RACING: Limestone Lad has brought the Bowe family to prominence but his stable mate Solerina is providing new competition for the spotlight.
Both won at Navan yesterday in a remarkable afternoon for the Co Kilkenny farming family who train just four horses for themselves.
Limestone Lad's Giltspur Scientific Hurdle victory was a 34th career win but Solerina's Grade Three novice success ensured a first ever double for the Bowes who can now dream of playing a Cheltenham hand that even top trainers would envy.
Pizarro flopped in the Barry & Sandra Kelly Hurdle but Solerina's front-running dismissal of the rest still saw her cut to 16 to 1 for the SunAlliance.
"The SunAlliance would be the one if the ground isn't too fast," said owner John Bowe, son of James Bowe who holds the permit.
"Pizarro beat us the last day but we held her up then and she wasn't happy. She was much happier bowling along. It's incredible how easy she is to train, completely unlike himself," he added.
Pizarro struggled home 33 lengths behind Solerina and a veterinary exam found mucus in his throat. Cashmans, who had Pizarro as their SunAlliance favourite, have taken him out of the betting.
"Himself" faces another holiday epic against his great staying rival Bannow Bay after both horses put in faultless rehearsals yesterday.
Limetone Lad laughed at the formbook when giving Liss A Paoraigh a third beating of the season in the Giltspur Scientific Hurdle.
But Bannow Bay's third under a monster weight in the following handicap gave every hope that he will be able to repeat last year's Christmas defeat of the James Bowe-trained star.
"I didn't want to take on the other fellah today. The longer you can stay away from him the better. But we'll have a look at him at Christmas," said Bannow Bay's trainer Christy Roche.
Limestone Lad might have been just beaten by Bannow Bay in a Woodies Hurdle classic last year but he continues to defy time and the form statisticians. "It's hard to think he might be improving but I think he might just be," said Michael Bowe afterwards.
"I didn't think a horse in Ireland or Britain could beat the mare under these conditions but the most anxious time of the day was coming here when we got caught in the Christmas shoppers at Newlands Cross!" "I didn't want to train him intensively for this in case I sickened him but we'll go for the Woodies and the problem will be to find races for him until Cheltenham," he added.
Paul Carberry rode both Bowe winners and also The Bunny Boiler who won Bannow Bay's race en route to the Welsh National.
However, Barry Geraghty equalled him with a trio of successes on Precious Music, Emotional Moment and Dutsdale Dancer.
Both jockeys were continuing a hot-streak from Fairyhouse on Saturday when Geraghty rode three and Carberry two.
Tom Taaffe nominated Newbury's Tote Gold Trophy in February as a likely target for Emotional Moment who comfortably beat Glens Music in the handicap hurdle. "He is in the Pierse as well but I prefer the Tote Trophy. The track would suit him," Taaffe said.
