Geraghty takes his chance

Leopardstown ReportRoss Geraghty chose yesterday's €190,000 Paddy Power Chase to ride his first winner for nine months on the 14 to 1 Newbay Prop but as well as the joy of big-race success came a reminder of the hardship that jump jockeys sometimes have to endure.

Geraghty only got the call-up to ride Tony Martin's horse the previous night after Newbay Prop's regular jockey, Robbie Colgan, broke his jaw in a fall at Down Royal on St Stephen's Day.

Then any initial exhilaration felt by the 30-year-old rider after Newbay Prop's dramatic head defeat of Sound Witness quickly vanished as he struggled to regain his breath all the way back to the winners enclosure. Geraghty managed to weigh in but he looked in considerable distress immediately afterwards.

"I only had to lose a couple of pounds but the problem is I have the flu and I couldn't really breathe when I came back in," explained Geraghty who is the older brother of the former champion, Barry.

Yesterday was a timely reminder that, like his brother, this Geraghty isn't fazed by the big occasion.

It's five years since The Bunny Boiler gave him an Irish National victory and while Geraghty has endured an arid spell in 2007, he grabbed yesterday's opportunity with both hands.

Tony Martin was continuing his haul of major handicap victories even though he still can't explain a lacklustre effort by Newbay Prop in his previous race when a pulled-up favourite.

"It's rare that no reason comes to hand for a bad run but I still to this day have no idea why he ran like that. He ran very well the day before that. I was afraid today the ground was too quick for him," said Martin who was quick to remember Colgan.

"Poor old Colgan is the one I feel sorry for. He has done so well with this horse and is working with me every morning," he added.

Another jockey in the wars yesterday was Robbie Power who was taken to St Vincent's Hospital for precautionary X-rays after a first fence fall on Chelsea Harbour in the big race.

He has also been stood down for 21 days due to concussion.

Sound Witness's rider Shay Barry must have been cursing his luck after making almost all the running only to be nailed on the line.

He also received a four-day ban for his use of the whip.

One happy group, however, were the bookmakers as Newbay Prop led home a pair of 25 to 1 shots and a 16 to 1 chance. Well Tutored, the 7 to 1 favourite, managed only 11th.

Barry Geraghty followed his brother into the winners enclosure after the three-mile handicap hurdle victory of Share Option but he was out of luck in the Grade Two Future Champions Novice Hurdle aboard the well-backed favourite Cork All Star.

Jessica Harrington's runner managed only third behind the surprise 20 to 1 winner Whatuthink who made all under Conor O'Dwyer to beat Forpaddydeplasterer by a length and a half.

"I suppose it is slightly unexpected because I thought the ground was quick enough and the trip looked slightly short but he travelled well," said the winner's trainer Oliver McKiernan.

"He's had a problem with sore shins but that's come right in the last three weeks. We will look at the Deloitte."

Ascot's Victor Chandler Chase is next for Mansony who beat the other joint favourite Nickname by a length in the Grade One Dial-A-Bet Chase.

"The Ascot race will tell us about the Champion Chase," said Arthur Moore, a double Queen Mother winner in the past with Klairon Davis and Drumgora. "He may not quite be in the Klairon Davis class but he's a physically perfect animal with a great constitution and attitude."

Nickname took his chance despite the official "good to yielding" ground and delighted trainer Martin Brassil who said: "It wasn't as soft as he would normally like so I'm very happy with that. He always has that edge on heavy ground because he can handle it so well."

Last season's Cheltenham bumper runner-up Sophocles earned general 33 to 1 quotes for the Supreme in March after landing the maiden hurdle under David Casey while the Fred Winter Hurdle at the festival could be a target for Ado McGuinness's Beau Michael.

Favourite backers ended the day with a dramatic success in the bumper for Rocco's Hall who continued Edward O'Grady's rich vein of form with a short head defeat of Oscar Looby.

"He was bred on the farm," reported the trainer.

"He looks a staying type, more of a chaser, although he will probably go hurdling now. He ran in two point to points and won the second of them."