Beachdale Lad enhances reputation

The Jessica Harrington-trained Beachdale Lad, impressive on his chasing debut at Roscommon recently, enhanced his reputation when landing the Tyrrellspass Novice Chase in Kilbeggan last night.

Ridden, as he was in Roscommon, by Mark Bolger, Beachdale Lad was in front before halfway, jumped fluently (with a couple of exceptions) before drawing clear in the closing stages to slam course and distance winner Six Stone Ned by fifteen lengths.

A delighted Jessica Harrington stated: “He always had the scope to be a chaser and he’s very good. He wings fences and his jumping puts the others under pressure. I think there’s a race for him in Killarney. But he needs good ground and will only run where he gets it.”

Mark Walsh provided JP McManus with a double in the other two chases on the card and gave Noel Meade the second leg of a double when Tom Horn scored a smooth success over market rival Stonemaster in the finale the Loughnagore Beginners Chase.

Having this third run over fences Tom Horn, winner of his maiden hurdle on this track, cruised through on the inside to lead after the second last fence and won comfortably by almost five lengths. At his best on good or fast ground, and appreciating the step-up in trip here, he’ll campaign through the summer.

The Walsh/McManus double had been initiated when Double Seven, disappointing in his previous outings over fences, proved a shock winner of the handicap chase, the 14/1 shot proving too strong for Give Us A Hand.

Winning trainer Martin Brassil described the result as “a pleasant surprise“, admitting that the seven-year-old had struggled in soft ground and nominating the Galway Blazers as a possible target.

Davy Condon continued in superb form when initiating Noel Meade’s double on the well-supported Honourable Emperor, a fortuitous winner of the opening Easyfix Rubber Products Maiden Hurdle, the first leg of a series which will culminate with a novice at Galway’s September meeting.

The four-year-old was lucky to avoid the fallen All Fired Up (rider Andrew Leigh was removed to hospital with abdominal injuries) at the second last before scraping through on the inside to lead before the last, where Magical Moon crashed.

In command on the run-in, the son of Holy Roman Emperor stretched clear to triumph by four lengths for Condon, who had a superb four-timer at Down Royal on Friday.

“He’s an impossible horse to get fit and he did a piece of fast work over a mile this morning, in case he’d be stuffy here,” said winning trainer-rider Denis Hogan after Cerveza Dinero proved a convincing winner of the Hurley Family Handicap Hurdle.