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| Hidden Cyclone and Andrew McNamara on their way to victory at Leopardstown image: independent.ie |
Tuesday
Afterwards delighted winning trainer Colm Murphy said,” It was always going to develop into a bit of a sprint from the second last and luckily enough he met the last two spot on. I’m delighted with the manner that he did it in even at this stage of his career. He still has enough pace and he seems to have plenty of his old sparkle.”
Bi Zeb will probably follow the same route to Cheltenham as last season in his attempt to wrestle back his crown from Sizing Europe and despite his age he appears to be right back to his best. “I would imagine he would go for the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown and we’ll see how we go from there. He deserves another crack at the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He looks better this season. His coat is better and he seems a better horse,” added Murphy.
But the thoughts of everyone at Leopardstown, including the winning connections, were with Golden Silver and Paul Townend who had a horrific fall at the fifth. Sadly Golden Silver, the former winner of this race, lost his life and Townend was stood down for the rest of the day.
Cash and Go caused an upset when winning the other Grade One on the card, the Future Champions Novice Hurdle. Cash and Go had too much speed for Sous les Cieux, who looks to be more of a stayer, and galloped past him on the run to the last flight. However he had to work hard to repel the late challenge of the Paul Carberry ridden Dylan Ross, who had been held up in rear but flew home.
Winning trainer Edward O’Grady had been quietly confident beforehand and is looking to Cheltenham with Cash and Go. “That wasn't a big surprise to us, we were very hopeful coming here today and the race worked out a little bit like we hoped. We'll have one run in between now and Cheltenham where I'd be leaning towards the Supreme Novice with him."
The day ended with a glimmer of hope for Mullins as Ballycasey took the bumper in the hands of his son Patrick but the trainer’s thoughts were on the sad loss of Golden Silver. Paying tribute he said, “He will be sorely missed in our yard because he was one of our great servants. He was a character too and all the girls in our place loved him and anyone could ride him. He was very classy, as all those big-race victories showed."
Wednesday
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| Synchronised and AP McCoy image:static.guim.co.uk |
Sychronized, in the colours of JP McManus and ridden by AP McCoy sprung a surprise victory in the Grade One Lexus Chase, the highlight of day three at Leopardstown. The stage was set for a showdown between two of Ireland’s leading Gold Cup hopes, Rubi Light and Quito de la Roque, but the 2010 Welsh National winner, who ran here instead of attempting a repeat in that race, hadn’t read the script and he ran out a very convincing eight lengths winner from Rubi Light who got the better of the battle with Quito de la Roque
Synchronized may have dented the ambitions of Ireland’s Gold Cup hopes but his own ambitions have been raised and that race is now on the horizon.“He’ll get an entry in the Gold Cup. We’ll leave it to Jonjo and we’ll wait and see. He had a hard enough race there and more than likely will go straight to Cheltenham. He’ll also get an entry in the English Grand National.”
Willie Mullins had a treble to lift a little of the gloom from Tuesday. Make Your Mark looked to be a horse of enormous potential when winning a bumper at Punchestown in November and he confirmed that impression with a facile victory on his hurdling debut here. With a superb jump at the second last he took several lengths out of the field and cruised to victory.
The trainer was impressed with Make Your Mark and his performance has pushed him up in Mullins’s estimation. “Davy (Russell) was very pleased with him. I told him not to worry if there was no pace as could make his own way home. He’ll go the novice hurdle route. We were afraid earlier in the season that he would be too keen but he does seem to settle in his races. He’ll move up the pecking order after that. He doesn’t do anything flashy at home but when you ask him a question he answers it. I thought he might be more of a stayer but he shows more class than I thought.”
Quiscover Fontaine, who brought up a quick fire double for AP McCoy and JP Mc Manus, in the Star Best for Racing Coverage hurdle, and The Bosses Cousin in the bumper were his other two winners.
Thursday
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| Star Neuville and Brian Hayes image: irishracing.com |
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon had a day to remember at Leopardstown as he enjoyed two visits to the winners’ enclosure and appears to have two exciting prospects on his hands.
Hidden Cyclone was a top class novice hurdler last season and he looks to have translated that ability to fences. He was an impressive winner of the Ballymaloe Country Relish Beginners’ Chase in the hands of Andrew McNamara. He sat in second place throughout and put in a good round of jumping and when McNamara sent him on going to the second last he responded well. He appeared to idle in front after the last but when Hold the Pin came to him, Hidden Cyclone powered away again to record an easy two length victory on his chasing debut.
His trainer was happy and relieved afterwards but both Hanlon and McNamara feel Hidden Cyclone will need to improve if he is to go to Cheltenham. Hanlon admitted “He wasn’t 100% and will improve a good bit from this. His jumping was good but Andrew said it would have to improve to move up to graded class. He idled halfway up the straight and met the last wrong. There’s a winners of one at Fairyhouse at the end of January and he’ll go there.Hidden Cyclone was given a quote of 12/1 for the RSA Chase at Cheltenham but no decision has been made about his participation yet. “We haven’t made our minds up about Cheltenham. That was a fair race and he did it well but he’ll have to improve to be a Cheltenham horse. You’re always a bit afraid first time over fences. Cheltenham is a long way away and we’ll talk to the owners but he'll have three or four races this season.”
Star Neuville is turning into a Leopardstown Christmas specialist for Hanlon. He won a bumper here last year and was an all the way victor for Brian Hayes in the Ryans Event Cleaners Maiden Hurdle. The trainer was full of praise for his jockey after the race saying, “He’s the best seven pound claimer in the country! I have to give him full praise. Brian gave him a savage ride because other jockeys might have come off at two or three of those hurdles. We said to go on and make it as we knew nothing else would.”
Star Neuville might be Cheltenham bound. “We will try and find a winners of one for him in three weeks and he might be a Cheltenham horse. He’s much better going left handed.”
The horse had a very hard time of it in the Champion Bumper at the festival last year and that showed on his reappearance at Naas in November. “We were lucky to get him back. He had a hard race at Cheltenham and he flipped in his first race back. Sometimes they don’t come back from that so we were very lucky.”
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| Unaccompanied jumps the last at Leopardstown image:thejournal.ie |
Unaccompanied turned Thursday into Ladies’ Day as the high class filly beat the boys to win the day’s feature event, the Grade One Istabraq Festival Hurdle. Her victory has pushed her right into the Champion Hurdle picture and that race could be on the four year old’s agenda.
Winning trainer Dermot Weld was thrilled with the filly’s performance. “She was fabulous and I’m delighted with her. She is a very good race mare for a four year old. That was a lovely performance from her and a brilliant ride from Paul.”
Weld was concerned that Unaccompanied’s inexperience would tell against her rivals but his fears proved to be unfounded as she took the step up in class in her stride. “I was just concerned that we were throwing her in the deep end, especially taking on Thousand Stars who is a high class solid horse.”
Unaccompanied is also high class on the flat and beat subsequent Breeder’s Cup winner St. Nicholas Abbey in a listed race at the Curragh in April. The Moyglare Stud owned filly enjoys jumping, according to her trainer, but will continued to mix top level flat and hurdles races. “She jumped super and has learned to jump well. She really enjoys her jumping and loves to jump and she answered the call today.”
Unaccompanied will continue her love affair with the winter game back at Leopardstown for the Irish Champion Hurdle at the end of this month and the logical step after that is the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham where she will bid to beat the boys again.
*This article first appeared in The Nationalist on 3 January 2012
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