Jennies Jewel sparkles to belie market unease
The Jarlath Fahey-trained Jennies Jewel was an easy-to-back 2-1 second-favourite for the four-runner Thurles Racecourse Hurdle, but she belied her uneasiness in the market with a strong performance.
Even-money favourite Val De Ferbet set out to make all and jumped well as he held his status as leader all the way to the top of the hill on the final circuit. At that point he was joined by the eventual winner, but another fine jumped allowed him lead into the straight.
However, Jennies Jewel, who was runner-up to subsequent Cheltenham winners Diamond King and Vroum Vroum Mag in two of her last three outings, picked up for pressure from jockey Ian McCarthy and led over the last flight for a four-and-a-half-length victory.
“Her form was seriously franked in Cheltenham. We thought this was a nice opportunity to get another win with her. She has chased home so many good horses all her career, we’re just delighted to get another win on the board,” said Fahey.
“Punchestown is on the agenda but she is, hopefully, going to be covered by Presenting between now and then, and Punchestown will probably be her swansong. The mares’ hurdle might be the best option, to get her another bit of black type, but she needs three miles at this stage and we might make an entry in the stayers’ hurdle.
“She has been unbelievable. She has won flat, hurdles and chase races, and only failed to get prize money four or five times. It will be a sad day for everyone involved with her when she retires, but it has been a great four seasons.”
Dual bumper winner Champagne Harmony made a smooth transition to hurdling with a runaway success in the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle under Ger Fox. Steve Mahon’s horse, easy to back in the morning but well supported into even money on the show, settled in third place as Miss Benefitz went clear early.
With those behind struggling to make any impact, the market leader and Crocodile Dundee eased upsides the long-time leader on the turn for home, but it soon became apparent there could be just one winner.
Champagne Harmony strode clear up the straight to beat Crocodile Dundee by 17 lengths, with Robbina staying on strongly into third place.
Said Mahon: “He would have run in the Champion Bumper had he not pulled a muscle at Navan on his last outing. People were asking me if he’d win this race but I said I’d be happier if he was over fences because he jumps them so well – he does it all in one stride. If you blink you might miss him, that’s how quick he is across them.
“He may have one more run over hurdles, and Punchestown might be an option, but I won’t be running him on summer ground. He could go chasing next season.”
Winning pointer Follow The Swallow had shown precious little in two runs on the track prior to the opening beginners’ chase but the Liz Doyle-trained eight-year-old won with a degree of authority.
Held up in midfield for much of the trip, the 16-1 eased into contention turning for home and, with six runners being in contention over the final two fences, he proved three parts of a length too good for Macs Legend, with disappointing odds-on favourite Chatham House Rule back in third.
Said the winning trainer: “The better ground was a huge thing to him, as he seemed to travel and jump like a stag – his jumping was worth about 10 lengths to him. He had been running in point to points, but I don’t know if he quite stays three miles, but he definitely stays two-two.”
There was real drama in the closing stages of the second race, also a beginners’ chase, as Hurricane Darwin, who had begun to assert and looked in command, took a tumble at the final fence. In doing so he hampered long-time leader Fine Article, and that left Kansas City Chief to take over.
The easy-to-back So Young and aforementioned Fine Article stayed on again in the closing stages but Kansas City Chief, ridden by Andrew Lynch, beat those rivals by three parts of a length and the same, respectively.
Said the delighted winning trainer Mary Louise Hallahan: “We were probably lucky but thankfully the horse and rider got up okay. Andrew thinks he wasn’t done with, and may have stayed on for second place. He stays very well and a bit of better ground suited him. If we could find a ’winners of one’ we’d go there.”
The Normal Lee-trained Rebel Cry landed a tidy gamble (7-1 to 11-4fav) when taking the Devil’s Bit Handicap Chase in the hands of Jack Kennedy. The nine-year-old, whose only previous victory inside the rails came in a handicap hurdle at this track in February of last year, gave an exemplary round of jumping, and travelled with equal style.
Narrowly in front and still going best as they turned for home, he received a couple of reminders between the last two fences, and a similar number at the back of the last before racing home a little more than three lengths clear of The Conker Club.
There was more drama in the Clonoulty Handicap Hurdle when the challenging Vic Approach suffered a fatal fall at the final obstacle. The Eoghan O’Grady-trained Mick The Jiver, which led narrowly at the time, stayed on dourly to beat Sarah Battle by a neck and, in the process, give jockey Andrew Lynch a double on the card.
The Gillian Callaghan-trained, Paul Bannon-ridden Arena Seven got the bumper in the stewards’ room. Cant Wait was first past the post but drifted across the course a furlong out and hampered Arena Seven. The latter recovered to throw down a late effort, but failed by just a nose to catch Cant Wait. After a lengthy enquiry, the placings were reversed.
