Barry Geraghty’s Irish Grand National ambitions ended with Another Hero’s 11th fence fall but the jockey who lives just a couple of miles from the track confirmed his mastery of Fairyhouse with a Grade 2 Easter Monday double.
If Slowmotion was anything but in landing the REA Grimes Juvenile Hurdle in smooth style, Geraghty managed to pull the fat out of the fire for favourite backers on board Sutton Place in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle.
The 13-8 favourite looked in trouble well before the straight when the pace quickened but Geraghty’s perseverance paid off as Sutton Place overcame inexperience, and a final flight mistake, to ultimately rally past Royal Caviar.
“He did everything to get beat, and was very green at that faster gallop, but did well at the end. I’d imagine he’ll be chaser next year after a summer’s grass,” said Gordon Elliott afterwards.
The Gold Cup winning trainer came within a whisker of landing the National with Bless The Wings but had taken out the big-race topweight Cause Of Causes due to the change in going, which resulted in Geraghty switching to Another Hero.
Slowmotion was another winner for Geraghty’s boss, JP McManus, and the French import appeared to step up considerably for her previous defeat at Limerick when easily accounting for Rashaan.
“She definitely improved for her run at Limerick and settled lovely,” confirmed the rider to Joseph O’Brien who indicated his Triumph Hurdle hero, Ivanovich Gorbatov, is set to run next in Aintree.
O’Brien supplied Marchese Marconi for Geraghty in the third Grade 2 on the card, the Keelings Hurdle, but the partnership had to give best to the English raider, Value At Risk.
Dan Skelton is a rising star among the trainer-ranks in Britain and a first winner in Ireland courtesy of Value At Risk’s victory is likely to encourage his travelling instincts even further.
Superb Story’s County Hurdle was a first Cheltenham festival success for Skelton earlier this month and the trainer confirmed that horse is now being aimed at the Galway Hurdle with the Coral Cup runner up Long House Haul likely to target the Galway Plate in July.
The ex-Philip Fenton trained Value At Risk bounced back to winning form under Skelton’s brother, Harry, beating off Marchese Marconi and the favourite Dedigout after grabbing the initiative with a circuit to go.
“He might not be top class, or a Gold Cup horse, but he’s not far off it and he will be a chaser next season,” said Skelton who will also saddle a runner in France on Wednesday. “We’ve struggled to get him right but I knew I had a quality horse and it’s just in the last three weeks I’ve had him anywhere near ready to win.”
Just Cause was a second 16-1 winner on the day for the National hero, Mouse Morris, who confirmed his other stable star, Alpha Des Obeaux, could again clash with his World Hurdle conqueror, Thistlecrack, in Liverpool.
Jonathan Burke was only ninth on the well-fancied Venitian De Mai in the National but his luck was in before the Grade 3 mares chase as both jockey David Bass and trainer Kim Bailey couldn’t make it to Fairyhouse on the back of travel disruption caused by Storm Katie.
So Burke came in for the ride on Emily Gray who signed off on her racing career in style by beating Uranna by over a length.
“That’s her last run and she’ll be retired to the paddocks now. She’s staying in Ireland and she’ll be going to meet one of the stallions in Coolmore, I should think,” said Bailey at Huntingdon races where Bass rode instead.
Amateur jockey Barry Browne landed the novice handicap chase with On The Shannon but got a seven day suspension afterwards for his use of the whip. Rachel Blackmore got a two day careless riding ban after this race following an incident between the final two fences.
The Easter Monday crowd of 15,804 was down just over 200 on the 2015 figure and track manager Peter Roe said: “We always knew we would have a job with all the 1916 events in Dublin and Ashbourne so in the circumstances we’re very happy to be down just 200.”
Bookmaker turnover of €825,747 was down from €890,418, including €148,289 bet on the Grand National. The Tote figure of €704,257 was up over €300,000 on 2015.
