Irish Grand National:Small-time Cork trainer James Motherway enjoyed the biggest triumph of his career as Bluesea Cracker took the glory in an attritional Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. The three-mile-five-furlong contest was run at a crawl for the first couple of miles owing to the seriously testing conditions, but there were still plenty of casualties.
Among them were favourite Saddlers Storm, leading fancy Telenor, British raider Double Dizzy and top-weight Siegemaster, who was in the process of running a fine race before tipping up at the final fence.
Bluesea Cracker (25-1) was well to the fore as the field rounded the turn for home for the final time.
She began to tire on the run-in but Andrew McNamara’s mount had enough in reserve to repel the challenge of Oscar Time by four and a half lengths and become the first mare to land this prize since Ebony Jane in 1993.
Whatuthink was third, with Cheltenham cross-country winner A New Story fourth.
“I jumped off and got a lovely position on the inner. At the second fence away from the stand she met it wrong and hit it a belt — she did really well to recover,” said McNamara. “In the straight I gave her a squeeze and she quickened up well.
“Going to the last she ran around a bit and I dropped my stick trying to get two hands on the rein.”
Motherway added: “We wondered if she would get home on the soft ground — I just did not know.
“She has been fantastic for us over the last four years.”
Cousin Vinny finally recorded his first win of the season with a battling display in the Keelings Irish Strawberry Hurdle.
Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old failed to fire in three starts over fences earlier in the season and was well beaten in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
But sent off at 11-10 under Ruby Walsh, he bounced back with a two-and-a-half-length defeat of the strong-travelling Head Of The Posse.
Mullins said: “He’s back to himself. He did what the handicapper said he should do.
“Ruby was happy enough with him and said that he jumped better than at Cheltenham.
“We’ll aim him at Punchestown now. He’s in the stayers’ and champion hurdle but the stayers’ hurdle is more likely.
“We’ll decide after that what to do next year but he’ll probably go back chasing.”
Mulllins and Walsh then doubled up in the Ladbrokes.com Hurdle as 5-2 chance Mourad proved much too strong for his rivals in the Grade Three contest.
“The trip seems to suit him and it was probably a blessing in disguise that he missed Cheltenham,” Mullins added. “We’ll go to Punchestown now and I think I have him in the stayers’ hurdle.
“He’s never been three miles but I think he’ll be better over longer.”
Tony Martin’s Hold The Pin (7-1) snapped a long losing streak when running out an impressive winner of the Irish Field — Best For Racing Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Davy Russell.
“He just missed out getting into the National and is an unlucky horse,” said Martin. “He’s always been very unlucky and has only won a couple of hurdles and one chase.
“The boys have stuck with him, though, and it’s great that he won today.
“He could go to Punchestown for something if the ground remains similar.”
There was plenty of money for Last Instalment in the Gigginstown House Stud Point to Point Championship INH Flat Race and it proved to be on the mark as Philip Fenton’s 7-4 favourite, carrying the Gigginstown House Stud colours, came home 27 lengths clear.
“He is a beautiful horse, a real chaser and he jumps particularly well,” said Fenton. “We will put him away now and bring him back next season for a spell over hurdles, but chasing will be his game.”