Cooper reaches another milestone
The teenager lost his 3lb claim on the nine-year-old, trained by his boss Dessie Hughes, who commented: “Bryan gave him a very good ride. The horse isn’t straight-forward as he idles in front. But he’s improving, jumps well and loves summer ground. If he’s okay, he’ll run again in Kilbeggan on Friday.”
The featured Guinness Handicap Chase went to the Thomond O’Mara-trained Eagles Pass, ridden by Paul Townend to follow-up his Killarney win during the week and initiate a notable across-the-card double completed by Castle Bar Sling in the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh.
In O’Mara’s absence, Paul Townend, who partnered the nine-year-old to beat Holly Tree and Stakers, said: “He didn’t travel as well as in Killarney. But he’s a great jumper and that got him involved.”
James Lambe expressed his relief after 14/1 shot Silk Hall, ridden by Eddie O’Connell, proved a shock winner of the Ballybane Hurdle, explaining: “My horses have under a bit of a cloud since the Festival here, so it’s great to get a winner on the board again.”
It was a day to remember for Cathal Landers, 22, from Oola, Co Limerick, who registered his first win on the James Nash-trained Star Of Aragon in the Galway City Publicans Handicap Hurdle, scoring narrowly from Bessie Lou whose ride Barry Geraghty picked up a one-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency.
The Dot Love-trained Shadow Eile, ridden by Shay Barry, made a successful debut over timber when proving a convincing winner of the opening Mervue Maiden Hurdle, in which favourite Worldy Wise, travelling well on the heels of the leaders, was hampered and fell at the second last flight.
