Shadow Eile leaves rivals trailing
The six-year-old has a very progressive profile and was confirming the positive impression created when taking her maiden at Galway.
Shay Barry allowed Shadow Eile stride on going out into the country for the final time and, truth to tell, she never came off the bridle.
The daughter of Beneficial, in complete control two out, was eased down on the run in by Barry and still crossed the line six and half lengths clear of Back In A Tic.
She is now on schedule for a mares’ race at Punchestown on October 13 and is likely to have three such targets in total this side of Christmas.
Trainer Dot Love said: “She is such a good jumper, her future is over fences.”
Barry Geraghty guided Edward O’Grady’s Slieveardagh to a clear-cut win in the John F McGuire Novice Chase.
The winner was always travelling sweetly and, from a fair out, it was a case of when Geraghty said go.
Slieveardagh led before the second last and had no trouble holding only possible danger, Action Master.
Commented O’Grady: “Barry felt if the ground was any slower we would have been in trouble. There is a nice race at Tipperary on the first Sunday in October and that’s where he will go next.”
The Michael Winters-trained Missunited, a 12-1 shot, ran her rivals ragged to land the Bumper by 13 lengths.
She slipped ahead early in the straight and only had to be nudged out by rider Niall Kelly. Commented Winters: “If it was a mares’ race we would have fancied her mad, but you don’t know what you’re going to run into against geldings. There’s a mares winners of one at Wexford and that’s where she will probably go next.”
Kelly, 22, comes from Kildare and this was his 11th success.
Dermot Weld’s Swerve, partnered by Pat Smullen, was best for money in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden and didn’t half do the business.
Racing near the front from the start, she began to edge away early in the straight, crossing the line no less than eight and a half lengths clear.
Said Smullen: “She’s a nice filly and came on for her first run at the Curragh. She will be better on nicer ground, but just outclassed these.”
The hitherto mildly disappointing Secretary Of State defied top weight in game fashion to take the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Premier Nursery.
Driven ahead off the home turn by Joseph O’Brien, he found plenty to hold French Quebec by a length.
Said O’Brien: “The blinkers helped him and he picked up well.”
Pat Flynn’s Bonnie Acclamation turned the Jim Beecher Handicap into a procession, in the hands of Danny Grant.
Clearly revelling in the testing conditions, the winner made all of the running, shooting right away in the straight to beat Elusive Fairy by seven and a half lengths.
Flynn wasn’t at the meeting, but one could readily envisage Bonnie Acclamation reappearing on Friday under a mandatory 5lbs penalty!
Jessica Harrington, who landed a gamble with Paradis De Thaix here on Sunday, was on the mark again with Beir Bua in the Ladbrokes’ Ireland Handicap Hurdle.
And he was the medium of some inspired support as well, finding 10-1 from 16’s. Ridden by Andrew Leigh, Beir Bua found loads for pressure from the last to beat the flattering, and well-backed, Leah Claire by three lengths.
