Four up for Alelchi Inois
And pride of place goes to the progressive French-bred six-year-old Alelchi Inois which made it four from four over fences when justifying 2/5 favouritism in the featured Grade 3 Deacy Gilligan Novice Chase.
Having disputed the early lead, Townend allowed Enjoy Responsibly blaze the trail after the fifth and bided his time before launching his challenge on the downhill run to the second last. Alelchi Inois jumped into the lead at the last and, soon clear, stayed on stoutly to win, comfortably, by four and a half lengths, from Definite Ruby.
“He’s a real summer ground horse and a joy to ride over fences,” declared Townend. “He has plenty of pace for that trip (two miles and a furlong) but stays further. And, for a big horse, he’s very economical and clever in his jumping.”
Earlier, 9/10 favourite Most Peculiar, enterprisingly ridden by Townend, had confirmed Galway Festival form with Draco in the Easyfix Rubber Products Novice Hurdle.
Having disputed the lead, Most Peculiar jumped on five flights from home and appeared to have the measure of the runner-up when Robbie Power’s mount fluffed the last, leaving the Mullins runner to score, readily, by four lengths.
“He jumped super and I kept it simple,” was Townend’s summing-up of the race.
County Waterford handler Tom Cummins confirmed that Millie Le Bach, in foal to Windsor Knot, will be retired following her last-gasp victory over front-running Ram Them All in the J J Rhatigan & Company Maiden Hurdle.
And he explained: “Brian (Cawley) rang me from Adelaide, Australia and told me to enter her here, that he’d ride her and she’d win. She’s the last of the breed, a family my late father had, and she’s finished racing now.”
There were contrasting outcomes for punters in the two handicaps on the card as 5/1 favourite Baby Whizz, trained for JP McManus by Tom Mullins, got up close home under a strong ride by Mark Walsh to foil Roadtotheisland and Danny Mullins in the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.
Earlier, locally-trained 11-year-old Valours Minion, which broke his maiden in Killarney last month, sprang a 16/1 shock in the O’Leary Insurances Handicap Hurdle, scoring convincingly under Mark Enright for the O’Brien brothers, trainer Val and owner Sean. A trip to Listowel is next on the winner’s agenda.
The well-backed West Montan and Sean Flanagan made all to turn over Aidan O’Brien’s hurdling debutant Waver in the Anglo Printers Maiden Hurdle. The hooded Westerner filly had three lengths to spare at the line.
The mares bumper went to the consistent but previously luckless 7/2 joint-favourite Behana, trained by Ronnie O’Neill and partnered by his son John to register a convincing five lengths win over Troubled Soul.
