Battling Track takes the spoils
The Hernando gelding, in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud, fought tenaciously under strong handling from Davy Russell (recording his 72nd win of the season), to get the better of the Willie Mullins-trained mare, on which Ruby Walsh had attempted to make all.
Make A Track, reverting to two miles, over which he won his maiden at Punchestown, earned the spoils by a head, prompting trainer Swan to acknowledge: “He’s workmanlike and good, but not top-class,” before explaining “It’s tough for a horse like this after winning his maiden — there are too many good horses around !
“There wasn’t much between him and Willie’s mare in Punchestown, and it was the same today. He settled well today and probably appreciated dropping back to two miles. We’ll try to go somewhere quiet with him, so that’ll mean skipping Christmas.”
Ruby Walsh was narrowly denied again when Are Ya Right Chief, usurped as favourite by Golanbrook, failed by just a short-head to collar that rival in the Santas Little Helper Maiden Hurdle.
The market-leaders fought out the finish following the crashing fall of De Dodger at the second last with Golanrbook, ridden by Barry Geraghty, ending a sequence of second placings over hurdles.
Golanbrook represents the Danoli partnership of local owner Dan O’Neill and trainer Tom Foley, who stated: “You get the same prize-money, whether you win by a short-head or ten lengths. The blinkers help this fellow concentrate, but if he could see what was going on around him, he might have won by further.
“I think he deserves a little break so we’ll let him have his Christmas dinner and see how he is in the New Year.”
Golanbrook’s win pointed to the chance of the Peter Fahey trained Pride Of The Artic (third when Tom Foley’s horse was second to Mississippi River in Fairyhouse) in the later Gowran Park Racing Club 2012 Maiden Hurdle over three miles and the blinkered six-year-old, owned by trainer Fahey’s brother Brenda and ridden by his nephew Mark, made all to justify 6/4 favouritism, holding the late challenge of Castle Wings by a head.
The winning trainer said: “My wife, Ber, rides this horse at home and kept telling me that he’s in top form and that I should run him. Thank God, I listened to her. I won a couple of bumpers and a maiden hurdle on this horse’s dam — Brendan still has her and has a number of the family to run.
“In a way, we’ve done well to win with this horse in winter conditions, because I think he’ll be better on better ground.”
