RACING/Fairyhouse report: Punters hoping for relief after Point Barrow's long-priced Grand National success were left reeling at Fairyhouse yesterday by Wishwillow Lord's 33 to 1 big-race blitz.
The winner, who paid over 95 to 1 on the Tote, was a career-best for both his Co Kerry-born jockey, Nicky O'Shea, and Enniscorthy trainer Leonard Whitmore, whose tiny, 10-horse stable is more usually associated with point-to-points.
Just 48 hours previously he had been successful at such an event at Stradbally, but the bigger occasion was no problem to Wishwillow Lord, who landed the €130,000 Menolly Homes Handicap Hurdle by a length and a half from Callow Lake.
"I thought we had a good chance, because he has been going the right way," said Whitmore, who only took out a full licence to train five years ago. "We'll go chasing with him next season, but he might not be finished over hurdles just yet."
Tony McCoy brought his festival total to four by riding his first winner for Tom Taaffe on board Glenfinn Captain in the Grade Two novice hurdle.
Glenfinn Captain had four lengths in hand of O'Muircheartaigh after the pair dominated throughout, leaving the favourite, Jazz Messenger, who jumped poorly, well behind.
"He's a better horse on better ground, but we're probably finished for the season," said Taaffe. "There's no point being greedy and I'm sure a lot of horses have been kept in reserve for Punchestown next week."
O'Muircheartaigh's rider, Barry Geraghty, also runner-up on board Callow Lake, had to endure watching his championship rival Ruby Walsh notch up an early double, which took the current champion's lead to three.
Artist's Muse landed the odds in impressive style in the four- year-old hurdle, but fortune was on Livingstonebramble's side in the Dan Moore Chase.
The favourite, Mansony, was leading and travelling well when he came down at the third-last, throwing jockey Davy Russell into the path of Commonchero, who was brought down.
Walsh took full advantage to power clear of Strike Back and set Livingstonebramble up for a run at Punchestown next week.
Russell was stood down for the rest of the day, as was Denis O'Regan, who had a nasty fall from Dashing Home in the feature race. Andrew Lynch couldn't ride in that after breaking his right arm in the tumble from Commonchero, and Tom Ryan, who had a fall on Monday, faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Cheltenham festival-winning jockey has fractured a jaw and also sustained a suspected fractured leg.
Nina Carberry continued her family's fine festival by getting General Striker home in front in the Joseph O'Reilly Hunters Chase, a race trainer Enda Bolger won as a jockey 20 years previously on Attitude Adjuster.
Betting figures on the third day of the Easter festival, run for the first time without the Powers Gold Cup, were down. The bookmaker turnover of €1,425,689 was down from €1,567,110. The Tote figure of €324,071 was down over €60,000 on last year.
The crowd of 6,526 was down almost 1,000 on 2005.
