Reductions ON thousands of CD's, DVD’s, Games & Computer Equipment and Software + FANTASTIC PRICE REDUCTIONs on clothing and books, Plus FREE Delivery:
Determined Esprit takes Hennessy glory.
Supported into 5-4 race favourite at the off, Quel Esprit went on this afternoon to provide Willie Mullins with his eighth training success in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Sent into the lead early on by Ruby Walsh, the grey then made virtually all the running, and while seasonal debutant China Rock looked a danger for a long way, the latter, having his first run since pulling up with an injury in last March’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, ran out of puff between the last two fences, and it was left to Roberta Goldback to mount any kind of challenge, but Quel Esprit was equal to the task, and with Walsh keeping his mount up to his work, Quel Esprit came home 2 lengths in front of Roberta Goldback, with outsider Treacle staying on to snatch third spot off Follow The Plan.
In his post race interview, winning trainer Willie Mullins said:
“He had a wind operation during the summer, and that seems to have made the difference. When he was coming under pressure in big races last year, it could be his wind was catching him out, but he galloped all the way to the line today.
“We’ve been aiming him at the Cheltenham Gold Cup all year, and while he’s around a 25-1 shot, seldom in your life do you have a horse good enough to compete in that race, and when you get one, you take your chance, and the Gold Cup has thrown up surprises over the years.
“I hope I can improve him between now and then, but either way, we’ll give it a go.”
Last Instalment maintains his unbeaten record.
Scoring an all-the-way victory in this afternoon’s Grade One Dr P J Moriarty Novices Chase at Leopardstown, the highly regarded Last Instalment also maintained his unbeaten record over fences.
Jumping quickly and cleanly, and showing plenty of stamina, Philip Fenton’s seven-year-old kept pulling out extra for partner Davy Russell, and he eventually ran out a comprehensive winner over his three race rivals.
A fine jump at the last secured victory, with Last Instalment running on smartly on the flat to defeat the Willie Mullins-trained Call The Police by a length and a half, with Mullins’ other runner Lambro back in third, and Shot From The Hip completing in fourth place.
Philip Fenton said after the race:
“He’ll now have an easy time of it for 9 or 10 days, and then we’ll get him back cantoring. He doesn’t take a lot to get him fresh, and Cheltenham will be the next objective, and we’ll get to see how good he is when he goes there.
”I would think the RSA chase is the right race for him.”
Benefficient pulls off huge surprise in Deloitte Hurdle.
Benefficient, the 50-1 complete outsider of the seven runner field, took a surprise victory in today’s Grade One Deloitte Novices Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Given an enterprising ride by Brian Cooper, who secured his first Grade One success as a result of his efforts, Tony Martin’s charge led from start to finish, and while 2-1 race favourite Sous les Cieux made late progress from the back of the field, the market leader was unable to land a telling blow, with Benefficient staying on for a length and a quarter victory.
Following his young hurdler’s success, Tony Martin revealed:
“We’ve always thought a lot of him since the day we got him, and he’s proved it today.
“He’s in everything at Cheltenham, and I hope we haven’t left his best run behind today, but I’d have to say, I think he’s a genuine Spring horse.”
Hisaabaat gets his head in front.
A runner up on his first three outings for Dermot Weld, Hisaabaat reacted well to first time head gear to secure victory in today’s Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Brought with his challenge between the last two flights, Hisaabaat was quicker than leader Shadow Catcher at the last, and the 13-2 shot then picked up smartly on the flat, with Andrew Lynch then pushing his charge out for a comfortable length and a half success over Shadow Catcher, with John Quinn’s raider Countrywide Flame taking third spot.
Weld said after the race:
“We won this last year with Unaccompanied, so the logical thing would be for Hisaabaat to now go down the same route, and head to Cheltenham for the Triumph Hurdle.
“He’s taken a little time to get his act together, but he schooled well the other morning, and while he had to win today to be considered for Cheltenham, he’s done it well.
“If things go right for him, he’s very good. He’s getting the hang of things, and the vizor helped him to concentrate today.
“He could possibly have won the Grade Three at Punchestown but for a mistake at the last, and he seems to be genuinely getting the hang of it now, and at least he’ll go to Cheltenham on the back of a Grade One win.”
===========================================================================
News Archives
2012:
2011:
2010:
2009:
2008:
News Stories prior to July 2008
