Diplomat puts down Galway marker
The four-year-old had been winless in three previous tries over timber but with one or two bits of very useful Flat form to his name.
Chief among his better efforts on the level was a third to Aidan O’Brien’s Group One star Declaration Of War at the Curragh in September 2012.
He was only a 7-2 chance that day on the back of handicap wins at Galway and Killarney and was beaten less than four lengths.
That Galway win saw him beat current Champion Hurdle favourite Our Conor by a nose.
Ruby Walsh took the mount for Weld, and with the master of Rosewell House sending just Diplomat to the meeting it was a hint punters were keen to take as he went off the 4-7 favourite.
The Dr Ronan Lambe-owned gelding cruised into the lead approaching the last and Walsh let him come home in his own time as he recorded a cheeky length success over King William.
Weld said: “He will go for the four-year-old novice hurdle on the Monday of Galway now.
“Hopefully Ruby will ride him again, he won the race for me last year (on Train Of Thought).”
The Tom Taaffe-trained Wakanda could also be Galway-bound after running out a surprise 18-1 winner of the Family Day At Sligo 14th July Maiden Hurdle.
His only previous start had seen the four-year-old beat just one home in a bumper on vastly different ground at Naas in January, but there was plenty to like about his seven-length success over Roman General.
Taaffe said of the Ben Dalton-ridden winner: “He is a lovely horse and he just wanted that nice ground.
“It was too soft at Naas the first time and we will look at a novice hurdle for him now and work from there.
“We could look at Galway if it doesn’t come to soon.”
* If I Had Him secured a significant victory for trainer George Baker and owner Alex Ferguson as he claimed the Channel Islands Champion Hurdle in Jersey yesterday.
The nine-year-old is not one of the brightest stars of the former Manchester United manager’s equine string, but has now won three times at Jersey’s Les Landes racecourse under jockey Mattie Batchelor and also has a victory in Belgium to his credit.
Manton-based Baker, who decided earlier this year to head overseas with If I Had Him, was understandably thrilled by the result.
Baker said: “The Channel Islands Champion Hurdle, If I Had Him and Sir Alex Ferguson are words I never thought would be putting together in the same sentence.
“I believe it is Alex’s first Champion Hurdle, so it’s great. I think the prize-money for winning is something like £3,000, so it’s not going to change anyone’s life, but it’s a bit of fun more than anything.”
