Zanoosh zooms in to complete Fairyhouse five-timer for Murphy
CHASING THE SUN: Zanoosh and Brian Hayes win for owners Winning Ways Reunion Syndicate and trainer Colm Murphy. Pic: Healy Racing
Patience was rewarded at Fairyhouse on Sunday as Zanoosh ran out an impressive winner of the Grade One Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle to complete a fantastic five-timer for Wexford trainer Colm Murphy and Cork jockey Brian Hayes.
While many of her rivals were at Cheltenham contesting the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Zanoosh was at Limerick where she got the better of How’s Hannah in a Grade Three contest.
That booked her ticket for this assignment and the 9-2 shot travelled smoothly throughout in the hands of Hayes to get the better of Place De La Nation by a length and three-quarters.
“It's awesome,” Hayes said of his first Grade One success. “When we started down in Cork and finished a moderate seventh in a maiden hurdle, I didn't think we'd be winning a Grade One. But Colm, whatever he's done since, he's turned her into this.
But, asked if he agreed with the call to swerve a trip to the Cotswolds, Hayes admitted: “I'm like everyone, I think Cheltenham is the bees knees. I was mad to go there but not going there was the winning of the race today.” That was a view shared by the winning trainer.
He said: “Everyone always wants to have a winner at Cheltenham and when you have something good enough to go, it’s hard not to go but probably the right thing for her was not to go.”
Murphy is no stranger to big-race success, having trained superstars like Brave Inca, Feathard Lady, and Big Zeb but his last Grade One winner was over 14 years ago, a timeframe that included a near three-year spell away from the training ranks.
“It’s these days that you come back for,” he said. “It’s just about trying to find horses good enough for these days, that’s the biggest problem. If we’re fortunate enough to get a nice one, we can do a fair job with them.”
Paying tribute to his star mare, Murphy added: “In fairness she’s answered every question we’ve asked her this year. You’re never confident coming to a Grade One but we were probably never happier with her coming here. Whether she was good enough or not was the next question.
“We still don’t know how good she is. She has a lot of ones after her name and she’s similar in that way to the others [Murphy’s previous Grade One winners he has trained].
“She’s done nothing but improve and this year she’s been a revelation. It’s fantastic for everyone at home.” The WillowWarm Gold Cup, the other Grade One on the card, produced a fairytale finish as Fleur In The Park gave Tipperary trainer Andy Slattery and jockey Cian Quirke their first top-level success.
Rounding the home turn, all eight runners were still in contention, but the drama was only beginning.
Pure Steel crashed out three fences from home before Predators Gold fell at the second last, a mishap that led to Western Fold unseating Danny Gilligan.
Jacob’s Ladder led at the last but Fleur In The Park was now in full cry and the 22-1 shot stayed on strongly to cross the line two and three-quarter lengths in front of Kappa Jy Pyke.
“It’s great. This is my biggest day by a mile,” Slattery said. “I had a Group 2 winner on the Flat [Creggs Pipes in the 2017 Lanwades Stud Stakes]. We’ve got a Grade One over jumps now and we’ll try to get a Group 1 on the Flat!”
He added: “We knew coming today that we had him as good as we could get him and I told the owners he won’t be out of the three. These moments don’t come too often and we’ll go to Punchestown now for the three-mile-one [Grade One novice chase].”
Explaining his training philosophy, Slattery said: “I like to keep things level. You lose more in this game so I try to keep it on the one level, losing and winning, if I can. But we’ll have to enjoy this.” Away from the Grade One action, He’s On Fire showed real star quality when running away with the Grade Two Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle.
The 3-1 favourite hit the front two out in the hands of Paul Townend and showing a brilliant turn of foot from there to pull 12 lengths clear of Generous Risk.
“It was very impressive. He’s shown us at home that he was half-decent,” Willie Mullins said.
“He looks like a real chaser in the making, he has size and scope. I thought he jumped well enough, but the way he opened up from the second-last was ‘wow’, it was something else. He was well named, I think.”
Gordon Elliott landed the Donohue Marquees Novice Hurdle, the other Grade Two, courtesy of 13-2 shot Koktail Brut, his cause helped by the final flight fall of Blake.
“He’s a good horse, he was giving a penalty away there,” Elliott said of the winner. “It was nip and tuck down to the last and Noel Meade’s horse fell. Jack [Kennedy] thought he had the beating of him and I thought it was a good performance.”
Blake’s exit was a déjà vu moment for Donagh Meyler as the jockey had already tumbled at the last when in contention to win the Cawley Furniture Novice Handicap Hurdle on Royal Soldier, leaving the way clear for 33-1 outsider Katie Daniels to score for Kerry trainer Cian Collins and jockey Ben Harvey.
But Meyler, who had begun an eventful afternoon by riding the Noel Meade-trained Colcannon to victory in the Ryan's Cleaning Maiden Hurdle in the opening race, showed his resilience in the BoyleSports Novice Handicap Chase, partnering the Eddie Cawley-trained Come Walk With Me to victory at odds of 9-2.
The finale, the Race Displays Joseph O'Reilly Hunters Chase, was won by 16-1 shot Five Star Getaway.
