THE firm state of the ground was the main talking point yesterday at Gowran Park, where 12 horses were withdrawn, notably John Oxx's promising Zafarabad from the Young Ireland's Race.
Course manager Tom Carroll was interviewed by the stewards, and he stated that it would be unusual to water the ground at this stage of the year. He felt, in hindsight, that his decision not to water was incorrect.
Aidan O'Brien's Moon Hower, a well-related daughter of Sadler's Wells, bounced off the ground to land the Young Ireland's Race. Christy Roche sent the half-sister to Last Tycoon into the lead on the home turn, and she showed good battling qualities to hold Sublime Beauty by a length.
O'Brien said: "She is a very tough sort and will stay well. I will find a Listed race for her now." He also plans to run either his National Stakes winner, Desert King, or Theano in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Front-runners were the order of the day in the National Hunt section of the card. Sharp Outlook, a pillar-to-post victor for Tom Rudd in the Thomastown Maiden Hurdle, will be campaigned on the Flat and over timber during the summer, according to trainer Michael O'Brien.
Paul Hourigan continued his good recent run when partnering Aces And Eights to an all-the-way win in the Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle. Pat Hughes's seven-year-old, who was challenged by Eton Gale two out, had established a decisive advantage when making a mistake at the last.
Sarah Supreme, trained and ridden by Ger Hourigan, also made all the running in the last leg of the Jackpot to produce a dividend of £978.60 for 30 shrewd punters.
Jump jockey David Bridgwater is set to leave hospital on Friday but is unlikely to resume riding until late-summer.
The 26-year-old underwent a two-hour operation yesterday on. the arm he broke in a fall at Aintree last Saturday.
His wife Lucy said: "They took X-rays to monitor how the operation had gone and it looks like it has been satisfactory.
"He will be back next season. I saw today in the paper that he could be back in June but that is incredibly optimistic and it is more likely to be August or September.
