KNOWING when their horses are spot on for their races is an integral part of a trainers job and Christy Roche's instinct about Grimes proved right at Punchestown yesterday when the four year old carried J P McManus' colours to an eye catching victory in the Murphys Champion Hurdle.
Better known as a rider he may be but the former champion jockey's first season with a licence has shown bow a lifetime's experience with horses has turned Roche into a notably shrewd and effective operator.
"Today was the first day we've really had him right," the diminutive Roche said in the winners enclosure afterwards. Grimes' earlier form entitled him to the 5 to 1 quote bookmakers initially chalked next to his name but armed with Roche's confidence, it's 1 to 5 that a good portion of the cash that forced those bookies to slash their price to 5 to 2 originated in McManus' pocket.
It was a sign of the confidence in the English trained favourite Quakers Field that his price never wavered in the face of the assault but as Afarka and Hard News set off as if all the hounds of hell were on their heels, favourite backers couldn't have been happy.
"He was never going and was beaten at the second hurdle," Tony McCoy reported of Quakers Field who eventually finished fifth in contrast Conor O'Dwyer was always travelling ominously easily on Grimes, named after the 1973 Limerick All Ireland hurling winning captain Eamonn Grimes, and when he kicked the gelding into overdrive past Snow Falcon before the last, the race was over.
"J P had been wondering if some of ours were sick as they had run poorly but I just told him if this fellow is beaten, then they're sick." Roche grinned before betraying his Flat race roots. "This was his Derby but in the future if there's any good stake I'm sure J P will be after it."
The English team may have missed out on the first prize in that race but the visitors brought their score for the Festival to a record five when Paddy's Return turned the favourite Escaitefigue over in the IAWS Centenary Stayers Hurdle.
Both the winner and Theatreworld were well backed to do that but when Norman Williamson turned the taps on in the straight Paddy's Return had the race under wraps. Along with Escartefigue, Paddy's Return received a less than judicious ride in the Cheltenham's Stayers Hurdle but his Wexford born trainer Ferdie Murphy preferred not to dwell on what might have been there.
"Norman gave him a great ride here but I've no bone to pick with Richard Hughes although I think he went a bit soon at Cheltenham," said Murphy, saddling his second Punchestown winner. Owned by Galway born but now Cricklewood based publican Paddy O'Donnell, Paddy's Return will be now be aimed at the £120,000 French Champion Hurdle at Auteil, with a prep run in the Prix Barka beforehand.
"He ran up to his best," said Fscartefigue's rider Richard Dunwoody while Charlie Swan said: "Theatreworld didn't stay and was feeling his wind."
Risk Of Thunder can look forward to a foreign jaunt of his own after carrying movie legend Sean Connery's colours to a third win in the La Touche and a sixth win in total over the Punchestown banks. Strangled female cries of disappointment could be heard when Connery didn't turn up at the track to lead in his winner but Enda Bolger's mount cushioned the blow by making the four mile, 33 obstacle marathon look ridiculously easy to win at 4 to 9.
"This horse should be taken places as he has so much talent," Bolger said and the first port of call could be the Czech Republic in mid October. The four mile, two furlong Velka Pardubicka, which includes the awesome Taxis fence, is a huge challenge but should Risk Of Thunder travel, his athleticism will make him a formidable challenger.
The flamboyantly jumping grey Jeffell is no arthritic back number himself and overcame doubts about the ground to beat the fast finishing Celibate in the Tripleprint Novice. At a couple of fences Jeffell's eagerness to get into the air caused sharp intakes of breath but he never really looked likely to be dislodged from the lead.
Christy Roche, J P McManus and Conor O'Dwyer experienced the opposite side of racing's fortunes, however, when their favourite for the Dunne Insurance Handicap Hurdle Rawy broke a leg jumping the second last flight and was put down. Woods and Moore, however, continued their excellent festival as Major Jamie comfortably beat Three Scholars.
