Dalton delivers first double
Conor O’Dwyer’s Folsom Blue (2/5) was given a ride befitting his short-odds in the opener. However, Essexbridge’s mistake at the last helped tilt the balance in the ‘jollies’ favour. Dalton’s mount went on to scorepretty convincingly in any case,crossing the line two and a half lengths to the good.
It was Dwyer’s old mentor Mouse Morris that supplied Dalton with his second win. There were a couple of bang-in-form contenders in the shape of Fahamore and Cloughmile for the two and a quarter mile handicap hurdle, but they were upstaged by Morris’ Beckett Rock.
Robert Tyner’s One In A Milan also had his supporters here and he made a bold bid from the front. However,despite the burden of top-weight, Beckett Rock toughed-it out indetermined fashion, getting the best of the duel up the straight to prevail by half a length.
The aforementioned Tyner has had a Christmas to remember too and, along with his stable jockey Philip Enright, more success arrived for the pair in the mares maiden hurdle courtesy of Oscars Business.
A really useful daughter of Oscar Schindler, this odds-on favouritepowered ahead from before the final hurdle to beat Glibin by 12 lengths.
Tyner said afterwards: “She is a grand mare and that was a grand performance for her first time over hurdles. She will probably go for a 2m 2f Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse now at the end of January.
“She won three point-to-points and when she was beaten in the mares final (point-to-point at Ballynoe back in April), Derek O’Connor said she didn’t feel right and it’s looking that way now.”
Another mare to excel on her first try in a new sphere was Askanna (also a triple winner ‘between the flags’) as she triumphed in the mares beginners under Barry ‘Bon’ O’Neill.
In truth it was exemplary jumping that won the day for the well-bred daughter of Old Vic and though a bit ‘idle’ on the run-in she held-on by half a length from False Messenger (under treble seeking Ben Dalton).
Winning trainer Colin Bowe said afterwards: “She only does what she has to and in the end she had to pull out all the stops. That’s not her ground and I wouldn’t run her on it again.
“She will go to Fairyhouse now for a good mares chase in January.”
Veterans chases are a well-established part of the programme cross-channel and The Bosses Nephew showedplenty of sparkle to run away with the handicap for the old-timers here (a rare feature of an Irish card) completing a double for Eddie O’Connell.
From the immediate family of How’s The Boss, from where his name derives, The Bosses Nephew put in an exhibition of jumping and scooted away from his rivals up the straight to win by five lengths for John Brassil. O’Connell’s other winner was on a horse with a similarly well-known pedigree as Cue Card’s half-brother Hidden Crack defied the burden of eleven stone eleven in the gruelling conditions to beat Passing Through by two and a quarter lengths in the two and a quarter mile handicap hurdle.
It was particularly difficult terrain and weather when the bumper arrived but newcomer Pride of the Parish coped admirably under Patrick Mullins, winning by 12 lengths.
