Leopardstown Report: Future totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hope In Compliance highlighted a fruitful afternoon for Barry Geraghty and Michael O'Brien at Leopardstown.
The jockey and trainer were both in treble form, with 4-6 favourite In Compliance firing O’Brien’s Festival dream after a convincing success in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Novice Chase.
The six-year-old put in an immaculate display to beat Kerryhead Windfarm by 20 lengths but O’Brien will resist the temptation of heading for next week’s Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy.
"He won’t be going to Cheltenham this year," said O’Brien "He’s a horse that has lots of speed and he was much more settled today than he was last week. He will probably go to Fairyhouse next for the Powers Gold Cup (April 18th).
"I think he’s a really good horse - a horse for the future and hopefully he’ll go on to better things. "I’m going to treat him as a Gold Cup horse for next year."
O’Brien and Geraghty also teamed up to take the Gardiner & Theobald Hurdle with Parliament Square. The 11-8 favourite was always in the front rank and although Creme D’Arblay threw down a late challenge, Geraghty conjured a little extra from his mount to prevail by two lengths.
O’Brien said: "He’s not entered at Cheltenham but he’s in at Thurles on Thursday and we might run if the ground is right - he wouldn’t want it heavy. We could just keep him for Fairyhouse and Punchestown though. He would appreciate good ground and possibly a step up in trip."
O’Brien completed his near 13-1 treble when De Valira made a successful racecourse bow in the Cill Dara Security (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race. A half-brother to the ill-fated Valiramix, De Valira (5-2) ran out a hugely impressive five-length winner for Robbie Dunne.
"He has a wonderful pedigree," said O’Brien. "He really could be anything, he’s only ever worked over a mile before. He has a good turn of foot and is a real hurdler for the future.
"He could either go to Limerick for a valuable bumper there or we might wait for the Punchestown Festival."
Geraghty had initiated his near 6-1 hat-trick when steering Mister Top Notch to a five-length victory in the opening Coyle Hamilton Willis European Breeding Fund Maiden Hurdle.
Tony McCoy produced a fantastic ride to take the feature race of the day, the Mick Holly Memorial Handicap Chase, aboard the JP McManus-owned New Field.
Settled towards the back of the pack, McCoy had to survive a couple of hairy jumps before coming through to challenge turning into the straight. Another chancy leap at the last handed the initiative to Star Clipper but McCoy coaxed an extra effort from the 5-2 favourite to just prevail by a head.
"The better ground helped a lot and he prefers to go left-handed," said winning trainer Thomas Mullins. "He’s been showing a bit of speed at home so I told Tony to ride him for speed today but he didn’t help him out much with his jumping. He might not go to Cheltenham - it will depend on the owner but I feel his jumping is not really good enough at the moment." "
He jumped average to say the least," McCoy told At The Races. "But at least he has put a couple of wins together now and is starting to realise some of his potential."
Schindlers Hunt returned to form for trainer Dessie Hughes and jockey Roger Loughran in the Mongey Communications European Breeding Fund Maiden Hurdle.
The six-year-old was a distant third in a Grade One event last time but the 9-10 favourite kept on well to notch an all-the-way win over Kalderon. Hughes said: "He wasn’t right the last day and that was more like his true form. I think he will probably go to Fairyhouse next."
Noel Meade produced a notable training performance as Khetaam returned from 849 days off the track to take the Madigans Intervarsity Handicap Hurdle.
Stable jockey Paul Carberry chose to ride Masrahi so it was Alan Crowe who steered the 20-1 winner to an easy success over Feel Good Factor and Fools Rush In. "He’s had all manner of problems," Meade said.
"He’s been fired and then when we got him back in, he was lame for about two months and we couldn’t pinpoint the problem. He worked with Masrahi the other day and tired very badly so that was why Paul rode him but he dropped away very tamely.
"This fellow is a lovely horse and he is in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham and he could take his chance."