THE RESOLUTELY Dublin trainer Peter Casey notched the first Grade One victory of a long career as Flemenstar bounded to the top of the novice tree in Ireland with a hugely-impressive Arkle success at Leopardstown yesterday.
Casey spent a considerable amount of the post-race celebrations explaining in typically colourful style that a Meath postal address doesn’t imbue any royal connection. But his delight in a top-flight success was obvious.
“It means everything. I’m absolutely delighted, and isn’t it good to see the small fella with one horse doing well,” he grinned. “I didn’t think he was that good: Was there a second there!”
Gift Of Dgab did in fact chase Flemenstar home but at an ultra-respectful 19 lengths although even that wasn’t enough to convince Casey about a trip to Cheltenham this year. “He won’t be going to Cheltenham. I don’t know where we’ll go, maybe the Powers Gold Cup,” he said. “He does like that soft ground.”
The festival though is very much in Willie Mullins’s sights for Boston Bob who successfully conceded a Grade One penalty all round in the Grade Two Synergy Novice Hurdle.
Even ground that turned officially “heavy” after the second race couldn’t prevent the topweight coming through in the closing stages to beat Lyreen Legend and Make Your Mark.
“I imagine he will go for the Neptune or the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham but we’ll see what happens after the Deloitte here in a couple of weeks and where I go with my other horses. I imagine Ruby will ride wherever he goes,” Mullins said.
A rare reverse for the Mullins-Walsh team on the day came in the opening maiden hurdle won by Burn And Turn in which the favourite, Tennis Cap, was promoted to third only on the disqualification of the “runner-up” Double Double. The latter’s jockey Andrew McNamara failed to weigh in and received a five-day suspension. “She absolutely hated the ground and her ability got her through. She should be much better in the spring,” said trainer Jessica Harrington.
“If the ground is good she will come back for the Deloitte on February 12th but I don’t know about Cheltenham. She could go to Aintree. The ground is the key.”
Ted Veale beat off Magic Spear to land the bumper and the pair finished well clear of the reminder while Senior Again was three quarters of a length too good for Uncle Tom Cobley in the two-mile handicap chase.
THE FIGURES
GIVEN the bad weather conditions, yesterday’s Leopardstown crowd failed to equal last year’s corresponding figure of 7,030 by just one.
Bookmaker betting of €621,776 dropped significantly from last year’s €785,275. Tote turnover of €274,109 was down from €490,277 although €241,000 of last year’s total came from pool betting in France.
