Byrnes launches his Festival Express

Racing: Charles Byrnes's suspicion he was about to have the greatest day of his training career proved gloriously correct yesterday as Dromlease Express plundered the Pierse Hurdle to add to Cloudy Bays' Leopardstown Chase victory just half an hour earlier.

With the various syndicate members and hangers on to both winners turning the enclosure into their own jubilant HQ, the air was also filled with the sounds of bookies bemoaning their losses.

Cloudy Bays started a 3 to 1 joint favourite with Timbera, and although Beechcourt shared 6 to 1 favouritism with Dromlease Express there was no doubting which of the pair was the better backed. Throw in the fact three other outright favourites won on the day and towards the end those moans were threatening to turn into full-blown sobs.

Byrnes has induced various degrees of unhappiness in bookmakers during his career, but yesterday was special on every level for the 40-year-old from Ballingarry in West Limerick.

Cloudy Bays had provided him with his previous biggest victory in the Troytown in November, and the chaser put in a similarly freewheeling performance to beat Be My Belle and earn a tilt at the Hennessy next month.

That success appeared to loosen the tongue of the quiet-spoken trainer, who bluntly announced: "If Dromlease Express is there at the second last, what beats him will win."

The confidence was startling ahead of one of the most competitive handicaps of the season, but then Byrnes has been looking at both horses galloping with each other for the past three weeks. What his eyes saw had him buzzing with belief.

Sure enough, Dromlease Express arrived at the second-last flight just behind the leaders. Georges Girl, who had made rapid progress from the rear, couldn't cope with the new arrival, and neither could Macs Joy. Dromlease Express powered clear to win by three-and-a-half lengths.

"We came here expecting two winners. They've been working together, and although I suppose it was expecting a lot for both to win I'd have been disappointed if one of them had been beaten," Byrnes said.

Byrnes is about to move into a brand new, 40-stable yard next week, and yesterday's €143,650 pay-out more than doubled his prize-money total for the entire season.

The big race was also a huge boost for Dromlease Express' 19-year-old rider John Allen. The 7lb claimer from Kilworth, Cork, rode his first winner less than a year ago, but he was coolness itself yesterday despite it being only his 12th career victory.

Such sang-froid will be of help in the future, as Byrnes is planning a similar campaign to last year's Pierse-winner Xenophon, who went on to win the Coral Cup. Cashmans were taking no chances in the aftermath and made Dromlease Express a 12 to 1 shot for Cheltenham.

Ross Geraghty was in the hot seat for Cloudy Bays, who will take in the Hennessy before heading to Cheltenham for the William Hill Chase.

"He has to make the running, there's no other way to ride him," said Byrnes. "His jumping was a bit sloppy in the past, but these bigger fences seem to make him do better."

A combination of big fences and a big weight is precisely what Emotional Moment doesn't want, but the Grade Three Novice Chase allowed him carry just 11.2 and Tom Taaffe's charge took advantage to win.

However, he threatened to throw it all away at the last when he took an extra step and shot Barry Geraghty into the sky. Fortunately for the season's leading rider, Emotional Moment was still there when he returned.

"He did well to get away with it," said Geraghty, who rejuvenated the horse to beat off Stashedaway's renewed challenge. "Barry did well to sit on him too!" beamed Taaffe.

He added: "He is not the biggest and a big weight makes it harder for him over these big fences. But his guts and class got him through. Cheltenham would actually suit him better because there are more flowing fences there."

High Tech Made was introduced to the Cheltenham bumper market at 20 to 1 after a winning debut in the last.

"He has bags of pace and he stays. And like all of mine he is for sale!" announced trainer Eddie Hales.

Yesterday's Leopardstown crowd was down almost a thousand to 8,517 on the corresponding 2003 figure. Bookmaker turnover was also down, from €1,516,384 last year to €1,238,233 yesterday. The Tote figure was down over €70,000 to €421,724.