COULDNT BE BETTER, was the reaction of owner-breeder Dick Whittle after his well-named 10-year-old chaser had defied top weight in the hands of Graham Bradley to win the Burger King Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park yesterday.
While all credit has to go to the winner, those who backed New Co down to 7 to 4 favouritism had every reason for thinking that they were unlucky not to draw. New Co was cantering when he made a very bad blunder seven fences from home and it was a fine piece of horsemanship on the part of Conor O'Dwyer to keep the partnership intact.
He was getting back into the race proper when he jumped the fourth last fence very slowly, losing more ground. Despite these errors he still loomed up to challenge the long-time leader, Corymandel, and Couldnt Be Better between the last two fences. However, a final kick wasn't there and he could only plug on to finish third, although the total margin of defeat was barely three lengths.
Surprise of the race was Corymandel who went off at 40 to 1 and not only finished second but was never out of the first two. Of the more fancied horses Idiot Venture was a faller. Back Bar, bidding for an Arthur Moore Thyestes hat-trick, was beaten well before the straight but the novice Dun Belle, tackling her first handicap, jumped safely throughout and ran on to finish a commendable fourth.
Aidan O'Brien, who competed a 298 to 1 four-timer with the first three winners, involved crediting jockey Charlie Swan with a 125 to 1 treble.
The Fergie Sutherland-trained
Tempo, a runaway course bumper winner last May, was all the rage starting odds-on favourite in the Cork Maiden Hurdle but the favourite ran much too freely and was worn down in the straight by the well nursed ex-English What's The Verdict who went away to win by seven lengths.
Having shown ability to handle fast ground on the flat, this could be a nice hurdler for the summer campaign while O'Brien has high hopes that his second winner Kilcoo Boy will make a good chaser next season.
Winner number three for the O'Brien-Swan team was Royal Rosie who had the Grafton Street Handicap Chase in safekeeping from two fences out. Angela Crowley took over in the bumper on the stable's Rainbow Victor, but this is a race that those present will argue the toss about for quite some time.
Supporters of the winner will claim that, but for changing about in the straight, the winner would have scored much more sizeably while those who backed the runner-up will argue that the mare had taken the measure of Rainbow Victor when she broke down near the finish.
The Mullins family also have a fine record here on Thyestes Day and Willie's Toureen Gale, without her tongue being tied down, finally came good in the Waterford Handicap Hurdle.
