Richard Dunwoody was given a two-day ban at Listowel yesterday after a weighing out mini-drama which revolved around a girth. The former British champion jockey was due to weigh out at 10st 6lb on Play'ntothegallery in the Supporters Club Lartigue Hurdle but, when he first stood on the scales, he was found to be 1lb overweight.
After returning to the jockeys' room, Dunwoody then weighed out again and this time met the 10-6 but was found by the stewards to be weighing out without a girth on his saddle. After stepping on the scales a third time, the rider, complete with girth, was weighed out at 1lb overweight.
After all that, Play'ntothegallery finished unplaced but, at the subsequent inquiry, which also heard evidence from trainer Seamus O'Farrell and one of the jockeys' valets, the stewards found Dunwoody in breach of the weighing out rules and suspended him for October 1st and 3rd. O'Farrell was cautioned regarding the accuracy of his evidence.
A morning swim at Ballybunion beach had helped invigorate the eventual Lartigue winner Shantarini to such an extent that only 24 hours after finishing seventh in a flat race, the grey powered home under topweight to win.
Shantarini had disappointed behind Storm Gem on Monday and, after the exertions of that race, there was a late, late decision to allow him take his chance again.
Trainer Shane Donohoe was too busy at his Cavan stables to make the long journey south but his wife Samantha proved a more than able deputy. "He was a bit disappointing yesterday but we left him in and he ate up well in the morning. I took him down to the beach for a swim and a roll and he seemed very happy," she said.
So happy that Shantarini was the only one capable of overtaking the pace-setting Darbela in the £20,000 feature. Conor O'Dwyer and Darbela still looked to have the race in safekeeping at the last but, under a powerful drive from Kieran Gaule, Shantarini got up close home to win by two lengths. Shantarini will now either have a break or go for the Cesarewitch at the Curragh.
Risk Of Thunder, owned by movie legend Sean Connery, warmed up for the gruelling Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic in 18 days' time with a 12 to 1 success in the Listowel Arms Handicap Chase.
The Enda Bolger-trained Punchestown specialist proved his wellbeing by getting the better of Coin Machine who was the medium of a hefty gamble from 5 to 1 down to 9 to 4. "I was out there (Czech Republic) for a Bruce Springsteen concert last year and walked the course. It will be perfect for him," said Bolger.
Coin Machine, who finished lame, wasn't the only gamble to go astray. After Dermot Weld and Mick Kinane took the opener with Vinka, their runner in the next race, Jeanne D'Arc, was plunged on down to 4 to 5 but was in trouble at the bend and couldn't get close to Speed Hill.
Aerleon Pete never got a blow in the Lartigue and his stable companion Vivo was only sixth in the second division of the maiden hurdle, behind Hardycomes tohardy, after being backed down to 5 to 4 favourite.
A total of £692,306 was wagered with the bookmakers yesterday, up almost £35,000 on last year while the Tote was up over £2,000 to a total of £209,940.
The appeal by connections of Averti against the decision of the Baden Baden stewards to demote the British representative from first to third in the Group Two Goldene Peitsche failed in Cologne yesterday afternoon.
