40-1 hurrah for Henry
He was a difficult horse to fancy, having failed to trouble the judge in two outings in point-to-points and then finishing 13th of 14 to Viaduct Joey on his racecourse debut at Listowel.
But Andrew Lynch popped him away in front and the Classic Cliché gelding found plenty from the back of the last to hold the flattering Mississippi River by a neck.
Commented de Bromhead: “We were very disappointed with him at Listowel, but dropped the horse back half a mile here and made more use of him.
“He was working well and I told people to have a few quid on, just in case.”
Michael Winters continued his rich vein of form when producing Tramore third A Little Swifter to take the Cahir Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.
Near the front throughout, in the hands of Declan Bates, she had her task eased considerably when the challenging Meitheamh crashed at the second last.
“She won a point-to-point, is fierce honest and will make a good chaser,” reported Winters. A Little Swifter, who is for sale, is owned by Deirdre Agnes Connolly. Miss Connolly is a farmer from Milford, Co Cork and this is the first horse she has had for the track. She also bred A Little Swifter.
The handicapper doesn’t get it wrong too often, but will surely have at least blushed a little after watching Jimmy Mangan’s Noras Fancy defy top weight to the tune of 11 lengths in the Powerstown Desmene Handicap Hurdle.
After winning her maiden by 22 lengths at Galway on Sunday, she rated something of a good thing, but niggling doubts were raised by the handicapper’s decision to raise her by only 8lbs.
That proved to be a long way off the mark, though, because Noras Fancy eased ahead coming away from the third last and Patrick Mangan hardly moved a muscle in the closing stages.
“Her real future will be chasing,” related a more than pleased Mangan senior.
Blackwell Synergy, runner-up at Listowel previously, was another for Davy Russell in the www.grahamnorris.com Handicap Hurdle.
He only had half a length to spare over Datokepe, but was given kid-glove treatment in the closing stages and was value for a nice bit more.
Trainer John Supple said: “He won first time out and then lost his way. But, he is learning and improving and we should have good fun with him over the winter.”
It was a 49th success of the campaign for Russell, who is setting a scorching pace at the top of the jockeys’ championship.
Barry Geraghty was seen at his brilliant best aboard Kakagh in the Wilderness Chase. Kakagh is trained by Bill Harney, who also won the contest a year ago with Leanne.
Kakagh made most of the running and threw some fine leaps for Geraghty. He wasn’t exactly running away up the straight, but kept finding and, in the end, was a snug winner from Prince Of Fire.
“I gave three nights up with him last year, he was very sick,” reported Harney. “We will now sit and wait and see what happens.”
Willie Mullins’ Local Celebrity, who had been costly to follow but again well supported in the market, found his level in the Bumper.
Patrick Mullins was in the plate and the combination made all to beat Jack The Pirate by over three lengths.
Said Willie: “He will go jumping now. The change of tactics was a big help, we hadn’t been making enough use of him.”
Prince Of Milan, a remote third behind Rocco's Hall at Kilbeggan previously, was far too good for his opponents in the Munster Beginners Chase. He bounded across the second last, in the hands of Michael Darcy, and soon went clear to easily beat Twelfth Of Never.
