Wonderful victory for O’Brien
Both Joseph O’Brien and Wayne Lordan were on the mark and they now join Pat Smullen at the top of the table on 37 winners.
O’Brien was seen at his strongest when driving Wonderful to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden.
The winner and favourite, Mona Brown, emerged as the principals under three furlongs down and there followed a real battle.
O’Brien, though, was in no mood to accept defeat and he powered Wonderful ahead through the last hundred yards to score by three parts of a lengths.
Said Joseph: “She’s getting the hang of it, tries hard and that’s a big help.”
O’Brien partnered odds-on Learn in the Easy Clean Ltd Race, but this went to Lordan aboard Croi An Or.
Learn was soon in front, but could never get away from his field and Tommy Stack’s Croi An Or gradually wore him down to score by a head.
Fozzy Stack represented his father and said: “We will see what the handicapper does, but he could go for the Topaz Mile at Galway, or return to Listed class.”
The stewards held an inquiry, after third placed Regulation tried to poke through a narrow gap between the first two.
He soon had nowhere to go, but there was never any possibility of an alteration to the placings.
Stan James’ revised betting on the title race is: 5-4 Smullen, 7-4 O’Brien, 9-4 Murtagh, 9-1 Lordan and 16-1 bar.
“That was a savage ride by Davy (Russell)”, remarked Henry de Bromhead, after Catcherinscratcher had won the Christy McSweeney Memorial Novice Chase.
And that summed it up perfectly, because the mare never really travelled through the race, but Russell refused to accept the seemingly inevitable.
And he had his reward, with Catcherinscratcher finally picking up the bit and forging into the lead off the home turn to beat Definite Class.
“This is the first time Alan and Ann (Potts, owners) have been here, so I’m delighted”, continued de Bromhead.
The trainer wasted no time completing a double when Fourth Class, with Ruby Walsh in the plate, made most to land the Mike Cronin Readymix Ltd Handicap Chase by 11 lengths.
“Philip Enright always said he wanted good ground”, reported de Bromhead.
Michael Halford’s Sure Reef left a couple of unlucky efforts behind when coming from off the pace to take the Anglo Printers’ Handicap.
He was last into the straight and then Shane Foley had to switch him to the wide outside to get a run.
Once in the clear, however, Sure Reef fairly flew and was nicely on top close home to beat South South West.
Said Halford: “He does nothing in a hurry and will have to go to the hill (Galway) now. He will certainly come up it, but how long it will take him I don’t know!”
The defection of Whatever Jacksays, from the Killarney Veterinary Clinic Race, left the way clear for Drive Time to record a bloodless win.
The 1-4 shot was cruising throughout and only had to be nudged out by Patrick Mullins to easily see off Kalellshan.
Commented Patrick: “That was a prep for the Galway Hurdle, I didn’t want to give him a hard race.”
