HRI Fact Book 2006 - Horse Racing Ireland

APRIL
06
For the fifth time in eight years,
the Aintree Grand National
was won by an Irish trained
horse as the Martin Brassil trained
Numbersixvalverde strode to an
impressive success in the hands of
Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden. Winner of
the Irish equivalent twelve months
later, Numbersixvalverde proved six
lengths too good for the 2005 winner,
Hedgehunter, with Clan Royal just
preventing a clean sweep for the Irish
as he edged Nil Desperandum out
of third place. On another great day
for Irish trained horses, Asian Maze
gained handsome compensation for
her early fall in the Champion Hurdle
the previous month with a convincing
victory over fellow compatriots Hardy
Eustace and Sky’s The Limit in the
Aintree Hurdle under Ruby Walsh.
On the previous afternoon, there
was another Irish 1-2-3 in the John
Smith’s Melling Chase as Hi Cloy
defeated Fota Island and Mariah
Rollins and later on the card, Eric
McNamara’s Strangely Brown took
the Sportsmans Handicap Hurdle.
At Leopardstown the following week,
the 1000 Guineas Trial was won
by Aidan O’Brien’s Kamarinskaya
while Mick Channon’s Yasoodd took
the 2000 Guineas Trial in a driving
finish from Heliostatic and Rekaab.
Twenty four hours later, the Irish
Grand National three day meeting
at Fairyhouse got underway and
Eamon Sheehy’s Justified, forced to
miss the Cheltenham Festival the
previous month, received a brilliant
front running ride from Tony McCoy
to defeat the well backed favourite, In
Compliance, despite jumping markedly
left throughout. The €250,000 Powers
Whiskey Irish Grand National on Easter
Monday provided trainer Pat Hughes
with a second victory in the race as
20/1 shot, Point Barrow, the mount of
Philip Carberry, defeated Oulart in the
three mile, five furlong stamina test
exactly twenty years after Insure had
triumphed for the stable. Favourite
Dun Doire was chasing a sixth victory
in a row but Mick Fitzgerald’s mount
could never get involved and had to
settle for seventh place.
Tuesday’s Mennolly Homes Handicap
Hurdle of €130,000 provided a real
shock result as 33/1 chance, Wishwillow
Lord, made virtually all the running and
held off a succession of challengers
in the straight to score for promising
claimer, Nicky O’Shea. Trained by
Leonard Whitmore, the winner paid
over 95/1 on the Tote and was the main
reason that there was only one winning
Jackpot Pool investor who scooped over
€18,000 in the process.
On the flat at Leopardstown the
following Sunday, Kevin Prendergast’s
Mustameet won the first of five races
in 2006 with a half a length success
in the Heritage Stakes over a mile.
On the same card, Jim Bolger scored
a notable double with Rhythm’n
Roots battling on strongly to take
the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax
Stakes while earlier his newcomer,
Finsceal Beo, looked a useful sort in
winning the two year old maiden.
All roads led to Punchestown two
days later and with predominantly
fine sunny weather for racegoers to
enjoy, the 2006 Meeting proved to
be an unqualified success with over
85,000 in attendance. While trainer
Willie Mullins endured a frustrating
Cheltenham, his string came back to
form with a vengeance at the County
Kildare track and a first day treble
set the tone for a big week for the
stable as they eventually clocked up
six winners. Missed That and David
Casey took the Ellier Developments
Novice Chase before 20/1 chance,
Joueur D’Estruval, provided the yard
with a 1-2 in the Evening Herald
Handicap Hurdle while Glencove
Marina looked a very useful sort
in capturing the Goffs Landrover
Bumper under Katie Walsh. John
Joseph Murphy’s Newmill proved
his Queen Mother Champion Chase
victory at Cheltenham the previous
month was no fluke as he routed
the opposition in the Kerrygold
Champion Chase and earlier Noel
Meade’s Iktitaf made up for the fact
that he had to miss the Cheltenham
Festival with a thoroughly convincing
display in the VC Bet Champion
Novice Hurdle under Ruby Walsh.
Gold Cup winner, War Of Attrition,
was the star of the show on the
second day as he waltzed to victory in
the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup.
Despite having to cut out his own
running, he proved a comfortable
winner over Beef Or Salmon in this
€240,000 feature event of the week.
There was a tremendously exciting
finish to the Paddy Power Champion
Bumper with Cheltenham winner,
Hairy Molly, narrowly failing to
follow up as he found Noel Meade’s
Leading Run just too good under
Nina Carberry. On the third day, the
Willie Mullins stable led a determined
assault on the tote.ie Champion 4-Y-
O Hurdle with three representatives
in the eight runner field and his
Quatre Heures (9/2) emerged best
under Mick Fitzgerald. A last fence
mistake by Justified proved costly in
the Swordlestown Cup as he went
down by two and a half lengths to
Accordion Etoile, and Asian Maze
proved a comfortable odds-on winner
of the Whitewater Champion Stayers
Hurdle over three miles.
Having tasted defeat on numerous
occasions against Brave Inca over
the previous few months, Jessica
Harrington’s Macs Joy finally got his
revenge on Colm Murphy’s Champion
Hurdle winner in the ACCBank
Champion Hurdle on the concluding
afternoon. Barry Geraghty’s mount
was a decisive four length winner
from the 4/5 favourite and appeared
to relish the quick ground on offer.
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