Riverside City and Jack Kennedy prevail in dramatic Troytown Handicap Chase in Navan
Kennedy (16), from Dingle, brought the J P McManus-owned 8/1 shot to challenge at the final fence in an incident-filled race. Narrow leader Ballychorus crashed, leaving Riverside City to outstay his stable-companion Georges Conn by a length and three-quarters, continuing his young rider’s rich vein of form – this was Kennedy’s seventh win from his last ten rides.
Gordon Elliott, who won last year’s Troytown with Balbriggan, commented: “That was Jack’s first winner over fences and he gave the horse a great ride. The horse stays all day.”
Prior to the last fence fall of Ballychorus, Empire Of Dirt had crashed, when holding every chance, at the third last, badly hampering Knockanarrigan, which unseated his rider. Bryan Cooper, rider of Empire Of Dirt, was shaken and sore and stood himself down for his remaining ride.
The Elliott/Kennedy treble had been sparked when Baroque Style, the 2/1 favourite, made all for a convincing win in the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust Handicap Hurdle.
It was completed when recent Clonmel winner Prince Of Scars, in the Gigginstown colours, defied top-weight in the Proudstown Handicap Hurdle, prevailing by a nose and a short-head over Russian Bill and Roll It Out in a three-way photo-finish.
“This horse is a real chaser and the stiff, galloping track suited him,” said Elliott. “It’s been a great day, particularly for Jack – he’s only sixteen and to have a day like this is unbelievable for him.”
Successful on her debut in Listowel, Augusta Kate completed a double for Willie Mullins when scoring impressively in the listed mares bumper, powering up the hill to triumph by eight lengths.
“She’s an extraordinary mare,” stated Mullins, “She does very little at home, but to do what she did to a real good field of mares is remarkable. She really comes alive on the racetrack.”
Mullins added: “We might give her a break and look forward to the spring. We could think about Cheltenham, but Patrick favours a plan involving Aintree and Punchestown.”
Falcon Crest, trained for J P McManus by Christy Roche, built on his recent maiden win at Fairyhouse to win the Grade 2 Moksfield Novice Hurdle in emphatic style from Moylisha Tim and Last Encounter.
Confidently handled by Barry Geraghty, the Milan gelding challenged the runner-up between the last two flights before forging clear on the run-in to triumph by six and a half lengths.
“Both the jockey and myself thought he was a two-miler, on good ground, and questioned whether he’d enjoy a slog, but he won well,” commented Roche, “He’s a big, solid, sound horse, an easy horse to train, and hasn’t been near another horse since he won. We took a chance running him today, but it has paid off. I’ll have to talk to the boss about where we go next.
“He has the size and stamp of a chaser, so everything he does over hurdles is a bonus,” declared Jessica Harrington after Woodland Opera, winner of his only previous start, a Leopardstown bumper last January, landed the opening two-mile maiden hurdle at the expense of Coney Island and front-running favourite Potters Point.
The Robbie Power-ridden winner tracked the leaders, jumping fluently, mastered the favourite before the final flight and held Coney Island by three-quarters of a length, prompting his trainer to explain: “That was worth waiting for. I was going to run him last week, but he just wasn’t ready and the extra week stood to him. He jumped like I thought he’d jump.”
“Robert said he took a good blow at the back of the last. He was bone idle, but stayed going well. I think it was a tidy race and we’ll wait now for the Grade 1 novice at Leopardstown at Christmas.”
