Colm Murphy pleased with Fairyhouse success
THE FAIRYHOUSE Grand National Festival concluded on Easter Monday as is traditional, and Killenagh trainer Colm Murphy continued to forge his place back in the big time, following his Cheltenham win with Impervious, with another by Macs Charm (7/1) in the €25,000 handicap chase.
t was not a perfect jumping round but Brian Hayes, the regular pilot for Murphy, stayed cool and picked it up after the last and asserted by two and a quarter lengths in the last one hundred yards to see off Sir Bob.
Murphy was happy after. “I’m delighted with that. It was a big ask for his first run in a handicap. It’s a pity he wasn’t in the race before it (the National) but he didn’t actually qualify for it as he hadn’t three runs at the time.
“He’s very ground dependent and he’s been fortunate this year to get soft ground at this time of the year. We’ll keep him in for Punchestown and see what the weather does.”
This was compensation for Hayes who looked to have the previous Irish National in the bag on Gevrey (28/1), a spare ride for Gordon Elliott, but he was collared close to home by Paul Townend on I Am Maximus for Willie Mullins, another ‘miracle ride’ by the champion on a horse that looked more likely to be pulled up for a long way.
Jamie Codd made it two for Wexford when he won a strong looking concluding bumper on Firefox (1/1) for Elliott, a length ahead of big rival, Patrick Mullins, on Ile Atlantique (2/1). This was his 21st winner from just 75 rides.
Down in Cork, Barry O’Neill won a 14-runner Hunter Chase on Jim Dreaper’s Lar’s Lass (13/2) by a comfortable four and a half lengths.
It was a quiet week for the jumpers with Gowran being rained off on Wednesday, and a Wexford blank at Ballinrobe on Friday.
At Tramore on Sunday, Seamus Neville’s hardy Brideswell Lad (8/1) recorded his third win from 20 outings under a welter 11st 12lbs burden in a handicap chase, getting home by three lengths under J.J. Slevin, with Seán O’Keeffe third on Sunnyvilla (10/1) for Donie Hassett.
It is a case of counting down now to the season-ending Punchestown Festival from Tuesday, April 25, to Saturday, April 29, and it will present a feast of top-class racing.
The big flat meeting of the week was at the Curragh on Sunday with two Grade 3 races. The €55,000 Alleged Stakes over ten furlongs went to Wayne Lordan on Aidan’s strong-finishing Point Lonsdale (6/4f), overhauling son Joseph’s Visualisation (9/4).
Surprisingly, Aidan did not contest the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes, but Joseph kept it in the family with outsider Goldana (17/2), ridden by Donegal’s rising star Dylan Browne McMonagle, one and three-quarter lengths clear of Paddy Twomey’s favourite, Mea Domina (2/1).
Jim Bolger’s Golden Spangle (50/1) outran his odds to finish third of 23 under Liam McAteer in the concluding six-furlong apprentice handicap, pipped by a head for second. Winner was Midnight Fire (8/1) for Eddie and Patrick Harty.
The all-weather meeting at Dundalk on Tuesday was graced by Ryan Moore and he had a maidens treble for Aidan O’Brien, including fillies’ maidens, with Brighter (13/8) edging out Pat Twomey’s Vanity Pays (11/8f) by a head and Red Riding Hood (2/7f) getting home by nearly a length despite veering all over the track in the final furlong. Broadhurst (11/8f) won the seven-furlong colts’ maiden by six lengths.
At Dundalk on Friday the pair had to be content with two seconds, Emperor of Rome (4/11) in a blanket finish, and Unless (4/5f) well beaten by Quar Shamar (16/1) for Shane Foley and Jessica Harrington.
