Thurles Preview: Edward O'Grady, whose 17 winners at the Cheltenham Festival is surpassed only by two giants of Irish racing, Tom Dreaper and Vincent O'Brien, is on the festival trail again following the impressive bumper win of Jack Ingham at Thurles yesterday.
A full-brother to Nick Dundee and a half-brother to Ned Kelly, the gelding bolted up in the bumper to propel himself to 12 to 1 co-favourite with Cashmans for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper next March.
"The next time you see this horse will be at Cheltenham," said the winning trainer after the Supreme Leader five-year-old led before halfway and made the best of his way home under J P Magnier, son of Coolmore supremo, John.
The J P McManus-owned Oscar's Advance put up a smart performance in the novice hurdle under Tony McCoy, despite a bad slip on landing at the third last, and earned a 20 to 1 quote for the SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham following his 4½-length win from market rival Drunken Disorderly.
The first-flight fall of 7 to 4 favourite Orpen Guama in the maiden hurdle resulted in a five-horse pile-up at that obstacle, while leader Rince Donn ran out at the next. However, the contest did provide a good winner when Willie Mullins's Clear Riposte easily accounted for the remaining rivals to win by 20 lengths.
Afterwards Mullins said: "Clear Riposte did nothing wrong there and jumped brilliantly. She may run in a winners' race before Christmas."
Of those jockeys injured in the first flight incident, luckless Keith Hadnett suffered a possible break to his upper left arm, while Seán McDermott and David Flannery both suffered suspected fractures to their left shoulder blades.
Persistence paid off for connections of What A Native, who ended a losing run stretching back to December 2000 when running out an easy seven-length winner of the Templemore Handicap Chase.
