Fad Eadrainn makes class tell at Clonmel
UP AND OVER: Fad Eadrainn and Simon Torrens en route to winning the Botanica International Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday. Picture: Healy Racing
Fad Eadrainn brought a touch of quality to the Botanica International Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel, and the seven-year-old duly made the most of the opportunity to put a first hurdling victory on his card. Trained by Patrick Foley and ridden by Simon Torrens, the 120-rated gelding won his bumper here last year, and his return to the venue resulted in a deserved upturn in his fortunes.
“He has been a model of consistency in bumpers and over hurdles, and it looked an ideal chance for him today,” said Foley. “It’s just a pity the owners, Richard and Suzanne Kennedy, couldn’t be here. They are in Manchester but I’m sure they were looking in and got a good kick out of it.
“His jumping wasn't his best today, probably because it was a stop-start race. He’s normally a very good jumper, so I think maybe a truly-run race would suit him better.
“It was his first time over two and a half miles and we always thought he would get it, but you don't know until you try it, so we were riding him a little bit to get it. We know the next day we don't really have to do that with him.
“If he’s okay after today’s race, we’ll probably give him an entry in the two ‘winners of one’ at Punchestown and see how we go from there. He’s going chasing next season, regardless, and if he could pick up something else in the meantime, all the better.”
There was an upset in the opener, the Knocklofty Maiden Hurdle, in which 20-1 chance Tippinaway, ridden by Richie Deegan, shaded the verdict over the well-backed Glenmore River. A welcome winner for trainer Eoin Larkin, this was a good effort on the back of a promising run last month at Thurles, and the five-year-old remains open to plenty of improvement.
Only six went to post for the Easter At Clonmel Races Maiden Hurdle but it proved to be the most eventful contest of the evening. One of the six refused to race, another unseated his rider at the first, and the jockey of another lost his irons with almost a circuit to go.
Victory went to the Sam Ewing-ridden and Gordon Elliott-trained Raydamann, who tracked Autumn Twist, whose rider lost his irons, picked him off two from home, and eased away to put a first win on his card.
“He had a few nice runs, and I suppose he was entitled to do that,” said Ewing. “It was messy enough early, but he’s done it well.
“I made the running on him the first day in Navan and he got a bit keen so I wanted to keep him covered up for as long as I could. He appreciated that good ground today and hopefully he can keep improving.”
You Made Me Smile was a long-standing maiden going to post in the Botanica International Mares’ Handicap Hurdle but the Pat Fahy-trained seven-year-old shed that status in fine style. Ridden confidently by Harry Sexton, she led between the final two hurdles, jumped the last in great style, and quickened up to win with a little to spare.
Party President, who was a winner earlier this month at Naas, followed up in the Thank You To Dr John Downey Handicap Hurdle. Owned and ridden by Adam Leahy, the Tony Mullins-trained five-year-old led over the second-last, went clear down to the last, and hit the line a couple of lengths clear of the fast-finishing Old Kenmare.
Leahy said: “Unbelievable. I knew the last day there was a fair bit left in him because he took a big blow going down to the last, and it showed today. I hadn’t ridden much here before and I had forgotten how far away the line is when you turn in, but luckily enough, he did it well.”
Pottersville made an impressive winning debut in the finale, the Happy Easter To All Our Patrons Bumper, and in victory she gave jockey Conor Moore, a 13-time winner in point to points, his first inside the rails.
Winning trainer Richie O’Keeffe said: “She travelled like a dream, but she had been showing that at home. Her work was very good, and she won a schooling bumper in Monksgrange, against a few good horses. We’ll probably go for a mares’ winners’ bumper but if someone wants to buy her, she’s for sale.
“Conor rides a good few point-to-pointers for me, and he rides a lot for the Fogartys. He’s a local lad, from Lingstown, and we all use him. He’s very good, and he did a right job today.”
