Bailey grinds rivals into ground

RACING/PUNCHESTOWN REPORT:THE BLOODY obvious horse before yesterday's Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle was the top British stayer Blazing Bailey and anyone who looked elsewhere for the winner paid the penalty for ignoring what had been staring them in the face beforehand.

He might not have travelled like a class act through the race but these marathon events are more about grinding determination than flash speed and Blazing Bailey duly ground his way to a seven-length victory over last year's winner Refinement with Aitmatov best of the Irish in third.

In the process Alan King's star became the third successive British-trained horse to land a festival feature so far this week but more importantly for the King team it meant Blazing Bailey finally broke his Grade One duck.

"It was bloody hard work but that's him, a real grinder. He's a marvellous horse to train," said King who was saddling his first Punchestown winner.

Blazing Bailey might not have won a Grade One before yesterday but he had been mixing it, and occasionally beating, the incomparable Inglis Drever, something that nothing else in the field could boast of.

Considering his latest defeat of Inglis Drever, when admittedly getting weight, came at Aintree only earlier this month, it could be argued the only surprise about yesterday's result was the 100 to 30 SP.

"He can't beat Inglis Drever when he is in top form but this is a special day for our horse. It doesn't matter where you bring him, he never lets you down," added a delighted King.

"There might be greater stayers - but he's alright!"

Jockey, Robert 'Chocolate' Thornton, agreed but also told King: "It might have been one race too many this season but we got away with it. He was a little flat - but he was very tough."

King immediately confirmed that Blazing Bailey will be kept to the Stayers Hurdle route next season and with Inglis Drever in his last ever campaign the young pretender was cut to as low as 6 to 1 for Cheltenham 2009.

Big Zeb earned quotes of as low as 20 to 1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase next year after breaking his own Grade One duck with a four-length defeat of Thyne Again in the Cathal Ryan Memorial Swordlestown Cup.

Colm Murphy's latest jumping star has been mixing it without success against the top novices in the country all season. But this time, under a power-packed Barry Geraghty drive, he pounced on his old rival J'y Vole before the last to gain a decisive advantage.

"I'm delighted for the horse. He deserves it," grinned Murphy who was typically pragmatic about Big Zeb's future.

"He is still a long way off the finished article and although we can dream, he has to improve."

Taking Champion Chase odds might be dangerous as Murphy hasn't given up hope of Big Zeb's stamina lasting significantly further than two miles.

"I felt he wasn't getting home over two miles and five but he's still a big baby and I've no doubt that in time he will stay. He won his beginners over two miles and six," he said.

A little bit of history was made in the La Touche over the banks as for the first time in a dozen years, the winner didn't come from Enda Bolger's yard. Instead the 25 to 1 shot Oh Jackie travelled from Larne in Antrim to provide trainer Stuart Crawford with his first winner.

Veteran jockey Ken Whelan, however, brought an impressive La Touche pedigree to the party having won the race twice, in 1995 and 2000, on board the legendary banks horse Risk Of Thunder.

"Last week I was happy just to win a point-to-point so it doesn't get any better than this," said Crawford, a leading event rider.

Oh Jackie will be kept to these specialist races around Punchestown and Cheltenham next season but Irish Invader has more short-term targets after scoring in the handicap chase.

"He will keep going through the summer in Galway and the big festivals," said Willie Mullins who had to wait longer than expected for Irish Invader to make his mark over fences.

"Jumping is his forte, but so it should be having run in all those Beginners Chases!"

Kalahari King was another winner for the cross-channel raiders when Davy Russell guided Ferdy Murphy's smart horse to a comfortable success in the opener, the Aon Hurdle.