Sport

Harrington in form

JESSICA HARRINGTON rounded off a memorable weekend for her Kildare yard when completing a double with Unknown Soldier and Grange…

Mon Jan 15 1996 - 00:00

JESSICA HARRINGTON rounded off a memorable weekend for her Kildare yard when completing a double with Unknown Soldier and Grange Court at Navan yesterday.

Unknown Soldier could yet accompany Ladbroke heroine Dance Beat to Cheltenham for one of the novice hurdles after opening his account over timber in runaway style in the Mullacurry Maiden Hurdle.

Supervene started an even-money favourite but finished unplaced and was reported to the stewards as being lame afterwards. However, Unknown Soldier and John Shortt never looked in danger of being caught after jumping to the front at halfway and galloping resolutely through the heavy ground to come home a dozen lengths clear from Mulligan.

Sixteen-year-old Mick Carroll was recording his first success on only his second mount in public when the French-bred Grange Court made all the running to beat Aidan O'Brien's favourite Kilcoo Boy by five lengths in the Boyne Flat Race.

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Major Rumpus provided Francis Woods with a welcome change of fortune after his tribulations at Leopardstown when holding the persistent challenge of Blazing Spectacle to score by two lengths in the WinElectric Beginners Chase.

Winning trainer Arthur Moore said: "He was pulled up at Fairyhouse last time and we discovered he was wrong in his back, so we decided to give Christmas a miss. He will go for the series final at Leopardstown on February 4th".

Blazing Spectacle's rider Richard Dunwoody was seen at his best on Madison County, who just got home by a neck to land the odds in the INH Stallion Owners Novices' Hurdle.

Madison County looked set to win as he liked running down to the last, but the 9 to 10 favourite had to be driven out on the punishing climb to the post to defeat Charlie Swan on West Brogue.

New Co, trained by Mouse Morris, extended his winning sequence to four when justifying favouritism under Conor O'Dwyer in a tight finish to the featured Proudstown Limited Handicap Hurdle and may now challenge for the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

O'Dwyer made it a double when Midnight Hour battled back after the last to beat Damodar in the Trim Handicap Chase.

Tell The Nipper, regarded as Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle material following his win at Naas last week, was well beaten by the front-running Minella Gold in the Navan Novice Hurdle.