Top Man completes quick double
Top Man Michael, winner of a mile-and-a-half handicap at Galway on Sunday, justified even-money favouritism in the opening Railway Bar 3-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle, the first juvenile hurdle of the season, while Johannisberger bounced back from a disappointing run at Sligo in May (reportedly lame) to land the gaaroscommon.ie Maiden Hurdle in convincing style.
Part of a Galway double for Athenry owner Martin Cullinane on Sunday, Top Man Michael travelled and jumped well on his hurdling bow before easing clear on the run-in to beat well-backed Everything Zain by a length and three-quarters, denying Bryan Cooper, rider of the runner-up, a 20th birthday winner.
Noel Meade explained: “He had to come here, or go to Tramore — the only three-year-old hurdles for a while. He jumps and stays well, although he nodded a bit at the second last.
“He’ll have a short break now and will go back on the flat at some stage. But his next run will probably be over hurdles in Listowel.”
The Meade/Condon double was completed when Johannisberger was produced to challenge at the last before powering clear to slam Zadarska by six lengths, prompting Meade to comment: “This fellow’s grandmother Houseproud won the French 1,000 Guineas (in 1990).
“We though the world of him when he ran first (in the Goffs Land Rover Bumper). But, unfortunately, he went wrong of his puff and has had two wind operations, the second one since his last run in Sligo.
“I was afraid the ground might be too soft for him, but it’s only summer soft. He’s an enormous horse and will be a better chaser than hurdler.”
Niall ‘Boots’ Madden always enjoys his share of success in the summer months and his Highdownhill, a winner twice in Sligo last year, returned to winning form when landing the J F Hanley Handicap Hurdle in the colours of J P McManus.
Ridden by the trainer’s son and namesake (’Slippers’), the New Zealand-bred got the better of Moving On from the final flight to win by three and a half lengths, a second winner in two days for the Maddens.
The Willie Mullins-trained debutante Reine Angevine was sent off an odds-on favourite to continue the tremendous strike-rate of the Supreme Horse Racing Club in the bumper. But Patrick Mullins’ mount, having held every chance, had to settle for third spot behind another newcomer Gallant Tipp, owned and trained by Edward O’Grady and ridden by James ‘Corky’ Carroll.
The Definite Article gelding held the late challenge of Goodoldhonkytonk by a neck, prompting O’Grady to explain: “He’s a big, tall four-year-old. He hasn’t done a lot but is potentially very good. Hopefully, he’ll improve and he might go for the winners’ bumper at Cheltenham’s November meeting.”
In the earlier chase action, trainer John Long, who struck with Vintage Supreme in the Cork bumper on Monday, was on the mark again when the well-backed Baresi (11/2-100/30), ridden by Rob Jones, made a successful chasing debut in the Roscommon Herald Beginners Chase, foiling front-running His Highness.
A dual winner over hurdles this summer, he disappointed at Galway last week. Long said: “He hates sticky ground and I didn’t think he’d handle it out there. I fancied him in Galway, but he ran badly. His point-to-pint experience stood to him today.
“He’ll go for either a ‘winners of one’ or a handicap.”
