Cool Quest springs a 25/1 shock at Clonmel

RACING:COOL QUEST upstaged some better fancied rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase, causing a 25 to 1 surprise under Kevin Coleman at Clonmel yesterday.

The Terence O’Brien-trained winner was getting the better of Tramp Stamp when that one fell at the last.

Fortunately for connections, she was down for a while but eventually got to her feet.

That left Dolly Hall to come home an 11-length second with the favourite Star Wood, who made a bad mistake four out, a length further back in third.

O’Brien said: “She jumped well at home but if she’d been fourth or fifth I’d have been happy. She was a crazy price; she is better than that as she had some great runs over hurdles.

“She always runs well fresh and we had got plenty of work into her. She is well handicapped over hurdles so we’ll mix it with her,” added O’Brien.

Leanne was the only mare in the feature race on the card, the two-and-a-half-mile Wilderness Chase, but crucially she had the most recent run of any of the field and she made her fitness count under Robbie Colgan.

Taking over after three out, the daughter of Alderbrook was soon clear and she galloped on well to see off the favourite, Whatuthink, by 10 lengths.

Pesoto took a heavy fall three out and brought down Mr Warbucks.

Winning trainer Billy Harney said: “I needed to get a run into her but she was fit. She was a stone wrong in the handicap with Whatuthink.

“We’ll see what Mr OBrien (the handicapper) does, the plans are in his hands,” added Harney.

Ronnie O’Neill’s Henrietta’s Way was the final nail in the coffin for punters as the 25 to 1 shot, under the trainer’s daughter Debbie, made all in the www.grahamnorris.com Memorial Flat Race.

Glibin was the money horse in this event (7/2 into 5/2) but herself and the favourite, For Dylan, couldn’t cope with Henrietta’s Way returning off a 588-day break.

The victorious daughter of Stowaway, who the O’Neill’s also stand, kept going well up the straight to score by four lengths.

It was a welcome change of luck for the jockey, who rode a winner previously at Thurles in 2002 before being on the sidelines for a year after breaking her back.

Eric McNamara had his first winner since Questions Answered in early April when Whiskey Hall caused a 16 to 1 surprise under Davy Condon in the Fethard Handicap Hurdle.

The lightly-weighted son of Alderbrook – a second winner of the day for him in the testing conditions – went clear of Van Lone who landed badly at the last and he ultimately crossed the line seven lengths to the good.

The winner is owned by the River Arra Syndicate from Newcastle West.