Buddy One makes winning start to life over fences
SLICK EFFORT: Buddy One and Jack Gilligan en route to winning the Guinness Chase at Galway. Picture: Healy Racing
Buddy One, a 154-rated hurdler trained locally by Paul Gilligan and ridden by his son Jack, justified 2-7 favouritism on his chasing debut in the three-runner Guinness Chase in Galway.
The seven-year-old, in front from the fourth, made his only significant mistake four from home, brushed aside Flanking Maneuver early on the long run-in, and stayed on to beat Another Choice by seven and a half lengths.
“It’s great that it’s over,” declared the delighted winning trainer. “From day one, chasing has been written all over him and this was a lovely starting point. The conditions of the race suited him and it was a good performance. He’ll improve a lot from it. I’d like to give him another run before he goes to Cheltenham in November and, of course, the plan is to be back there in March for the three-mile novice.”
In-form trainer Ger O’Leary enjoyed a double, sparked when Jabbar turned over 1-9 hotpot and fellow hurdling debutant The Enabler in the opening Tote Always SP Or Better At Galway Maiden Hurdle.
The favourite, making the running, looked raw and green in front. And Michael O’Sullivan on Jabbar stalked him before challenging on the inside turning for home and asserting on the run-in to triumph by two lengths, with a 39-length gap back to the third.
“That was a lovely performance, Ger’s horses are in great form," O’Sullivan said. "Jack’s horse wasn’t helping him in front and I didn’t want to help him, so I sat and waited and took my chance up the inside. He quickened up nicely to the line.”
The O’Leary double was completed when Wee Charlie, up 8lb for his stable debut win on this track last month, followed up in style under Jack Kennedy in the Ryans Cleaning Handicap Hurdle, despite a mistake when jumping to the front at the final flight.
Having mastered top-weight Fighting Fit, the 8-11 favourite powered clear to beat Jinxs Link by seven lengths, prompting O’Leary’s assistant Dean Curran to comment: “He won well here the last day and Ger had him in top form for today. The horses are flying and all the credit goes to Ger and the lads in the yard.”
Keith Donoghue joined Sam Ewing on the 29-winner mare for the season when producing Gavin Cromwell’s The Other Mozzie (11-1) with a perfectly-timed late challenge to foil fellow fencing debutants Anyway and Will Do, who had disputed the lead throughout.
“He was a bit disappointing last year, but jumps a fence better than a hurdle, and the race was run to suit him,” explained Donoghue. “He’s strengthened up and, hopefully, can build on this.”
And ‘Shark’ Hanlon was on the mark with 40-1 shot Reiki Revolution (David Doyle) in a dramatic bumper which saw Rural Link slip up early, bringing down fellow joint-favourite Ifallgoeswell before leader Live Aid ran out soon after half-way.
Jack Kearney recorded his second success over obstacles when the Gerry Keane-trained Ragmans Corner (11-4 favourite) got the better of Bowgate Street by a head in the Galway Handicap Hurdle while grey mare Hazelhatch Lady, ridden for James Fahey by Kevin Sexton, made all to defy top-weight in the Mongey Communications Handicap Chase.
- Jack Kennedy received two bans, totalling 10 days. The champion jockey was banned for eight days for his whip-use on Will Do (third) in the beginners' chase and received another two days for weighing in 1.1lb overweight having ridden The Enabler in the opener.
- Following a ‘running riding’ enquiry into the performance of Work Place (third) in the opening maiden hurdle, jockey Liam Quinlan was suspended for seven racedays, trainer Ray Hackett fined €1,500, and the horse banned for 60 days.
