Fitz in line for Galway Hurdle, penalty permitting
Mick Winters’ stable star edged ahead between the last two flights and kept going well to triumph by a length and a half, with The Real Article, narrowly beaten in controversial circumstances last year, seven lengths adrift in third spot.
A delighted Winters said: “This was a great race to win and has been the plan since he won on the flat in Clonmel. He keeps improving and stayed fairly calm today — we left Island Wood stand in the stable with him, which helped.
“Davy gave him a peach of a ride, although it’s Barry Geraghty that deserves a lot of the credit — he has done a lot of work with this horse, but was claimed to ride The Real Article today. He’s Davy’s ride in the Galway Hurdle, if he wants him.”
The first three home are likely to clash again in the Thursday feature in Galway, but Winters warned: “He’ll go to Galway now, if he doesn’t get too much of a penalty!”
When quizzed about what he would consider too big a penalty, Winters quipped, tongue-in-cheek, “Three pounds!”
Punters suffered a succession of reverses, kicking off with the defeat of 1/2 shot False Economy (Ruby Walsh) which failed to get to grips with the John Nicholson-trained, Galway-bound mare Great Oak (Mark Enright) in the opening Packie Downey Memorial Chase.
“She carries me around at home, so she must be good,” commented trainer Nicholson of the mare which was receiving 17lb. from the runner-up.
The Pat Hughes-trained Raise The Goblet (Alan Crowe), off the track since October 2010 and making his fencing debut, proved a 33/1 shocker in the Michael Maher Building Construction Services Ltd. Beginners Chase, foiling even-money favourite Rising Time.
Back In Focus, owned by the Wylies and making his debut for Willie Mullins, proved uneasy in the market before filling the runner-up berth behind the Tom Cummins-trained Aughnacurraveal, a welcome winner for Pierce Gallagher, in the Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort Hurdle.
Cummins, no stranger to success on the Tipperary track, said: “He’ll go to either Galway or Tramore, and, although ye probably think I’m joking, Big Bucks better watch out!”
Adrian Heskin took the riding honours, recording a double in the handicaps. The Oliver Brady-trained Khan Tegri, helped by two fallers at the second last, got the better of Supreme Bob in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle while Good Luck Chuck, trained in County Galway by David Kelly, proved best in the www.thetote.com Galway Plate Trial.
The shortest-priced favourite of the day, the Willie Mullins-trained 2/7 shot Pique Sous, cruised to an effortless win in the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Flat Race. The grey, third to stable-companion Champagne Fever in the Cheltenham Festival bumper, was recording his third bumper success and will now go for either a flat maiden or a maiden hurdle.
