RACING FAIRYHOUSE REPORTANYONE WHO doubted Irish racing has a couple of new cult heroes only had to witness the reception given to Flemenstar and his colourful 77-year-old trainer Peter Casey after yesterday's Powers Gold Cup triumph.
A swaggering 11-length success in the Grade One feature triggered rapturous scenes in the winner’s enclosure with Casey clearly relishing the attention.
The veteran Co Dublin trainer shows no sign of tiring of the spotlight he has enjoyed since an exuberantly colourful interview after Flemenstar won January’s Arkle at Leopardstown.
“Isn’t it unreal for a little f***er like me to have a horse like that?” Casey asked the assembled media throng, and a large crowd who have clearly warmed to the trainer and his once-in-a-lifetime horse that looks to be the real-deal. “I can’t believe the support for this horse. We’ve even had people writing to us from England, looking for his shoes.”
No amount of sentiment though provoked a wholesale cutting of Flemenstar’s odds for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup to a general 10/1. Fears of good ground yesterday proved well off the mark as the 11/10 favourite joined Rathlin at the third last and then bounded clear.
“He’s entered for Punchestown in case something happened here but I’d say that’s it for the season. He’s off on his summer holidays,” said Casey. “Ground makes no difference to him and he’s getting better all the time. He’ll be going to Cheltenham even if have to carry him there!”
Andrew Lynch might be a less flamboyant character but is a proven Grade One jockey and he said: “Flemenstar’s a proper horse. He took off when I asked him.” If the expected 10mm of overnight rain misses Fairyhouse ahead of today’s Irish National, the course authorities intend to water the track this morning.
However it was the good ground conditions that proved key to Jenari scoring a Grade Two success in the Coolmore Sires novice hurdle. “He has been crying out for two and a half miles and this ground,” said trainer Jessica Harrington who will stick to the formula at Punchestown later in the month when in Grade One company.
Tony McCoy was on board and he also scored for owner JP McManus on the favourite Simon Gray in the opening maiden hurdle. However his mount hurt a tendon in winning. “He has done it before but he looks worth giving another year off to,” said trainer Dessie Hughes. “It’s just lucky he didn’t do it last week.”
Also on the double was jockey Andrew McNamara who won the Beginners chase on the 16/1 shot Heavenly Brook and guided Shadow Eile to a neck defeat of Burn And Turn in the Grade Two mares hurdle.
“She’s not the easiest to train but we were confident today and the ground helped,” the latter’s trainer Dot Love said.
Yesterday’s crowd of 7,682 was slightly down on the corresponding 2011 figure for Easter Sunday. “We’re hoping for a crowd of 15,000 for the national – but the weather will be a big factor in that,” said the Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe.
