Rubi Lights up Gowran*

Rubi Light image:stanjames.com

A VICIOUS hailstorm and an unexpected flurry of snow lashed the bumper crowd at Gowran Park on Saturday but by the end of the evening the sun was shining once again and they headed home happy after Rubi Light and Zaidpour showcased their class and Cheltenham credentials in the day’s feature events.

Rubi Light was a shock winner of the Grade 2 Red Mills chase at this meeting last year but his subsequent performances have shown that success was no fluke. He was a close third in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival after his Gowran victory and followed that up with a win at the highest level in Punchestown’s John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Everything Rubi Light had achieved in the intervening 12 months meant he was sent off the red-hot favourite to record back to back victories in the two and a half mile event. He was sent to the front from flag fall by jockey Andrew Lynch and he never saw another horse for the rest of the race. His rivals could offer no challenge to him and the only threat to victory was a mistake at the second last when he slipped through the top. That was only a minor scare as he ran out an easy 16 length winner from Chicago Grey. A return trip to Prestbury Park is next up for Robbie Hennessy’s gelding after his facile victory in this year’s renewal.

Afterwards trainer Robbie Hennessy was delighted with Rubi Light’s performance. “Andrew said he was a long time in front and it was just like a school for him. He just popped round and was very good. He would probably be even better with a bit of company early on. Andrew was impressed with him and I was too.”

Robbie and his father Bill saw their colours carried to victory in Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle by Sublimity and have high hopes that Rubi Light will bring them back into the winners’ enclosure in just over three weeks, as long as it rains. He is now 5/1 with Boylesports to do just that.

“He’ll be bang there if he gets a bit of soft ground. Andrew said when he got off him last year that he wouldn’t want the ground any quicker. By the Friday the ground would have been too fast for him so we’ll be praying for a bit of rain.”

image: thescore.ie

Andrew Lynch was completing a quickfire double, having steered Harpsy Chord to victory in the opening beginners’ chase for trainer Jim Dreaper in the colours of Sizing Europe’s owners Alan and Ann Potts.

Zaidpour was an equally impressive winner of the day’s other Grade 2 race, the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. Willie Mullins’ charge had been hyped as a novice last season but disappointed a little in a couple of Grade Ones.

However this season has seen him live up to that early promise and before Saturday’s race had run up a hat trick of wins this season, including beating Voler La Vedette over three miles at Gowran last time out.

Rich Ricci’s pale pink and green silks are now a familiar sight in Irish winners’ enclosures after big races and the drop back to two miles was no hindrance to Zaidpour carrying them to success here.

Zaidpour clears the last image: healy racing

Paul Townend was content to settle Zaidpour in behind the leaders in the early stages of the race as Gimli’s Rock took them along. He moved alongside the leaders on the run to four out and was travelling smoothly as he took the lead on the run to the second last flight. Townend never moved a muscle and Zaidpour never came out of a canter as his rivals struggled in behind and the pair coasted home by six and a half lengths.

Mullins was happy with his performance. “That was straight forward enough and he jumped well and showed lots of speed. He did it well and if I could find another nice race like that I would.”

Willie Mullins didn’t say where Zaidpour is headed next but he holds entries in both the Champion and World Hurdles.

Ballynacree had the race course buzzing with excitement after his sensational debut in the two mile maiden hurdle. The race was delayed slightly as first hail and then snow fell on the course but it was worth waiting for. Christy Roche’s charge was the least fancied of three JP McManus owned runners, sent off at 40/1.

Ballynacree swoops on the outside image: healy racing

As the field turned for home there were plenty of horses in with chances and Ballynacree was behind them. Even jumping the last he had a couple of lengths to find on the leaders. He quickened up in style for Jody McGarvey after that and flew up the run-in, six lengths clear of Enchanted Forest.

Afterwards, Frank Berry, racing manager to JP McManus, was quietly impressed with the horse. “He did it well and quickened up well when the penny dropped. He’s a nice horse with a bit of size about him.”

* This article first appeared in The Nationalist on 21 February 2010