Battling Solerina sees off Golden Cross challenge

Fairyhouse Report: One of the great races of 2005 provided a fairytale finish for the remarkable Solerina who completed a hat-trick of victories in yesterday's Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle.

Only five horses might have lined up for the Grade One race but Solerina and Golden Cross provided a titanic finish that left the whole of Fairyhouse gasping in admiration.

At the end of it all only a short head separated the pair but it was Gary Hutchinson who emerged best beating the three-time Epsom Derby winning jockey John Murtagh in the process.

A length and a half back in third was the favourite Brave Inca who looked likely to be tailed off at half way but still managed to rally enough to maintain his position near the top of the Champion Hurdle market.

Championships for Solerina and her trainer James Bowe however have come to mean Fairyhouse in December. Her three-in-a-row thriller matched the achievements of Limestone Lad (1999-2001-2202) which means that a small family training operation in Co Kilkenny has now landed Ireland's major pre-Christmas hurdling pot in six of the last seven years.

Questions about Solerina's retirement were met with a straight bat.

"We'll worry about things like that in the spring," grinned owner John Bowe while his brother Michael proudly held the mare in the winners enclosure.

"She is better here than anywhere else and that was the very best. That was the most exciting for sure."

Solerina went off in front and for the 20th time in her 37 race career she remained there. But that only tells a fraction of the story. At half way Tony McCoy was driving Brave Inca along and it looked like Solerina's supposed main threat wasn't fancying it at all. "He hated the heavy ground. He was never carrying me. But he's a class horse and that's the only reason we got as close as we did," reported McCoy.

But there were no such problems for John Murtagh whose winter weight control policy for so long looked like paying off big time.

Golden Cross jumped to the lead at the last but Solerina wouldn't go away and got her head back in front again in a rousing finish.

"I thought I had it but she just got me on the line," said Murtagh who was afterwards severely cautioned by the stewards for his use of the whip. Nevertheless he stressed: "It was a great thrill to be part of something like that."

For a man who has tasted international success at the highest level that comment alone testifies to yesterday's drama levels. And Solerina might yet make a quick return to the stage at Navan next weekend.

"We will see how she is but the Scientific Hurdle is a race that suits her," said Bowe before indicating that Leopardstown at Christmas might be bypassed.

The December Festival Hurdle will be next for Brave Inca, however, and he might get to face Golden Cross in that as well.

The latter's trainer Michael Halford said: "We have the choice of that or the Woodies over three miles. But I am delighted with his comeback. It's a shame there had to be loser but Solerina is a bit special. That's what National Hunt racing is all about."

Thinking ahead is also part of the winter game and Paul Nolan was doing that in style after Kill Devil Hill fought back from a last fence mistake to win the Pierse Group Drinmore Chase.

"This is a very special horse and I'm going to treat him as a Gold Cup horse until he says otherwise," said Nolan who also won the opening handicap chase with the ex-Charlie Swan-trained Old Flame.

"Kill Devil Hill is still a weak five-year-old and we won't try three miles this season. But it looks like three miles shouldn't be a problem in time," said the Co Wexford trainer who could next aim his new star at the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase over two miles.

The day's other Grade One prize, the Bluesquare Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, saw the Cheltenham favourite O'Muircheartaigh decisively beaten by Iktitaf. O'Muircheartaigh was lengthened as far as 12 to 1 for the festival afterwards but still remains favourite for the Supreme with most firms.

The Aintree National hero Hedgehunter could finish only 14th on his comeback in the three mile handicap hurdle but the Irish National winner Numbersixvalverde did much better with an encouraging fourth behind the winner Lovely Present.