Rebel Fitz shows his true colours
He’s a horse who seems to live somewhat on his nerves and sweated a fair bit before the start.
Explained Winters: “He can get very worked up and tends to boil over in the parade ring. But, he has solid ability and it wouldn’t be much good if he walked around like a fool and couldn’t gallop.”
He can certainly gallop and was always moving sweetly through the contest. Davy Russell asked him to lead going to two out and Rebel Fitz didn’t have to be popped any questions on the run in to beat Mississippi River.
Continued Winters: “He’s on the go a while and we were going to let him off after this. Davy, however, advises that we don’t stop for the moment, so we’ll take our time and see.”
Russell completed a double when giving Paul Nolan’s Gala Dancer a fine front-running drive to land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Captain Christy Novice Chase.
Gala Dancer - nicely supported in the market - fell at Listowel, but never threatened a repeat of that here.
Your Busy, owned by Ronan O’Gara, enjoying a terrific World Cup in New Zealand, momentarily headed the winner before the second last, but Gala Dancer battled back and was well in control in the closing stages.
Commented Nolan: “Everything went wrong at Listowel and his jumping fell apart. We schooled him since over hurdles and Davy said he showed great bottle. The weather forecast is good, so we will probably give him another run in a novice chase. The hope is that he might develop into a Galway Plate or Kerry National horse.”
Shark Hanlon’s Ardglen, despite a few errors along the way, won his third race in seven days when digging deep in the CRSC 25th Anniversary Handicap Chase.
He seemed to be fighting a losing battle all the way up the straight, but kept finding for Brian Hayes and stayed on to master Hatton’s Wood by three parts of a length. It was a fourth win for Hayes as a professional. Said Hanlon: “The two and a half miles here was too short. He’s as tough as nails and the poor old horse is going to have to run again at Sligo on Wednesday.”
Bookmakers knew they had little chance from a fair way out in the Kilmore three-year-old Maiden Hurdle, as the market principals, Solaris Exhibition and Whatever It Takes, began to dominate. Well-backed favourite Solaris Exhibition looked the likely winner for most of the straight, but Mark Walsh conjured a sustained challenge from Whatever It Takes, who was the stronger through the final fifty yards.
Winning trainer, Tommy Stack, reported: “He’s tough and keeps at it.”
