Sunday, April 27, 2003
AD HOC CROWNS GREAT SEASON FOR IRISH-BREDS
An outstanding season for Irish-bred horses finished at Sandown yesterday afternoon with victory in the feature attheraces Gold Cup for Ad Hoc.
In total 23 of the 38 Grade 1 races in Britain and Ireland during the 2002/2003 season were won by Irish-bred horses and 138 (67%) of all the Pattern races went to Irish-breds.
There were many stars seen out the 2002/03 season led by Best Mate, who after winning the Grade 1 Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton, landed a second Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup in breathtaking fashion with the first seven home in chasing's Blue Riband all being Irish-bred.
Monty's Pass became the fourth Irish-bred winner of the Martell Cognac Grand National in the last five runnings and Irish-breds also landed the Scottish, Welsh and Irish equivalents, courtesy of Ryalux, Mini Sensation and Timbera.
Native Upmanship, followed up a good second place in the Queen Mother Champion Chase by gaining a brilliant repeat of last year's win in the Martell Melling Chase at Aintree while this year's two-mile championship provided a triumph for last season's Irish Independent Arkle Trophy winner Moscow Flyer, one of the most exciting horses on the scene at the moment.
As far as the next generation of potential top chasers is concerned, the likes of Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner One Knight, the Martell Mildmay Chase winner and second, Irish Hussar and It Takes Time, as well as dual Grade 2 scorer Keen Leader, are likely to keep the flag flying for Irish breeders. On the hunter chasing front, Kingscliff took the season's top prize, the Christie's Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.
There were many star performances over hurdles including from the Edward O'Grady-trained Sacundai in the Martell Cognac Aintree Hurdle while in the novice division, O'Grady saddled Back In Front to lead home a one-two-three for Irish breds in the Gerrard Wealth Management Supreme Novices' Hurdle, while Hardy Eustace from the Dessie Hughes stable also presided over a clean sweep in the Royal &SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.
Rhinestone Cowboy may have failed in his ambitious Smurfit Champion Hurdle bid, but he had already carved a reputation as an exceptionally talented novice prior to Cheltenham.
The Irish-bred Spectroscope won the JCB Triumph Hurdle and, even though Irish trainers failed to exercise their customary dominance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, the first four were bred in Ireland, with the Martin Pipe-trained winner Liberman maintaining the remarkable record that all 11 runnings of the Bumper have gone to Irish-breds.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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