Geraghty returns to punters’ delight

Geraghty returns to punters’ delight

21 November 2012 - by BY RAPHAEL MASON

TOP jockey Barry Geraghty is a less familiar face at Downpatrick these days owing to his riding commitments in England, but showed he still knows his way round the track when scoring on hot favourite Jetson in the beginners’ chase last Wednesday.

Jessica Harrington’s odds-on chance (8/11) gave supporters few anxious moments and jumped the last fence alongside Jack Bene and Andrew Lynch before being pushed out to beat Keith Donoghue and Royal Sam by four and a half lengths.

Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead sent Sizing Jo’burg up to land a gamble in the maiden hurdle (backed from 9/2 in the morning to 9/4 on course) when getting the better of Paul Townend and Sarabad who had tried to make every post a winning one for trainer Willie Mullins.

Andrew Lynch took his mount to the front after the final flight and the Old Vic gelding fairly scooted up the Downpatrick hill to win by nine and a half lengths.

Mullins had better luck in the next race when Inish Island showed he was a step ahead of his rivals with a decent display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden hurdle.

Paul Townend’s mount asserted after the final flight for a three and three parts of a length success from Torn Asunder in the hands of champion jockey Davy Russell.

Mullins praised the ground staff for their work on the track after the race and is looking forward to running Inish Island over the larger obstacles eventually.

Armagh jockey Liam McKenna rode his first ever track success when winning the Mobile Handicap Hurdle on Yachvili, trained by his step-father James Lambe.

The 17-year-old has 25 flapping winners to his name and took the outside route on the 10/1 chance in search of better ground before driving his mount up the straight for a half length success over John Joseph O’Hanlon’s Rudigreen.

Lookoutnow was a well-backed 8/13 favourite in the beginners’ chase but looked to have a job on his hands approaching the last fence where Vapiano and Davy Condon looked a big danger.

Jockey Mickey Butler had to get serious in the saddle on Eoin Doyle’s Kilkenny-based runner and his efforts proved fruitful as his mount battled bravely to score by a length and a half with Littletown Lass well back in third.

An excited Philip Rothwell cheered from the stand side rails as his runner Urban Gale scored a narrow nose success in the handicap chase with Brian O’Connell in the saddle.

The jockey was forced to work hard to earn his riding fee as his mount made a series of mistakes during the race.

But he knuckled down and showed plenty of fight to fend off Clancy Strand and Rookery Rebel after the last.

“He’s not the greatest jumper so we’ll keep him to the smaller tracks,” said Rothwell after the race.

Noel Meade’s Curley Bill looks a horse with a big future after pulverising the field in the bumper.

The race developed into a sprint following a slow early pace with Nina Carberry settling the 2/1 chance behind most of the field until entering the final furlong.

At this stage the pair blasted into gear on the stand side and forged ahead to score by an impressive six lengths from the well-fancied Willie Mullins-trained 6/5 favourite, Bally Longford.

Meade was suitably impressed in the winner’s enclosure. “He is very good at home and jumps great. We think a lot of him and he’ll probably go over fences soon,” he said.