HRI Fact Book 2008 - Horse Racing Ireland

MARCH 2008
success when the Tom Taaffe-trained
Finger Onthe Pulse landed the Jewson
Novice Handicap Chase, while trainer
Willie Mullins saddled his sixth Weatherbys
Festival Champion Bumper winner in the
shape of Cousin Vinny, with this victory
giving the trainer particular satisfaction as
the five-year-old was partnered by his son,
Patrick. The day was dominated by the
brilliant performance of the Paul Nichollstrained
five-year-old Master Minded, who
ran out the immensely impressive winner
of the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother
Champion Chase under Ruby Walsh,
while the Howard Johnson-trained Inglis
Drever became the fi rst horse in history
to win a third Ladbrokes World Hurdle as
he powered up the Cheltenham hill under
Irishman Denis O’Regan.
The first big Flat race of the
season was, as always,
the Ladbrokes.com Irish
Lincolnshire and it saw the
Charlie Swan-trained Crooked
Throw emerge on top under Billy Lee,
gaining compensation for his secondplace
finish in the corresponding race the
previous season.
Back over jumps, the Cheltenham Festival
in mid-March produced no fewer than
seven Irish-trained winners over the fourday
feast of top-class racing. The Eddie
Harty-trained Captain Cee Bee provided
the Irish challengers with a perfect start
when taking the opening Anglo Irish Bank
Supreme Novice Hurdle, while Garde
Champetre gave Enda Bolger and Nina
Carberry another winner in the BGC Cross
Country Steeplechase. The Smurfit Kappa
Champion Hurdle was something of a
BACK OVER JUMPS, THE
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL IN
MID-MARCH PRODUCED
NO FEWER THAN SEVEN
IRISH-TRAINED WINNERS
OVER THE FOUR-DAY FEAST
OF TOP-CLASS RACING
disappointment for the Irish as the fourthplaced
finish of Sublimity was the best that
could be mustered after the hot favourite
Sizing Europe injured himself after the
second last flight.
There was a major shock in store on the
second day of the Festival, as the meeting
was cancelled due to high winds which
made the course unsafe for the thousands
of potential racegoers. This resulted
in a marathon 10-race programme on
Thursday, while Friday’s card stretched
to nine races. There was further Irish
On the concluding day, Irish-trained horses
dominated the fi nish of the Ballymore
Properties Novice Hurdle, with the Willie
Mullins-trained Fiveforthree just beating
three fellow compatriots in a tight fi nish.
There was further cause for celebration
when Tiger Cry credited trainer Arthur
Moore with a seventh Cheltenham Festival
win by landing the Johnny Henderson
Grand Annual Chase, before Tom Hogan’s
Silver Jaro pulled off a 50/1 shock when
winning the concluding Vincent O’Brien
County Hurdle.
Less than two weeks after the conclusion
of the Cheltenham Festival, the four-day
Fairyhouse Easter Festival got under way
and the €250,000 Powers Whiskey Irish
Grand National on Easter Monday went
the way of 33/1 outsider, Hear The Echo,
trained by Mouse Morris and ridden by
Paddy Flood. Having won the race on
Billycan in 1977, Morris thus became one
of a select band of people to have landed
Ireland’s most prestigious handicap chase
both as a jockey and as a trainer. The
day was also memorable for jockey Conor
O’Dwyer as he brought his distinguished
riding career to a close after partnering the
Davy Fitzgerald-trained Mister Top Notch
to a comfortable success in the two mile
conditions Betchronicle on course hurdle.
08 FACTBOOK 2008