My Design upstages Feronily at Galway
SUCCESS BY DESIGN: My Design and Ray Barron, left, en route to winning the Mongey Communications Chase.
The well-backed, Declan Queally-trained mare My Design upstaged Grade One winner Feronily, on his seasonal debut, in the three-runner Mongey Communications Chase in Galway.
Enterprisingly ridden by in-form amateur Ray Barron, the blinkered eight-year-old made every yard of the running, jumping soundly, with the exception of a mistake at the final fence, and stayed on dourly up the hill to beat the uneasy 1-2 favourite by five and a half lengths.
A course winner over hurdles, My Design continued Barron’s impressive strike-rate at Ballybrit — he rode three winners at the festival, including the Connacht Hotel Amateur Handicap on Teed Up — and was his third winner in successive days, having tasted success at both Tipperary on Sunday and Fairyhouse on Monday.
“She had race-fitness on her side,” said Barron. “Declan told me to break smartly and go a good, even gallop. She jumped well and I started winding her up from the third last. She was game and tough up the hill and won well. She’s getting the hang of it or, maybe, I’m getting the hang of her. She won here before and course form means a lot.”
A Grade One winner at the Punchestown festival, Feronily, carrying the colours of JP McManus for the first time, was settled in last place by Mark Walsh and was creeping into contention when Frontal Assault jumped left at the second last.
The uneasy favourite jumped into the back of Gordon Elliott’s charge, causing him to stumble slightly and lose momentum. On the long run-in, he plugged on to take second spot and will be expected to improve significantly from this comeback run.
Walsh enjoyed better luck in the McManus colours when 135-rated hurdler Perceval Legallois, an easy-to-back 100-30 shot, produced a very pleasing display of jumping to land the Race In Pink Raceday On Sunday 29th October Beginners Chase, on his fencing bow.
Another winner for Gavin Cromwell, he jumped into the lead at the fifth, bossed the race from that point, and won readily by two and a half lengths from another McManus-owned chasing debutant Neveradullmoment.
Winning rider Walsh explained: “He was entitled to do that on his hurdle rating. He jumped brilliant and you’d have to be delighted with him.”
Local trainer Norman Lee, emotional when reflecting on the loss of stable star Sole Pretender on his last visit to Ballybrit, landed the opening maiden hurdle as Free Flowing, ridden by 7lb claimer Tom Harney, got the better of the Willie Mullins-trained 2-5 favourite Olympic Man by a half-length.
“We have 30 horses and we’re bombing on,” enthused Lee. “This is a way better horse since he came back in seven weeks ago. And Tom is a very, very good rider.”
After the disappointment of Fairyhouse on Monday, where he saddled three beaten odds-on favourites, Gordon Elliott bounced back with a late double, taking the Guinness Handicap Hurdle with Pats Choice (Jack Kennedy) and the bumper with Dee Capo, who stayed on strongly under Harry Swan to beat River Robe.
Philip Rothwell brought his seasonal tally to 20 when El Champo made all under to take the Ryans Cleaning Handicap Hurdle at the expense of Lake Chad, signalling the end of rider Paddy O’Hanlon’s 5lb claim.
