Grimes silenced the doubters with an emphatic victory in yesterday's Compaq Galway Plate and set up a tilt at racing history in today's big hurdle.
The first leg of what would be a unique double was achieved with all the elan that could be expected of a top-class racehorse with just 10.1 on his back.
Conor O'Dwyer had the JP McManus-owned horse in a prominent position throughout before unleashing Grimes down the hill. Quinze, who could also take his chance in today's big race, challenged over the two fences in the dip but had no answer to his lightly weighted rival up the final punishing climb.
It was a slap in the face to those who had dismissed Grimes as something of a "bridle horse" and doubted his ability to win a first ever steeplechase in one of the summer's most competitive races. Christy Roche couldn't disguise his satisfaction.
"I suppose I kept saying there was no danger to him but it is different when you've never won the race before," said the former champion jockey who has been planning for Galway since last Christmas.
"All credit must go to Frank Berry (McManus's racing manager) who said last Christmas that this was going to be the horse's race. When he said that, we all looked at him. It had never come into my head," said Roche. It's the double that is in Roche's and McManus's minds now.
"He's a horse that can do it. This is the first year he is really a mature horse and all things being equal the intention is to run," said Roche while McManus smiled: "That's Christy's decision but it has always been the plan. We will celebrate this first, though."
McManus had won the Plate with Shining Flame in 1978 but like Roche, this was also a first Plate win for O'Dwyer who reported: "It was a super performance. He jumped really well and when he picked up, the only worry was when he slightly collided with the rail." Quinze was a length and a half in arrears and trainer Pat Hughes didn't rule him out of his four-strong team for today.
The other 4 to 1 joint favourite Francis Bay crept ominously close coming down the hill but faded to fourth and it was left to last year's winner Dovaly to fill the placings having made much of the running.
Barney Curley saddled Kalingalinga to win the last in a canter. Backed down to 5 to 4, Jamie Spencer's mounttook it up in the straight and was being eased down well before the post. Asked if he had backed his horse, Curley replied: "I had peanuts on him."
One More Round saved the day for Dermot Weld when running out a winner from Uliana in the mile maiden but there had been some expensive failures earlier.
The heavily backed Murrayfield had a nightmare passage when only fifth to Rashay in the mile handicap and the odds-on Standing Applause had his saddle slip on the turn in for the amateur maiden.
Gemini Guest is unlikely to appear again today but he did the job for favourite backers in the mile and a half handicap.
