Anotherway bags feature for Slevin and Gibney

ON HIS WAY: Anotherway and JJ Slevin (near) win for trainer Tom Gibney from Sky Lord; (inset) a mud- splattered Dan King after winning in Down Royal. Picture: Healy Racing

The Tom Gibney-trained Anotherway bagged the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase in Down Royal, second leg of a double for jockey J J Slevin and owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Always close to the pace, he mastered favourite Sky Lord, who made a mistake at the last, on the run-in before beating a rallying He’s Gorgeous by five lengths.

“We did think a lot of him from the start, as they did in Willie’s,” stated winning trainer Gibney. “He’s a very good work horse and always travels well, but he hadn’t been finishing his races, until the last day in Limerick.”

“I told J J going out that Limerick had done him good. It probably helped his confidence, and it showed today.

“It’s great to see him get his head in front again. He loves that soft ground and we’ll aim him at more of the same.”

It was a day to remember for the training Crawford brothers, Ross and Stuart, who were both on the mark.

Ross Crawford saddled his first winner when 125/1 shot Green Hope, ridden, in the familiar Munir/Souede colours, by Danny Mullins, captured the opening Molson Coors Beverage Company Maiden Hurdle at the expense of long-time leader Star Of The Week.

“I got my licence in mid-December and I’m a bit of an outcast — I had a satellite yard for Stuart for a while, but I’ve branched out on my own and I’m based down in County Armagh now, with about twenty 20 horses,” explained Crawford. Later, Stuart Crawford and J J Slevin struck with top-weight Jony R in first-time cheekpieces, in the Franciscan Well Rated Novice Hurdle, the course and distance maiden winner powering home seven and a half lengths clear of Night Moon.

The winning trainer commented: “He was a bit unlucky when he fall at the last in a graded race in Haydock. He was keen when he won his maiden here, so we tried him in cheekpieces today and J J said he settled better.”

“We’ll try to find another rated race for him and could travel. We’ll go wherever we can to get winners.”

The Karl Thornton-trained Shanroe Act, raised 17lb for a wide-margin hurdle win at Fairyhouse last Thursday, took advantage of a lowly chase mark when making a successful debut over fences in the Aspall Handicap Chase.

Ridden by Daniel King, the 10/11 favourite jumped superbly in front, was headed and outpaced before the second last but stayed on dourly to get the better of 25/1 Luimneach by a half-length, denying trainer Dessie McDonogh , successful earlier with Verbal Sparring (Carl Millar) a double.

Daniel King enthused: “He stays well and has a super attitude — he likes to get on with things. He jumped really well and travelled around nicely. We quickened down the hill, but he jumped the last two well and battled away.”

Keith Donoghue enjoyed a welcome change of luck (fifty 50 rides since his last success) when Philip Dempsey’s mare Missus Beeton survived a blunder two from home before seeing off Mi Lucky Cailin and Catchabird in the Coors Mares Handicap Hurdle.

But he was denied a double when his mount Born Braver failed by a neck to Lucky Lyreen after a tremendous tussle for the finale, the William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle, a gruelling run in the testing conditions.

Lucky Lyreen, a handicap chase debutant, is trained by Gordon Elliott and displayed commendable stamina and courage under Jack Kennedy.