THE WISE KNIGHT, trained by Andrew McNamara and partnered by his son, John, who put up 1lb overweight, opened his account under rules in the Lismore Handicap Hurdle at Tramore yesterday.
Despite drifting in the market (4 to 1 to 7 to 1), the five year old had to be driven out by his young rider to hold Hakkinen by a length after the favourite, Kephren, faded to finish two and a half lengths adrift in third.
"I will keep him hurdling during the summer as he will handle fast ground. He is long overdue a success as he had finished in the frame on six of his eight races before today," reported the trainer, who was saddling his third winner this season.
The Pat Flynn trained Ballyquin Belle was all the rage (5 to 1 to 15 to 8) for the Brownstown Hurdle but could only finish fifth behind the Willie Mullins trained Malacca King who stayed on to score by a length from Geray Lady.
This track is not ideal, as a galloping track would suit him much better. He will stick to hurdling this season before going chasing next year," said Mullins.
The Carlow trainer saddled the favourite, If You Say Yes (3 to 1 to 6 to 4), for the Waterford Beginners Chase but having jumped well under Tommy Treacy in the early stages, came to grief five fences from home when disputing the lead.
Victory went to the Pat Fahy trained Stradballey who coasted to the front after the penultimate fence and although Dawn Adams unseated his rider, Doc O'Connor, at the last when lying a close second, Sean O'Donovan's mount always had the upper hand. The winner will turn out again on Sunday at Leopardstown for the WinElectric Series final.
O'Donovan went on to record a 47 to 1 double when Buck Castle, owned and trained by Fermoy butcher Denis Fitzgerald, collared the favourite Another Grouse to win by two and a half lengths.
Following the contest, the stewards interviewed Fitzgerald into the improvement in running of his charge and although accepting his explanation, fined him £50 for failing to divulge that the horse had a throat infection on his last outing.
Simon Dow opened his 1996 account at muddy Cagnes sur Mer yesterday with Wakeel (Eric Saint Martin) scoring an easy success for the British trainer in the Prix de la Madeleine over a mile. The 2 to 1 shot, second at the Riviera track two weeks earlier, proved too fleet footed for the inform Spinario, with the Dow runner putting two lengths between himself and the Belgian challenger.
