McManus lands the biggest prize at Downpatrick

McManus lands the biggest prize at Downpatrick

25 March 2015

A BUMPER crowd attended Downpatrick Racecourse on Sunday afternoon to see Riverside City win the Toal’s Ulster Grand National for top owner JP McManus.

Gordon Elliott’s 9/1 chance was ridden to get the trip, taking a position off the pace for most of the race before challenging under jockey Davy Condon after jumping the final fence in sixth place.

In a thrilling finish in front of a near record crowd, Condon wore down top weight Man With Van and Andrew Lynch in the shadow of the post to win by a head with David Mullins eleven lengths back in third on Paul Nolan’s Jupitor.

Elliott was a relieved man in the winner’s enclosure after watching Condon ride his first ever winner for JP McManus.

“Gordon was very worried the trip might be too far for him but he saw it out well in the end. He missed the second last a bit but jumped the last well and dug deep up the hill,” said Condon on his way to the weigh room.

McManus’ famous green and gold silks were carried to success in the opening race of the day when Salsa Sensation justified strong market support to win the maiden hurdle for father-and-son combination Ted and Ruby Walsh.

Walsh was content to track Bryan Cooper on front-runner Utmost Zeal until making a decisive move for home after jumping the second last on the 4/6 favourite.

Stephen Magee’s locally trained 20/1 chance News For Pascal stayed on to take the runners-up berth under Conor Maxwell with Utmost Zeal a length back in third.

Barry Geraghty took a crashing fall from Sailors Warn in the second hurdle race of the day and is eyeing a return to the saddle in thine for the Punchestown Festival after a visit to the hospital in Dublin revealed he had suffered a fracture to his left tibia.

Knight’s Parade (11/10 favourite), well fancied in the market for trainer Gordon Elliott, registered a second Downpatrick success and gave Davy Condon the first of his two winner’s on the day when overcoming trouble in running to get up and collar Bryan Cooper and Cape Glory (8/1) by a length in the toals.co.uk Rated Hurdle.

Sligo raider Feel The Air got rid of her maiden tag at the eleventh time of asking when improving on a recent second at the track to win the handicap hurdle for trainer Mark McNiff.

Winning jockey Derek Fox took great delight in getting one over his twin Ger, who finished second on Noel Meade’s Six Stone Ned with Danny Mullins third on Eddie O’Grady’s Jumptoconclusions.

Nine runners went to post for the handicap chase named in honour of racing’s great ever national hunt jockey, Tony McCoy, with victory going to Kilkenny raider Town Pond.

This time Ger Fox managed to make it into the winner’s enclosure as Peter Kavanagh’s runner showed an appreciation for the trip and underfoot conditions to deny 7/4 favourite Ardmillan by a neck.

“We were confident that the track and trip were right for him today and so it proved,” said the successful trainer.

A winner at Lingstown point-to-point a couple of weeks ago, Jim Dreaper’s Lord Fingal ran out an easy winner of the hunters’ chase under Stephen Clements.

Asithappens and Declan Lavery looked likely to be in contention until ping away after a mistake at the second last.

A great jump at the final fence sealed victory for Lord Fingal who was seven lengths superior to 4/1 shot Cadawill at the line.

Adrian Maguire’s Celldomfed made a very pleasing start to his racing career when showing a great attitude under the trainer’s son Finny to win the bumper.

Less than a length separated the first three home with 

Tony Martin’s Lip Service a head back in second and Declan Lavery close up in third on Ballybryan.

“He’ll improve a hell of a lot for that run and Finny gave him a great ride.

I’m living the dream again with Finny but if he wanted to stop riding in the morning that would be fine with me,” a delighted Adrian said afterwards. 

“It was a long trip up and took us five hours. It’ll take us another five hours going home, but at least we’re going home with a winner,” he smiled.