Meade and Carberry grace Fairyhouse
Noel Meade and Paul Carberry prolonged their run of red-hot form with a Grade One double at Fairyhouse.
Fresh from the success of Harchibald in Newcastle’s “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle on Saturday, the pair teamed up for further glory with Aitmatov and Muirhead.
But Aitmatov had to dig very deep to lift the featured Ballymore Properties Hatton’s Grace Hurdle as gutsy mare Sweet Kiln attempted to make all in the two-and-a-half-mile affair.
The Michael Bowe-trained Sweet Kiln took up her customary position at the head of affairs, quickly building up an advantage which she still held turning for home.
Aitmatov powered through to close the gap but Sweet Kiln, sent off the 2-1 joint-favourite with the winner, still took the last in front.
However, she began to tire in the final few yards, allowing Aitmatov to just get up by a short head in the shadow of the post.
Meade said: “I was a bit surprised he was able to do it in that ground – he’s better on better ground.
“I have a secret weapon though – P Carberry! He’s just fantastic and can read a race like nobody else. I’m so lucky to have him.”
Meade has real strength in depth in the two-mile hurdle division with Jazz Messenger, Harchibald and now Aitmatov, with Cashmans going 5-1 about the trainer winning the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in March.
“Jazz Messenger and Harchibald will probably go to Kempton for the Christmas Hurdle now, although Harchibald will only go if the ground is right,” added Meade.
“This horse will probably head to Leopardstown at Christmas.”
Aitmatov’s success in the Hatton’s Grace completed a 14-1 double for the trainer and jockey following Muirhead’s victory in the Bar-One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
The 4-1 shot looked set for defeat approaching the last as Champion Bumper winner Cork All Star was two lengths clear and still looked to have something in the tank.
However, Cork All Star crashed through the final flight, losing his backend on landing, to let Carberry seize the initiative on Muirhead and win by a length and three-quarters.
Meade said: “I’d say he’d improve quite a lot, he’s a bit light and weak-looking. Jessica’s (Harrington) horse made a bad mistake, but I was delighted with our horse.
“He winged the first and I was thrilled with how he travelled after and he was finishing well.
“I don’t think he’d take much running, so we’ll give him a break and the chance to progress. We were lucky to get him at the sales and it’s great for the owners after what happened to Iktitaf.
“We’ll wait and see what we do now, but he won’t run over Christmas. There’s the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown and the Deloitte Hurdle at Leopardstown to consider, with the latter the more likely.”
Muirhead is 10-1 from 25s with William Hill for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Stan James are a little more generous at 12-1.
Cork All Star remains the 8-1 favourite with Hills for the two-mile feature.
Edward O’Grady’s Sky’s The Limit failed to strike in his first season over fences but he put up a fine display to take the Ballymore Properties Drinmore Novice Chase.
It looked to be anyone’s race at the top of the straight with Kazal, who was making his chasing bow, travelling well.
However, he crashed through the third-last obstacle while the long-time prominent Drunken Disorderly came down at the next fence when trying to renew his challenge.
That left 9-4 favourite Sky’s The Limit to cruise home from Be My Leader by four and a half lengths, with Line Ball plugging on for third.
O’Grady said: “He was a bit disappointing last year but he has improved. He’s come back a fresher horse than last year.
“I was a bit worried as he was out the back more than I would have liked, but Andrew (McNamara) said he was always travelling well.
“I would like to consider running him at Christmas, but I will have to discuss running him over three miles with Andrew.”
Paddy Power make Sky’s The Limit a 16-1 chance for both the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, but O’Grady has warned the grey is not certain to turn up at Prestbury Park in March.
He added: “He may go for the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse rather than the Arkle at Cheltenham as there’s only two weeks between the two.”
