Unaccompanied out on her own
The four-year-old filly, the first animal sent jumping by Moyglare Stud Farm, was given a superb, tactical ride by Paul Townend (returning after a collar-bone scare on Tuesday) to beat the Ruby Walsh-ridden grey by a length and a half. Oscars Well was a creditable third. The winner was receiving 10lb. from her six rivals.
Townend made his move on the home-turn, closing on the outside of Thousand Stars which had to be switched approaching the final flight. He fluffed the last obstacle beforestaying on under pressure, without looking likely to peg back the winner.
Unaccompanied became the fourth four-year-old to win this Grade 1 event in the last 20 years and the first filly to win it since Liss A Paoraigh in 2002.
And her trainer declared: “She’s a very good mare for a four-year-old. I was just concerned that we were throwing her in at the deep end. The second horse is a very solid, high-class performer. But she answered the call.
“Today was always going to be important, to tell us what path to take with her. She’s a very smart stakes mare on the flat — she beat St. Nicholas Abbey at the Curragh last spring. But, after this, I think hurdling is her game. She really enjoys jumping, which is a big help. I was quietly confident that she would run a big race, but her inexperience was a worry.
“I must talk to her owner. But coming back here at the end of January for the Irish Champion Hurdle would look the logical thing to do with her. And, if things go well, the next step would be the Champion Hurdle in Cheltenham.”
Unaccompanied is now a best-priced 12/1 shot (with Paddy Power) for the Champion Hurdle.
Willie Mullins, trainer of Thousand Stars, summed up the race. “I’m happy with my horse — the mare just had too many gears for him.”
The John ‘Shark’ Hanlon-trained Hidden Cyclone made a successful start over fences when defying a market-drift in the Ballymaloe Country Relish Beginners Chase, forging clear on the run-in to shrug off Nearest The Pin by two lengths.
Ridden by Andrew McNamara, Hidden Cyclone jumped soundly and looks an exciting prospect, although trainer Hanlon was not getting carried away: “He’s not 100% fit and willimprove a good bit. Andrew says he needs to improve his jumping. He said that he idles in front and met the last wrong, but picked up again.”
He added: “He won well, but he’s going to have to improve if he’s to be a Cheltenham horse. That’s a long way off and it’s not all about Cheltenham. He’ll go for a ‘winner of one’ at Fairyhouse (February 4). The plan was always to give him three or four runs and make a decision then.”
Hanlon completed a memorable double when Star Neuville made all to land the Ryans Event Cleaners Maiden Hurdle at the expense of the Willie Mullins-trained odds-on favourite Vesper Bell. The French-bred five-year-old, winner of his bumper at this meeting last year, was also the second leg of a double for 7lb. claimer Brian Hayes, successful on the Colm Murphy-trained Glam Gerry in the opening handicap chase and middle leg a of a superb treble for owner Barry Connell, whose colours were carried by Glam Gerry and the Mags Mullins-trained Mumbo Jumbo, convincing winner of the bumper.
“He flipped completely before his comeback run in Naas and we were lucky to get him back on track,” admitted Hanlon. “Brian deserves full praise. The plan was to let him go along in front, at his own pace. And he jumped brilliant. He’ll go for a winners’ race in about three weeks. He might be a Cheltenham horse.”
A memorable day for owner Barry Connell was rounded off whenMumbo Jumbo, ridden by ‘Corky’ Carroll swept clear early in the straight before beating Maller Tree by two lengths in the Thorntons Recycling Flat Race, the pair finishing 20 lengths clear of the third. The winner is trained by Mags Mullins, who commented: “I’m delighted with him. He was probably a bit green and didn’t handle the track when he went to Cheltenham. He’s a super jumper and I think we might leave him until next year — I don’t think he’ll run in another bumper.”
Our Girl Salley completed back-to-back wins in the ITBA Fillies Scheme Mares Hurdle when recovering from a bad mistake at the third last flight to beat Stephanie Kate and What A Charm.
Barry Geraghty gave the Prunella Dobbs-trained mare time to recover before launching his challenge off the home-turn and asserting on the run-in, to the delight of her trainer: “It’s great to have her back. She’s taken longer that anticipated to come to herself. And there were so few suitable prep races for her I had to run her twice over two miles, which didn’t suit her.”
Mrs Dobbs admitted Cheltenham’s David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham is the long-term target for Our Girl Salley, a race she missed due to a setback last season.
Jessica Harrington registered her first win since November 19 when Jetson, ridden by Robert Power, captured the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle, edging ahead of Adam’s Island at the last before beating Sword Fish by three and a quarter lengths. The winning trainer commented, philosophically:“Everything comes around, I suppose. We never found out what was wrong with the horses. But they’re on the way back and I was thrilled with ‘Oscar’ (Oscars Well ran in the feature) — he ran like a lion.”
* Paddy Mangan was suspended for two days for using his whip when his chance of winning had gone on Noble Commander in the opener, while Ger Fox, rider of Imperial Shabra in the same race, was referred to the Turf Club’s ReferralsCommittee concerning his use of his whip.
