Thursday, April 30, 2009

ALL THE NEWS FROM DAY THREE OF THE PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL

"I just wondered if the step back to two miles might have been a bit sharp for him but he is a spectacular jumper and he jumped for fun from fence to fence," said Mullins. "I had thought after Fairyhouse that we should go up to three miles so we were taking a chance running over two. He keeps improving so anything is possible next season."

Reflecting on a remarkable season, he continued: "We haven’t expanded the stable in the past couple of year when we have had the opportunity and not built any new boxes. So we’ve just got a very good team together at home, I can leave them to get on with it when I go racing. We are also very attentive towards anything that looks like it might be getting a cough or cold."

Barker’s owner Eamon Duignan added: "It’s unbelievable. I’m thrilled. As I said when he won the Pierse Hurdle last January, I am very lucky to have a horse like this. We were hoping we would have a true run race, which we did, as he stays, has a bit of speed and jumps brilliantly. He’s actually better on good ground. He won the Pierse on heavy ground and again today, but he actually prefers good ground."

Forpadydeplasterer’s rider Barry Geraghty said: "He was never really going as well as he would normally. It was just that the ground was far too soft for him. He was lucky to get good ground at Cheltenham - that’s the only day he has got it and he won his big pot there.

"He was never really going today. He didn’t jump the first two well and then got jumping well down the back but it was all a bit of a struggle.

"I had a chance going to the second last but he just caught the top. My horse is a different horse on better ground."

Davy Russell steered the Robert Tyner-trained Square Sphere to victory in the Naas Court Hotel Handicap Hurdle.

Russell said: "She battled well and is such a tough, little mare. She only had 10st 10lb on her back, which is a light weight, and she is a winter mare who loves heavy ground. She took off after jumping the last and rallied all of the way to line. She only got on top in the last 50 yards and ground it out well."

There was no stopping Mullins in the concluding Orbis INH Flat race when Quel Esprit, ridden by his son Patrick, came home four lengths clear of stablemate Skorcher to record an 8/11 success and give the trainer his eighth success of the festival.

SO EASY FOR FIVEFORTHREE

The unstoppable combination of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh landed today’s feature Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle when Fiveforthree came home seven lengths clear of Pettifour.

The 5/4 favourite brought a sixth success in 18 races so far at the 2009 Punchestown Festival for the trainer and rider.

"The horse just did what I hoped he would today," said Mullins. "He has lots of gears, the trip was no problem and I look forward to sending him chasing next season. This was only his fifth run over hurdles and he still could be anything. I think he’ll go for the French Champion Hurdle in mid June before he has a break.

"This time last year I didn’t think he’d grow to be the size of horse he is and that growth spurt may have been a lot of the problem. He is bred to be a chaser but when I bought him I didn’t think he was going to be big enough to go over fences.

"I think he might have improved since he ran at Aintree. I said to Ruby to wait and wait with him today because I think he might have gone a bit too soon at Aintree. We just said that we would sit and wait - there was going to be plenty of pace - and he had enough gears when push came to shove. He loves that ground.

"The horses have just generally stayed so healthy all season and it’s very rare not to have had any sick horses."

GARDE PRODUCES FAMILIAR RESULT

Trainer Enda Bolger’s amazing run of success in the Avon Ri Corporate & Leisure Resort Cross Country Chase for the La Touche Cup came to an end 12 months ago but it was business as normal this year.

Bolger had won 10 successive runnings of the famous banks contest up to 2007 before losing out last year but he returned to winning ways when the 13/8 favourite Garde Champetre landed today’s race under Nina Carberry, beating 2007 Grand National winner Silver Birch.

"Every time you want to win this race but the monkey’s off my back now," said Bolger. "I thought about three out that we might be in trouble but his class came into play and Silver Birch has run a cracker.

"I knew the ground wouldn’t totally suit him and Nina said she probably got there a bit soon. He’s won here before but not a La Touche, that’s the one we were after."

Garde Champetre is owned by J P McManus, who was watching from his Martinstown home in Co Limerick as he recovers from prostrate cancer.

Bolger added: "This is a great lift for everyone, J P’s been my biggest supporter and I’m sure the party will be on at Martinstown tonight."

Carberry added: "The horse likes to fill his lungs, which he didn’t get a chance to do in the Grand National, but this course just suits him perfectly. He jumped the last few very well and finished well.

"We have a great partnership and I’m very grateful to J P and Enda for letting me ride him. Cheltenham is great but I wouldn’t swop this and hopefully it will make J P smile."

A vintage week for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh continued when they made it five wins apiece after Jessies Dream justified 2/1 favouritism in the opening AON Insurances Hurdle.

"He’s improving all the time and Ruby had him nicely settled," said Mullins. "They went a fast gallop which suited him and I’d imagine he’ll go novice chasing next season. But we’ll try and find another hurdle for him in the next month before putting him away."

Walsh added: "He's not the biggest horse in the world but they went a really good gallop. He's quite free and he settled well. I missed the last but he pulled out plenty so that I could last home to win well in the end. The ground is soft, the same as it was yesterday."

Blueberry Boy, who had not run since being pulled up in a point-to-point on November 29, came home four lengths clear of his rivals in the Irish Sun Handicap Chase to score for trainer Paul Stafford.

"The horse just wasn’t right last season and I don’t know why and we planned to go point-to-pointing with him but found he didn’t stay three miles," said Stafford, who recently moved into a new stable at Bellewstown. "We had no choice but to come here even though he seemed high in the weights. He came here fresh and does go well fresh but I’ve not thought about what we’ll do with him now.

"I was anxious about the ground but (jockey) Conor (Maxwell), who knows this horse of old, said he gave him a very good feel. We’ve only got about half a dozen in but the new yard has made a big difference, we have excellent facilities."

CROWD

Today’s attendance was 16,193, compared to 17,240 on the same day 12 months ago.

17 DECLARATIONS FOR THE stanjames.com 2000 GUINEAS - MEEHAN AND BURKE HAPPY

In total, 17 horses have been declared for the £426,000 Group One event including four trained in Ireland. Jointly heading the market at 7/2 with Stan James is Delegator, the impressive winner of the Group Three banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes at Newmarket on April 16.

Delgator’s trainer Brian Meehan revealed on his website www.brianmeehanmanton.com today that he is happy with the colt’s final preparation: " We are more than happy with the draw (15) he has been given. He has some fancied horses drawn around him and that was just what we were looking for.

"He went five furlongs (today) in what was an easy piece and he went every bit as well as we had hoped. Everything has gone according to plan so far and the horse must have a great chance."

Rip Van Winkle, winner of his first two starts last season before finishing seventh in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 18, is the other 7/2 joint-favourite with Stan James. His trainer, Aidan O’Brien, is seeking a sixth success in the 2000 Guineas following on from King Of Kings (1998), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002), Footstepsinthesand (2005), George Washington (2006) and Henrythenavigator (2008). The Galileo colt will be partnered by Ballydoyle’s number one jockey, Johnny Murtagh, who was aboard both Rock Of Gibraltar and Henrythenavigator.

O’Brien will also be represented by 9/2 chance Mastercraftsman, the mount of Pat Smullen and a dual Group One winner last season, while the two other Irish–trained contenders are Jim Bolger’s Gan Amhras and the John Oxx-trained Sea The Stars, a half-brother to Derby winner Galileo and last seen out when successful in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh in September.

Several horses will be making their seasonal debuts in The stanjames.com 2000 Guineas, including Evasive, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and successful in two of his three starts last season including the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. Stoute is also pursuing a sixth success in the 2000 Guineas after scoring with Shadeed (1985), Doyoun (1988), Entrepreneur (1997), King’s Best (2000) and Golan (2001).

Lord Shanakill and Finjaan finished second and third respectively in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes last season, when two noses separated the first three horses home.

Trained by Karl Burke, 20/1 chance Lord Shanakill was forced to miss his intended seasonal debut in the Group Three Greenham Stakes at Newbury due to a high temperature but his trainer Karl Burke is very happy with the colt’s condition ahead of Saturday’s Classic.

The Leyburn handler said today: “I am totally happy with his draw (10) - I would rather be there than either very wide or right down stuck on the fence. Middle to low was my preference so I am happy enough with 10.

“The horse looks tremendous. He had his last pipe-opener this morning and will have a light canter tomorrow morning and then travel down.

“I would have liked to have had a prep run but that wasn’t to be. I am very, very happy with him and the ground should be perfect for him - there will be no excuses on that score.

“I just hope they go a nice, even gallop and that we will get a good run.

“This will be my first Classic runner. It’s just great to have these horses around and whatever he does on Saturday I am sure he will be competing in all the good races throughout the year.”

Godolphin, successful with Mark Of Esteem (1996) and Island Sands (1999), is represented by Ashram, who finished a close sixth in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes having previously landed the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket on October 2.

Ouqba, trained by Barry Hills, was supplemented at a cost of £30,000 on Monday, having recorded an impressive success on his seasonal debut in the Listed European Free Handicap at Newmarket on April 15. Other horses to have run the trial races include the Roger Charlton-trained Cityscape, who finished the length runner-up in the Group Three Greenham Stakes at Newbury and Pure Poetry, from the Richard Hannon stable, who was third behind Delegator in the banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes having previously triumphed in the Listed Easter Stakes at Kempton.

Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam enjoyed a famous success in this contest with Rodrigo De Triano 17 years ago and is represented this year by Monitor Closely, who ran well when finishing a head runner-up on his first appearance of 2009 in the inaugural running of the 10-furlong £400000 Tattersalls Timeform 3-Y-O Trophy at Newmarket on April 15.

Henry Cecil trained back-to-back winners of this Classic with Bolkonski (1975) and Wollow (1976) and the master of Warren Place has one runner this year in On Our Way, successful over the course and distance in the Houghton Conditions Stakes in October.

Completing the field are Ocean’s Minstrel, winner of the Listed International Trial Stakes at Lingfield on April 4 and a first Classic runner for Newmarket trainer John Ryan, the George Margarson-trained Imperial Guest and Zafisio, who enjoyed the biggest success of his career in the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last season.

THE stanjames.com 2000 GUINEAS
Class 1, Group 1 Race, Total Prize fund £426,000. Newmarket, 3.10pm, Saturday, May 2, 2009, one mile. For three-year-olds only, entire colts and fillies. Entries closed March 3, entries released March 4 (88 Entries). First scratchings deadline noon, April 21 (29 remained). Five-day confirmation and £30,000 supplementary stage noon, April 27 (23 remained, 1 supplementary entry received, Ouqba). Final declaration stage 10.00am, April 30 (17 declarations). Weights: colts 9st, fillies 8st 11lb. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up and including the racing of Wednesday, April 29, 2009. May not include some overseas form.

Form Horse Owner Trainer/Jockey/Draw
1) 1(2)16- ASHRAM (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor/Frankie Dettori (2)
2) 212-2 CITYSCAPE Khalid Abdulla Roger Charlton/Steve Drowne (9)
3) 215-1 DELEGATOR Poilin Good Brian Meehan/Jamie Spencer (15)
4) (3)11- EVASIVE Cheveley Park Stud Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore (13)
5) 12103- FINJAAN Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning/Tadhg O’Shea (8)
6) 312- GAN AMHRAS (IRE) Jackie Bolger Jim Bolger IRE/Kevin Manning (14)
7) 514031-0 IMPERIAL GUEST John Guest George Margarson/John Egan (3)
8) 323512- LORD SHANAKILL (USA) Mark Gittins Karl Burke/Jim Crowley (10)
9) 11114- MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE/ Pat Smullen (12)
10) 361-2 MONITOR CLOSELY (IRE) Lawrie Inman Peter Chapple-Hyam/Alan Munro (11)
11) 5(4)5(1)-(1) OCEAN'S MINSTREL Ocean Trailers Ltd John Ryan/Jerry O’Dwyer (6)
12) 31231-4 ON OUR WAY J R May Henry Cecil/Tom Queally (4)
13) 3210410-1 OUQBA Hamdan Al Maktoum Barry Hills/Richard Hills (17)
14) 01010-(1)3 PURE POETRY (IRE) Mrs J Wood Richard Hannon/Richard Hughes (16)
15) 110- RIP VAN WINKLE (IRE) Sue Magnier Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE/Johnny Murtagh (5)
16) 411- SEA THE STARS (IRE) Christopher Tsui John Oxx IRE/Michael Kinane (1)
17) 311415- ZAFISIO (IRE) H Downs & D Looney Roger Curtis/Darryll Holland (7)

17 declarations
4 Irish-trained

Latest Stan James prices:
Delegator 7/2, Rip Van Winkle 7/2, Mastercraftsman 9/2, Evasive 9/1, Sea The Stars 10/1, Cityscape 14/1, Gan Amhras 14/1, Finjaan 16/1, Lord Shanakill 20/1, Ouqba 20/1, Ashram 25/1, On Our Way 33/1, Monitor Closely 40/1, Zafisio 66/1, Pure Poetry 66/1, Imperial Guest 66/1, Ocean's Minstrel 200/1

Each-Way: 1/4 1,2,3, Non Runner No Bet (Guaranteed Odds)

GOING STILL GOOD TO FIRM AT NEWMARKET - WATERING TO TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO

Michael Prosser, Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing at Newmarket Racecourses, said today: “It has been another dry day and we remain good to firm with a current GoingStick reading of 9.1.

“In order to maintain the status quo, the track will be watered tomorrow (Friday) with a view to providing decent fast ground for the opening day of The stanjames.com Guineas Festival on Saturday.

“According to forecasts, it is likely that we will be dry on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with sunny spells and temperatures of around 17 to 18 degrees Celsius.”

For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink Archive

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