Tryphaena completed a memorable weekend for Willie Mullins when taking the Leopardstown November Handicap as the Flat season drew to a close yesterday.
Mullins, who also sent out Florida Pearl and Jimmy The Lark to record big-race wins at Down Royal and Cork over the weekend, was full of praise for rider Timmy Houlihan. The pint-sized apprentice produced Tryphaena to head the pace-setting Hill Society a furlong out for a four-and-a-half length victory.
"She has improved and grown throughout this year and will go back hurdling soon," said Mullins.
John Murtagh, who relinquished his jockeys' title to Mick Kinane this year, completed a 53 to 1 double, highlighted by the success of One Won One in the Knockaire Stakes. The Joanna Morgan-trained gelding quickened to the front over a furlong out and kept on to hold Wray by a length. "We have entered him in a six-furlong Listed race on the same card as the Dubai World Cup (March 25th)," said Morgan.
Murtagh had a much handier time aboard Sungazer, who made all to take the 12-furlong handicap with embarrassing ease. Sungazer, who will revert to hurdles, drew clear approaching the home turn and was eased down in the closing stages to beat Dolydille by three lengths.
Aidan O'Brien completed a 1-2 in the Eyrefield Stakes, Chiang Mai upsetting odds-on stable-mate Homer. Jamie Spencer's mount was always travelling the better of the pair in the straight to score by three-quarters of a length.
At Cork, Jimmy The Lark provided Paul Carberry with his 16th success of the season when landing the City Life Cork Grand National. The 7 to 1 shot swept past Coillte An Ceoil and Norman Williamson after the penultimate fence and, with the last fence omitted after its frame was broken in the early stages, the partnership kept on under pressure up the extended run-in to win by two lengths.
Williamson gained compensation later when he teamed up with Edward O'Grady's top-weight Country Flavour to easily justify favouritism in the City Life Handicap Hurdle.
Super Franky opened his account over fences when making all under a confident ride from amateur rider Philip O'Brien to defeat Bedthem Prince in the beginners' chase. A costly failure at Clonmel last week, Super Franky shrugged off his market rival with a fluent jump at the last to score with ease.
"He didn't wear the blinkers at Clonmel but they made a difference to him today. We got back the few bob we lost the last day. He's won six for us this year and we'll leave him off until the spring," said winning trainer Charles Byrnes.
Doctors treating Beverley Kendall after her horrifying fall at Doncaster on Saturday "can't see any damage", it was revealed yesterday.
The rider remains stable but unconscious in hospital, following her crashing tumble on Best Of All, trained by Jack Berry, in a women's amateurs' race.
Berry's wife Jo said yesterday morning: "They took her to Sheffield for a further examination and there is a lot of swelling but as far as they can see there is no damage.
"Everyone is quite relieved as she has been with us since she left school and it was a very frightening fall."
Twenty-year-old Kendall crashed at the halfway stage of the race. She received treatment on the track before being taken by ambulance to hospital where she initially began to come round but was placed under sedation.
The accident brought a sad end to Berry's training career as Best Of All was his last runner before his son Alan takes over the reins at his Cockerham yard.
Ms Kendall rode her only winner under rules to date for Berry on Junior Muffin at Wolverhampton last year.
