Commanche makes hard work of win

Commanche Court was made to struggle to land the odds at Navan this afternoon in the Gain Feeds Handicap Chase to keep his Cheltenham prospects alive.

Runner-up to Best Mate in the Tote Gold Cup at the Festival last March, Commanche Court had to come under maximum pressure from Ruby Walsh to get back on the winning trail for the first time since the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown in the spring of 2000.

“He came here because he was a bit behind in his fitness and might run again before Cheltenham. He had top weight in tacky ground but should come on for this,” said trainer Ted Walsh.

Conceding two stone to Kings Valley, on whom Timmy Murphy deputised for the injured champion jockey Paul Carberry, travelled the best of the quartet throughout and looked the more likely scorer than the odds-on favourite going to the final fence.

Still in front of the run-in, Murphy’s mount, who was a stone out of the handicap proper was run out of the prize as Commanche Court, the 1-3 favourite rallied well under strong driving to hit the front close home and score by half-a-length.

Barry Geraghty had earlier taken the riding honours with a quickfire double - Supreme Developer (4-5) landing division one of the Finnegan & McGovern Interiors Maiden Hurdle for trainer Anthony Mullins before Emotional Moment took the McCabe Builders Ltd Boyne Hurdle..

Geraghty did not have to get serious with Emotional Moment (2-1), who powered home on the run-in to beat Norman Williamson’s mount Over The Bar by five lengths in this three-mile contest run at a sedate pace.

Rostropovich was the 6-4 favourite but although attempting to make all the running, dropped out tamely as Geraghty gave Emotional Moment his head between the final two flights for a comprehensive victory for trainer Tom Taaffe.

Emotional Moment’s victory in this 32,500-euro to the winner contest gave Taaffe and the owners compensation for the horse missing the cut by one from the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury.

Emotional Moment may go for the Coral Eurobet Cup at Cheltenham while Over The Bar, who rallied well after looking well beaten between the last two flights, could yet take his chance in the Bonusprint Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival.

The other Grade Two contest on the card, the Sasha Fashions Flyingbolt Novice Chase, went to the 14-1 chance Schwartzhalle, ridden by Martin Mooney.

The six-year-old, trained by David Harvey, made all the running and gamely held Rathgar Beau and Stage Affair by half a length and three-quarters of a length.

But the bookmakers were paying out again soon afterwards as The Premier Cat, backed from 3-1 to 2-1, also made all and jumped superbly for Shay Barry to take the Bar-One Racing Ten Up Novice Chase for Tipperary trainer Tom Cahill.