My Immortal lands surprise Grand National Trial win at Punchestown
My Immortal and Finny Maguire won the 1xbet.ie Grand National Trial Handicap Steeplechase (Listed) for Barry Rory and Jack Connell. Pic: Healy Racing Photo
My Immortal, in the familiar colours of owner-trainer Barry Connell, proved a shock winner of the €100,000 1xbet.ie Grand National Trial in Punchestown.
Ridden by amateur Finny Maguire (received a two-day whip ban), the 40/1 raced prominently, mastered bottom-weight May Call You Back after the second last fence and stayed on dourly to beat Uncle Pat by five lengths, with Built By Barrymore third and top-weight Prends Garde A Toi fourth.
“We just couldn’t get him right last year and all he needed was that soft to heavy ground,” said Connell, “We ran three, including this fellow, at Galway in October and they all came home jarred. And, in Leopardstown, the last day, the ground was too quick and he didn’t let himself down.
“But he’s been working well and we were expecting a big run today – all he needed was the ground.
"Races like the Midlands National in Uttoxeter or the Leinster National (Naas) could be on his agenda. And he could be a Welsh National horse next season.
“Finny gave him an unbelievable ride. He’s an important member of our team. He got him into a great rhythm and knocked some tune out of him.”
Barry Connell completed a double when Ksar Fatal, winner of a bumper for Willie Mullins and of the track since the Punchestown festival, made a successful stable and hurdling debut in the EVAD Technology Group Maiden Hurdle, overcoming market rival Dani Donadoni by more than two lengths before surviving a Stewards Enquiry.
“He won well for a horse having his first run over hurdles and after nine months off,” said Connell of Tim O’Driscoll’s gelding, “He’s an exciting horse, a real chasing type. He’ll have two more runs before he goes chasing next season – he’ll go for the Grade in Fairyhouse in seven weeks and then come back here for the Grade 1 two and a half mile novice at the festival.”
Winning rider Sean Flanagan received a two-day ban for careless riding following the incident on the run-in, which sparked the enquiry.
Runner-up in last year’s Cheltenham Bumper, Heads Up made amends for his recent blip in Cheltenham when making all under Danny Mullins to land the listed Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle for John McConnell.
The six-year-old rallied when pressed by odds-on favourite Lazara De Star (whose rider Jack Kennedy received a two-day whip ban) on the run-in to score by three-quarters of a length.
McConnell explained, “Everything went wrong the last day (in Cheltenham). The delay didn’t help but he behaved badly, like a wild animal, and, in the circumstances, did well to last as long as he did.”
“It’s just great to get him back. Danny gave him a lovely ride, without giving him a hard race. And there’s no doubt the hood helped him.” “All the options are open – he’s in the ‘Supreme’ and Turners at Cheltenham. And there’s Aintree, Fairyhouse and here.” Emmet Mullins admitted having “plenty of options” for Paul Byrne’s Soldier In Milan (Donagh Meyler) following his bold front-running performance to foil fellow 13/8 joint-favourite Kiss Will by a length and a half in the 1xbet.ie Beginners Chase.
“He’s still a bit green and babyish, but that was a nice performance,” he added, “He’s a big brute and doesn’t have much racing under his belt. But this is his game – three miles, soft ground and fences.” “He’s in the ‘Brown Advisory’ and the two novice handicaps at Cheltenham, so we have some decisions to make.”
A course and distance winner in December, Pure Steel bounced back from a lack-lustre effort last time (made a costly mistake three out) to take the Concept Colours Noel Byrne Memorial Rated Novice Chase for Jimmy Mangan, J P McManus and Mark Walsh.
Sent off 5/6 favourite, the Yeats gelding beat Break My Soul by 12 lengths, prompting Mangan to comment: “He’s a nice horse. He jumps well and, with a bit of luck, should win a lot of races.
“Mark wasn’t hard on him after the mistake the last day and he’s back on track after this. He still had to go and do it. I don’t know where he’ll go, but he could go to Fairyhouse for the ‘WillowWarm’ (Grade 1) and then come back here for the festival.”
And, described by his trainer Gordon Elliott as “a big baby, a next year horse", the Gigginstown-owned Soul Asylum (Harry Swan) made all to beat Begorra Man and disappointing odds-on favourite Heldam in the bumper.
Elliott suggested the Walk In The Park gelding, second in, his only point-to-point (for Colin Bowe), in Dromahane, might head for a winners’ bumper at Fairyhouse over Easter.
