slow and pop the last. Drier ground would be right up his alley.”
The Bolger-trained five-year-old No Notions (Nina Carberry) was a leading fancy for the John McCarthy Memorial Hunters Chase but could never get to grips with the Lady Fowler-trained Good Egg, sent clear with a mile to race by Ciaran Murphy for a convincing nine lengths win.
