Regal Ambition finally gets Swan’s father-in-law off his back!
The thirteen-race maiden, ridden by Denis Hogan, managed to avoid the worst of an incident involving three of his nearest rivals at the final flight, and stayed on to beat the Ruby Walsh ridden favourite by three quarters of a length, with Gala Dancer third.
A delighted Swan declared: “That should keep the father-in-law (the five-year-old’s owner Timmy Hyde) off my back for a while!” before adding: “He jumps great and stays really well. You could see that he needed every yard of the three miles out there.
“I’m not sure where he’ll go. I suppose he could go for the three-mile handicap in Galway. But, whatever he does next, he’ll definitely jump a fence in time.”
Jacksonslady and Ruby Walsh made a bold bid to make all in the Oran Novice Hurdle. But the Philip Dempsey trained mare, sent off 13/8 favourite, failed to cope with the Shay Barry-ridden Safari Sunup, which stayed on stoutly to earn the spoils by a half-length, the pair pulling twenty-nine lengths clear of the third Fuschia Belle.
Safari Sunup, winner of his maiden at Tramore a month ago, is trained by Eoin Doyle, who explained: “He did well to win around Tramore and wasn’t impressive, because the track didn’t suit him. But he’s a grand horse and today’s stiffer test was more to his liking.
“He wouldn’t want the ground any worse than today. He won well and did well to peg back the favourite (Jacksonslady), because I though Ruby had stolen it. We’ll probably have a crack at the two-and-a-half mile novice in Galway now.”
Out of luck on Jacksonslady, Ruby Walsh enjoyed better luck when Royal Reveille, trained by his father Ted for Barry Connell, justified even-money favouritism in the Pyramid Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle.
Always close to the pace, the Old Vic gelding edged ahead early on the final circuit and was never threatened, coasting home a twelve lengths winner over Sea Master, prompting trainer Walsh to state: “That was grand. He did what we expected him to do. The second favourite ran no race in the ground, so it turned into a one horse race. His handicap experience stood to him and it’s great for Barry — we owed him a winner. He’ll probably have to go back handicapping now.”
The meeting opened with a reverse for favourite backers when the Christy Roche trained 8/15 shot Park Ranger was turned over by first reserve Carlingford Lough, ridden for John Kiely by Mark Walsh.
The winner, a King’s Theatre gelding owned by J P McManus, was fulfilling the promise of his debut seventh behind Hired Hand over this course and distance and proved stronger than the favourite on the run-in to score by three quarters of a length.
Winning trainer Kiely said: “He ran a lovely race the last day and that run brought him on a good bit. He’s a nice horse, by the right sire and we’ll find a winners’ race for him somewhere.”
Kiely completed a fine 47/1 double when once-raced Kilbarry Classic, ridden by Jennifer Pugh, came from well off the pace to land the mares bumper, confined to lady riders.
Trips to Killarney next week and Galway at the end of the month are planned for eleven-year-old Banna Man following his smooth success, under top-weight, in the first division of the jogforjockeys.ie Handicap Hurdle.
Trained by Thomond O’Mara, who was not present, Banna Man travelled strongly all the way, edged ahead at the second last and drew clear under Eddie O’Connell to slam Sister Steve by five and a half lengths, providing the winning rider with a milestone success, ending his 5lb. claim.
O’Mara later confirmed, by phone, that Banna Man would run at Killarney before attempting back-to-back wins in the €45,000 Connacht Tribune Handicap Chase over two miles and a furlong on the seventh and final day of the Galway Festival.
The Seamus Fahey-trained Heavenly Bound, ridden by Shane Butler, landed a gamble (6/1 to 7/2) in the second division of this handicap, proving a facile winner over Winterdown Star and opening her account at the thirteenth attempt.
Trainer Fahey conceded: “It was probably a moderate enough race, although I wasn’t sure beforehand whether I wanted to be in the other division. This mare minds herself a bit, but everything came right for her today.”
