HRI Fact Book 2006 - Horse Racing Ireland

FEBRUARY
06
At Punchestown, jockey
Roger Loughran enjoyed a
memorable success on Dessie
Hughes’ Central House in the Tied
Cottage Steeplechase (Grade 2)
having mistaken the winning line
on the same horse at Leopardstown
in late December. The rider received
a Cheltenham-style reception in
the winner’s enclosure after his
mount made much of the running to
defeat Jim and Accordion Etoile. On
the same card, the Charles Byrnestrained
Mounthenry got the better
of a protracted struggle with Iktitaf
in the Byrne Group plc Novice Hurdle
(Grade 2) but it emerged later that
week that Iktitaf had picked up an
injury which would keep him out
of the Cheltenham Festival. The
Carberry family recorded a notable
victory when Kings Glen took the
Grand National Trial in the hands of
Philip and later on the card, Philip
Rothwell’s Native Jack belied his
age as the twelve year old proved
a decisive winner of the P.P. Hogan
Memorial Chase over the special
cross country course.
At Naas in mid-February, Public
Reaction landed the Opera Hat
Novice Chase at Naas
after putting in a
fine round of jumping and Noel
Meade’s Leading Run maintained
his unbeaten record with another
success in the bumper. The Hennessy
Cognac Gold Cup was the big race
on a glittering card at Leopardstown
the following day and for the second
time, Michael Hourigan’s Beef
Or Salmon landed this €180,000
contest. The course specialist proved
much too strong for his main rival,
Hedgehunter, and retained his
position at the head of the betting
market for the Cheltenham Gold
Cup with an eighth Grade One
success. Noel Meade’s Mr Nosie kept
his unbeaten record intact with a
hard fought success over outsider
Royaldou in the Deloitte Novice
Hurdle earlier on the card and jockey
Paul Carberry was narrowly deprived
of a Grade One hat-trick as Father
Matt was defeated by Arthur Moore’s
16/1 chance, The Railway Man, in
the Dr. P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase.
On an excellent pre-Cheltenham
card, Willie Mullins’ Mister Hight
enhanced his Festival prospects
with an authoritative success in the
Cashmans 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and
both Studmaster and Gazza’s Girl
were on the mark for the back-toform
Jessica Harrington stable.
Further evidence that the Harrington
stable were back to full health was
confirmed when Macs Joy proved a
comfortable winner of the Red Mills
Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park six days
later. Barry Geraghty’s mount had
little difficulty in justifying odds
of 2/5 but runner up, Asian Maze,
also emerged with plenty of credit
on her first outing of the season.
At Navan the following day, Mick
Halford’s Golden Cross gave three
time Champion Flat Jockey, Johnny
Murtagh, a notable success in the
McCabe Builders Ltd Boyne Hurdle
while Mansony was an impressive
winner of the Flyingbolt Novice
Chase for Arthur Moore and Michael
Hourigan’s Church Island got back to
winning ways in the Ten Up Novice
Chase under Andrew J. McNamara.
At Fairyhouse in late February,
Michael O’Brien’s Forget The Past
warmed up for a possible tilt at the
Cheltenham Gold Cup with a fluent
victory in the Bobbyjo Chase (Grade
2) under Barry Geraghty. On the same
card, First Row proved much too
strong for the favourite, Bobs Pride,
in the Winning Fair 4-Y-O Juvenile
Hurdle and trainer Dessie Hughes
was quick to nominate the Triumph
Hurdle as his next port of call. The
Newlands Chase was the big one at
Naas twenty four hours later and
while Martin Brassil’s Nickname ran
a solid race, he was thwarted by Noel
Meade’s Sir Oj who defeated him by
a length and a half. Elsewhere on the
card, Tom Taaffe’s Merdeka proved
a good winner of the Johnstown
Novice Hurdle but his trainer
quickly dispelled any notions
of going to Cheltenham
by announcing that
his charge would be
put away for the
season with a
view to going
over fences
later in the
year.
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