Roundwood provided favourite backers with a welcome change of luck at a well attended Tramore yesterday when he stayed on under a strong drive from Garrett Cotter to land the first division of the Keogh Practice Beginners Chase.
Supported from 5 to 2 down to a starting price of 6 to 4, the Dessie Hughes-trained Orchestra gelding, who ran creditably to chase home the useful Liver Bird at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day, looked in trouble running into the dip with two fences remaining.
The course, which was altered due to a flash flood after a torrential downpour, didn't help the market leader; but he stayed on stoutly in the bottomless conditions to hold of Ceili Queen and Charlie Swan by half a length.
"Three mile handicap chasing is his game. He didn't come down the hill very well on two of the circuits and only for he jumped the last three fences spot on, he wouldn't have won today," said the winning trainer. Gowran trainer Tony Mullins expressed his relief after Adrian O'Shea produced Stormy Miss from well off the pace to touch off Fidalus and Bitter Harvest in a three-way photo. "That's my second winner since June, the last one coming at Thurles on November 13th, with Kings Luck. We've 14 seconds since then; but with Lady Daisy finishing third in the Ladbroke last Saturday, they are beginning to run well again," he said.
Austin Leahy and his son-in-law Gerry O'Neill had to wait several minutes to hear the outcome of the Director's Opportunity Handicap Hurdle after their respective charges, Be My Folly and Digital Signal, flashed by the post together. The verdict went to Leahy's mare by the minimum margin to provide 18-year old Michael Collins, a neighbour of the winning Kilmallock handler, with his first winner.
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