A review of the rest of the action from the Easter Monday meeting at Fairyhouse.
Journey ends Mullins domination
The well-regarded Journey With Me (4/1) got back on track over the larger obstacles when running on strongly to end the Willie Mullins dominance of the McInerney Properties Fairyhouse Chase.
Easy Game had won the last three runnings of the Grade Two event and the Paul Townend-ridden Saint Sam slipped the field in the early stages attempting to extend the Closutton winning streak. Saint Sam was reeled in by the chasing pack with the conclusion of the race approaching and although Mullins’ Appreciate It briefly threatened to get involved, it was Henry de Bromhead’s eight-year-old who took charge in the closing stages to run out a nine-length victor.
“We would have always hoped he was (a Grade One horse). It’s nice to be back on track anyway, this is a great race to win on a brilliant day,” said De Bromhead. “There are a couple of options at Punchestown, but I haven’t really firmed up on anything. Today was the plan, see how we got on and move on from there.
“He can be a bit silly jumping but he’s getting there, that’s two good rounds of jumping now.”
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Cromwell eyes Punchestown with Bottler'secret
Bottler’secret graduated to Grade Two company in style with victory in the O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle.
The four-year-old was a dual winner on the Flat for Ciaran Murphy before changing hands and moving to Gavin Cromwell, for whom he made an impressive hurdles bow at Naas in February. Bottler’secret strolled to an 11-length success in a Grade Three contest on that occasion – a result which saw him sent off the 4/1 second-favourite for this two-mile event.
British raider Givemefive raced prominently but began to feel the pressure turning for home, with Bottler’secret travelling sweetly for Keith Donoghue having also been to the fore.
He was well in control jumping the penultimate flight and stretched clear after the last, coming home three and three-quarter lengths clear of market leader Miss Manzor.
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Cromwell said: “He’s a lovely straightforward horse. He races lazily which you’d love in a horse coming off the Flat. He jumped really well there today. The cheekpieces just helped him travel a little bit better. He was behind the bridle a lot the last day. He went to the line really well and hopefully there is more to come. I wouldn’t say he has to have it this soft, I’d say on the Flat is was important because he probably just lacked a gear.”
The Punchestown Festival later is now likely to be on the agenda.
Cromwell added: “Yeah, I’d say definitely. Sure why wouldn’t you at this stage. The timing is nice as well with the early Easter.”
Bottler’secret is in control at Fairyhouse
Mullins on target again with Implicit
Implicit (9/2) could head to the Punchestown Festival after a narrow victory in a dramatic Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle. Boher Road was clear in front coming to the third-last flight, but he ducked out at the obstacle, smashing through the wing and the inside rail. That left Implicit and Ossie’s Lodge to battle it out to the line, with the Paul Townend-ridden winner prevailing by just a nose.
David Casey, assistant to winning trainer Willie Mullins, said: “The pilot was very good again, as he usually is. It looked like they went very hard, Paul dropped her in got her relaxed and came with one run. Obviously he just got there and I thought it was a brilliant ride. I don’t know what way it would have gone if the horse didn’t run out, but she’s improving. I’d imagine she’ll go to Punchestown and you’ll probably see her through the summer as well, she should go on better ground.”
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Rest of the action
Whatcouldhavebeen (14/1) gave Boher Road’s trainer Jarlath Fahey some compensation as she proved too strong for her rivals in the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle. She finished second as a 66-1 shot in the Grade One Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at this fixture last year but had struggled to make her mark in six subsequent runs both over hurdles and on the Flat.
However, she roared back to form with a nine-and-a-half-length victory in the hands of Aidan Kelly.
Fahey said: “It’s great as we haven’t had a great run over the winter, a lot of our horses were under a cloud and just weren’t performing. We thought she worked nicely the other morning, herself and Boher Road together. He was giving us a nice run until he decided to exit! That gave us a little bit of confidence that she was back somewhere near her best again. She was second in a Grade One at this meeting last year. Since she got her summer break she hasn’t been firing and she’s just coming back to herself now. We’ll probably stick to handicap company for Punchestown. It’s great to get her back in front again and back running the way she can run.
“She is game and genuine and stayed at it well. It was a brilliant ride by Aidan, very similar to what he did in the Grade One last year. We didn’t have Ashroe Diamond catching us down the straight today.”
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