Lion springs National surprise
It was a truly amazing result, because prior to his previous win at Navan, he had looked a modest performer.
At Navan, he beat Four Commanders at level weights. On all known form Lion Na Bearnai had no right to do that and went off a 50-1 shot.
The handicapper was mightily impressed, though, and he raised Gibney’s charge by a massive 27lbs.
But he will have to very much reassess the mark again now, with the ten-year-old taking this going away by four and a half lengths for 3lbs claimer, Andrew Thornton.
Gibney rode as an amateur jockey and was second on Marching Marquis in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham in 2000. Three years earlier he won the GPT Handicap at Galway on Saving Bond for Noel Meade.
Said Gibney: “I’ve been training for five years, have five horses and have been struggling since the day I took out a licence. Unless you are making headlines no one knows you exist.” Well, Tom they know you exist now.
Arabella Boy and Deal Done took them along for much of the trip and it didn’t look much of a gallop.
But the rain had clearly got into the surface, big time, and the field — what was left of them — were spread out like washing at the end, with only nine finishers.
Going to the second last Thornton made his move on the winner, but Out Now, who travelled like a dream throughout, came there cantering.
But the ease in the ground was always going to be Out Now’s biggest problem, although he was right on terms at the obstacle and, indeed, held a narrow lead over the final fence.
But Lion Na Bearnai has developed into a thorough stayer and, with Out Now’s stamina ebbing away, the winner forged away on the flat to win decisively in the end.
Out Now never gave up, kept going and was nicely clear of the third, Alfie Sherrin, at the line.
“This is unbelievable, I have nothing to say”, exclaimed an excited Gibney. But soon he was in full flow.
“He is some horse. I was afraid to open my mouth after the last day, everything has gone so well, everything has gone to plan. And everything went right out there.
“He was always going to go for this since finishing second in the Porterstown at Navan in 2011. I needed to get him up the handicap, but was shocked at the way we did it!
“I’m not shocked he was able to win, after all didn’t he win off the same mark the last day? I bought the horse at the sales as a four-year-old (€8,800. He was the first one I had in training.
“He is owned by eight lads, two of them are from Dublin and the others are local to me. I cannot believe the way he has improved.”
Thornton is 31-years-of-age and also rides on the flat. He too is from Co Meath (Navan). Said Thornton: “This is unbelievable, so it is. He travelled and jumped well and was foot-perfect all of the way.
“We did get squeezed a little at the fence past the stands, but he is so genuine. I know he was 50-1 in the morning, but I was quietly confident.”
The stewards, however, weren’t happy with Thornton’s use of the whip and he was suspended for five days for excessive frequency.
Four Commanders went off favourite, but along with Allee Garde was pulled up when out of contention after the fifth last.
* The attendance was 13,126, down about 2,000 on last year.
