2008 IRISH NATIONAL HUNT FESTIVAL - FIFTH & FINAL DAY
RACENEWS RACECOURSE SERVICE
PUNCHESTOWN, SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2008
CROWD UP
Today’s attendance at the new fifth day of the Punchestown Festival was 19,512 and the total crowd for the five-day meeting was 105,669, up 14,800 on 2007.
The outgoing Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was at Punchestown to present the championship prizes for the 2007/2008 season and he paid tribute to the success of the Festival.
“It’s been a fantastic Festival week and to get over 19,500 people today is great,” said Ahern.
“It’s been an enormous crowd over the five days especially at the beginning of what is a difficult time. There has been a lot of investment here, building up and marketing the course and people have voted with their feet. All the work and effort over the last 10 years has really paid off.”
Ahern was given a special presentation for his contribution to horse racing by Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, and Dick O’Sullivan, general manager of Punchestown Racecourse.
WIN FOR THE HOME TEAM
After four days in which British raiders have dominated the feature events, the final Grade One at the 2008 Punchestown Festival, brought a local success for trainer Sabrina Harty when Won In The Dark romped to a 10-length success in the Eventus Marquees Champion 4YO Hurdle.
“He’s a little demon and cost only 1,800 euros - he was some bargain,” said Harty, who trains just 12 horses. “We thought he was that fresh at home but didn’t want to say as much beforehand. He got nice ground today, I was annoyed when it came up soft for him at Cheltenham.
“I always thought that it’s very hard travelling juveniles when you have to race against the English horses and he didn’t drink up when we took him to Cheltenham in November. But he deserves a crack at the big races next season.
“He’s hardy and loves racing and it’s great for his owner Gerard Crehan, whose a local man.”
Won In The Dark received quotes of 20/1 (Sean Graham), 25/1 (Boylesports) and 33/1 (William Hill and Cashmans) for next season’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
WHITMORE WINS
Another smaller stable captured Europe’s most valuable handicap hurdle, the new 220,000 euros Ballymore 25th Anniversary Hurdle when Brave Right scored for Co Wexford-based Leonard Whitmore at 16/1.
“He battled well at the end - one was coming at him but he held on,” said Whitmore. “I’d have about 10 horses, including point-to-pointers, so it’s good to see a small can collect.
“We made plenty of use of him and he stayed and he’ll go back chasing now , he won a point-to-point over three miles.”
EMMA JANE CONTINUES GREAT WEEK FOR MULLINS
Newly-crowned champion trainer Willie Mullins continued a sensational week at Punchestown when Emma Jane took the Whitewater Centre Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase under Davy Condon.
“I was very impressed with Davy’s ride,” said Mullins. “It was an extremely mature ride, he kept her out of trouble, got her settled and jumping then came with one well-timed long run to win it.
“I ran her in a handicap hurdle on her first start for me because I didn’t know what she was like and we could look at the Kerry National with her now. We’ll have to see what (handicapper) Noel O’Brien does.”
Enda Bolger had a belated first success of the 2008 Punchestown Festival when his new cross-country star Garde Champetre took the Ellen Construction Chase over the banks course under Nina Carberry.
The winner, who scored by four and a half lengths, missed the Avon Ri Corporate & Leisure Resort Chase for the La Touche Cup on Thursday and appreciated today’s underfoot conditions.
“It was a wee bit too fast for him in the La Touche but there was a bit more of an ease in the ground today after the rain overnight,” said Bolger. “And carrying top weight of 12st 7lb didn’t affect him as much as I thought it might.”
Oscar Rebel maintained her unbeaten record over hurdles when winning the 100,000 euros Grade Three Bewleys Hotels Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Mares Hurdle by four lengths from Serpentaria.
“She’s very honest but surprised me again - I thought she wanted it softer, she was having to give weight and I wasn’t sure about the distance,” said winning trainer Liam Burke.
GREEN LIGHT AND NO STAMINA FEARS FOR NATAGORA
*DASCOMBE BULLISH ABOUT MAX ONE TWO THREE
Patrick Barbe, racing manager to Natagora’s owner Stefan Friborg, revealed today that the flying grey filly has come out of her prep race in fine form and it is now all systems go for the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday, May 4.
Pascal Bary’s charge is aiming to become the first French-trained winner of the 1000 Guineas since Hatoof in 1992.
Last season’s Group One Cheveley Park Stakes heroine scored a pleasing heavy ground victory in the seven-furlong Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte on April 14, and is a 9/2 chance with sponsor Stan James.
Barbe reported: “Everything is under control following her reappearance and she went quietly on the grass again on Wednesday. It was just an easy canter and she is happy - eating well and training well. All the lights are green and we hope for the best.
“She won very easily in the Prix Imprudence, especially as the ground was against her. On the other hand, the heavy going probably made it more of a stamina test. In that testing ground, the distance, while not quite equivalent to a mile at Newmarket, was close to it.”
Natagora showed fantastic speed as a two-year-old, winning a Maisons-Laffitte Group Three at five furlongs as well as the Cheveley Park Stakes at six furlongs, but Barbe has no concerns about her seeing out the trip on the NatWest Rowley Mile.
He continued: “I don’t think we have any doubts about her getting the mile at Newmarket. The dam is by Linamix and the second dam is by Margouillat, so she has a lot of stamina in the pedigree.”
Tom Dascombe is yet to have a runner in a Group race, let a lone a Classic, but the Lambourn trainer has no qualms about breaking that particular duck in a Classic and is confident that his smart filly Max One Two Three (40/1), owned by Betfair’s Andrew Black, will be no back number in the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas.
Dascombe revealed today: “Max One Two Three is very well at present and we’re hoping to win. We have never had a runner in a Group race before.
“Initially, the plan was to go straight to the Guineas but then she was really coming to herself, so I thought we might take in a trial.
“We decided against that as she was then a little bit backward in her coat, so we thought we’d stick to the original plan and go directly to Newmarket.
“I think she wants good ground. A little bit of cut wouldn’t bother her, neither would a little bit of fast - she just wouldn’t want really fast or heavy going.”
Dascombe has no concerns about Max One Two Three seeing out the mile at Newmarket, despite both of her successes last season coming at six furlongs.
After scoring on her debut at Salisbury in August, the Princely Heir filly was third to subsequent Group Two seriousquitters.co.uk Rockfel Stakes fourth Rosa Grace in a seven-furlong Newbury conditions race, with Dream Day second. Max One Two Three capped a fine season when defeating Chesham Stakes winner Maze in the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York in October.
Dascombe continued: “I have no worries about her getting a mile. Her dam and sire won over the trip and she should have won over seven last year at Newbury but I gave Richard Kingscote the wrong instructions. If she had won that day, then we wouldn’t be talking about any stamina doubts.
“The form of the Newbury race has worked out nicely, with Rosa Grace running well behind Kitty Matcham at Newmarket and the second, Dream Day, finishing runner-up in the Fred Darling last Saturday. I think Max One Two Three should have won that race but she didn’t and she went on and won the Listed race at York so she proved it there.”
Infallible is currently the 7/2 favourite with Stan James for the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas following her impressive victory in the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on April 16.
The John Gosden-trained filly will bid to make it three wins from as many career starts and, along with the James Fanshawe-trained Spacious who carries the same colours, will attempt to give her owner, Cheveley Park Stud, a second success in the mile Classic following Russian Rhythm in 2003.
Muthabara is bidding to give Arundel trainer John Dunlop his fourth stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas triumph following on from Quick As Lightning (1980), Salsabil (1990) and Shadayid (1991).
The 4/1 second favourite with Stan James scored a decisive win at Newbury in the Group Three Fred Darling Stakes on April 19, holding the Richard Hannon-trained Dream Day (50/1) by a length and a quarter.
Aidan O’Brien looks set to give Group Two seriousquitters.co.uk Rockfel Stakes heroine Kitty Matcham her seasonal debut in the Classic. The filly is by 2002 2000 Guineas winner Rock Of Gibraltar, out of Irish 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks winner Imagine, and is a 16/1 shot with Stan James.
The Ballydoyle contingent could also be represented by fellow 16/1 chance Savethisdanceforme, runner-up to Marjalina in the Group Three Park Express Stakes on her latest start at the Curragh in March, while Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial runner-up Halfway To Heaven (33/1) and Psalm (16/1) are the other two O’Brien-trained possibles.
A total of 28 fillies are still engaged in the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas following the latest forfeit stage, including the current Juddmonte Oaks market leader Cape Amber, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam.
Latest betting with Stan James for the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas
7/2 Infallible, 4/1 Muthabara, 9/2 Natagora, 11/2 Spacious, 14/1 Kitty Matcham, Savethisdanceforme, 16/1 Laureldean Gale, Psalm, 20/1 Visit, Nahoodh 25/1 bar, each-way one quarter 1, 2, 3 - non-runner no bet.
The stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas on Saturday, May 3, promises to be a fantastic renewal with the leading two-year-old colts from 2007 coming together for a titanic clash of the Classic generation.
The Jim Bolger-trained New Approach, the unbeaten Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes winner and last season’s imperious champion juvenile, is bidding to maintain his superiority over top-class rivals such as Raven’s Pass, Fast Company, McCartney and fellow Group One winner Rio De La Plata.
Ibn Khaldun stormed to an impressive triumph in the Group One Racing Post Trophy in October and could be New Approach’s biggest threat.
Aidan O’Brien has the unbeaten Jupiter Pluvius engaged alongside Group Two Coventry Stakes winner Henrythenavigator, One Great Cat and Plan.
Latest betting with Stan James for the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas
2/1 New Approach, 4/1 Raven’s Pass, 6/1 Ibn Khaldun, 8/1 Jupiter Pluvius, 14/1 Fast Company, 16/1 Henrythenavigator, 20/1 Perfect Stride, Rio De La Plata, 25/1 bar, each-way one quarter 1, 2, 3 - non-runner no bet.
GOING
Michael Prosser, Newmarket’s Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing, today reported the going to be Good to Firm.
He commented: “The weather is beautiful today, breezy and sunny, but the forecast is unsettled. There is currently rain forecast every day from tomorrow through to Friday.”
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