Leopardstown's mini-Champion Hurdle was indeed all about a claiming jockey, just not the one predicted.
As the favourite, Rhinestone Cowboy and his 19-year-old amateur rider, JP Magnier, struggled home sixth in yesterday's Bewley's Festival Hurdle, it was 22-year-old Adrian Lane who stepped in to spring a 66 to 1 shocker on Golden Cross.
Since racing's pattern system was introduced in the 1970s there has never been a longer-priced Graded race winner in Ireland. In fact only the long-forgotten Miss Therese can claim superiority to Golden Cross with a Blandford Stakes win on the flat. But in terms of quality even she might have to give best to Golden Cross's achievement yesterday.
Lined up were two of the first three in the Champion Hurdle betting and any number of others who looked to hold more note-worthy claims than the Michael Halford-trained runner.
Yet despite starting the complete outsider, the horse who started favourite for last season's Triumph Hurdle, powered through to beat Spirit Leader and Flame Creek.
The absence of Solerina (4th), Back In Front (5th) and Rhinestone Cowboy from the front line had many dismissing the race as an aberration but Lane, who was unable to use his 3lb claim, didn't look particularly bothered.
The rider from Athenry, Co Galway, had ridden just eight other winners this season, but once Flame Creek started to weaken after the last, he produced Golden Cross with clinical timing. "Adrian is a chap with a great future," said Halford but Lane was happy to pass the credit on to his mount.
"He was winging the hurdles the whole way and when he got a bit of daylight he flew," he said. "I do all the schooling on him and ride him out a bit at home but that's the first time I've ridden him on the track."
Halford ran Golden Cross to find out exactly where he stood and found himself having to completely adjust his footing in regards to the Champion Hurdle itself. Cashmans slapped a 25 to 1 quote on to the horse and Halford said: "I wanted to see what we had and this is a pleasant surprise. I thought he might be a Stayers' Hurdle horse but the fast pace and the cheek pieces certainly helped."
Magnier appeared to do nothing wrong on Rhinestone Cowboy, keeping him off the fast pace set by Solerina. However, the former Champion Hurdle favourite was beaten after the second last. "He just didn't feel the same horse today from a long way out," said the rider. Ladbrokes pushed Rhinestone Cowboy out to 10 to 1 for Cheltenham as a result.
Flame Creek's rider Seamus Durack admitted to the stewards that he had mistaken the 50-metre pole for the winning post and briefly stopped riding. However, the stewards agreed that he wouldn't have beaten Spirit Leader for second anyway.
The latter's run was enough to see her Triumph Hurdle odds cut to 12 to 1 but Back In Front's price remains pretty much unchanged with jockey Barry Geraghty reporting: "The track was tight and he was on his head for most of the way."
Direct Bearing's winning chase debut earned the Dermot Weld-trained horse a 16 to 1 quote from Ladbrokes for the SunAlliance at Cheltenham. Paul Carberry's mount jumped to the right down the back but had more than enough in hand to hold Munster.
"He can only improve on that because I haven't had time to do much schooling with him. He will come on leaps and bounds and he's entitled to be entered at Cheltenham," said Weld.
"That's our 101st winner of the year but I'm afraid that's the end of the rainbow. We'll start all over again on Monday!" he added.
