Island steals spotlight

Fota Island's Cheltenham triumph in the Grand Annual might have been overshadowed somewhat by Kicking King's Gold Cup just an hour earlier, but yesterday he had the Irish spotlight all to himself at Aintree. Brian O'Connor reports from Aintree

Instead, Fota Island's competition for attention came from the north of England base of trainer Nicky Richards who provided a big race treble for jockey Tony Dobbin.

Dobbin's overall Aintree record includes a National triumph in 1997 on board Lord Gyllene, but even by that ultimate standard the North Of Ireland-born rider was in rare form yesterday. Nevertheless, Fota Island was an important day-one winner for the Irish.

Despite making mistakes at the third and fourth fences in the Grade Three Red Rum Chase, Tony McCoy galvanised a fine recovery from the JP McManus-owned novice to hold off Kadount by a length in a driving finish.

In the process he gave Irish voices something to shout about, but McManus admitted that superstition prevented him from taking some of the 100 to 30 available.

"I didn't back him at Cheltenham so I thought I wouldn't put the mockers on him here," grinned McManus afterwards.

It can't have been just superstition either as Fota Island was raised almost a stone in the ratings for that Cheltenham victory. But even that wasn't enough to stop him coming out on top yesterday.

"It was a big hike but in fairness he had won it well," said trainer "Mouse" Morris.

"He is still technically a novice so his confidence was shaken by those mistakes. The ground was a bit tacky and it was very borderline for him."

A novice event at the Punchestown Festival could be next on Fota Island's agenda instead of a handicap as McCoy reported: "He was all out to win there."

Apart from that the day almost turned into a solo-show for the Richards-Dobbin team with the Triumph Hurdle runner-up, Faasel, providing the highlight of a huge treble in the Grade One four-year-old hurdle.

"This is a serious horse," reported Dobbin, who still remembers the feeling he had when Faasel was beaten earlier in the season at Kelso. "I didn't sleep for two nights after Mephisto beat him because I should have won. But he needs the visor. He's some horse to look forward to next season."

Paddy Power installed Faasel as a 20 to 1 shot for next season's Champion Hurdle, but Dobbin was dreaming of a possible tilt at the Arkle Trophy.

Turpin Green picked up the Grade Two Mersey Hurdle after the hot favourite, Mephisto, flattered to deceive in the straight, but one Richards horse who is definitely going novice chasing next season is Monet's Garden who won the Liverpool Hurdle after a bizarre incident at the second flight. The pace-setting Westender jammed the brakes on and refused which resulted in Willie Mullins's heavily-backed favourite Rule Supreme colliding into him and unseating Ruby Walsh.

"Ruby said he was a length to the side of Westender who suddenly went to his right and collided with him," said Mullins.

That left Tumbling Dice to do best of the Irish in third, but he was no match for Monet's Garden who beat off Mr Ed by a length. One mild black spot for Dobbin on the day was the one-day whip ban he picked up here.

Another was the defeat of the favourite, Funny Times, in the bumper behind Senorita Rumbalita, but overall it was a day for the locals as the Cumbrian-trained Grey Abbey made most in the Betfair Bowl to beat the favourite First Gold. An attempt at an unlikely second success in the Scottish National next week hasn't been ruled out for the winner.

Student amateur Sam Waley-Cohen guided the well-backed Katarino, trained by his father, to a dour defeat of Caught At Dawn in the Foxhutners over the big fences.

"He has broken down three times and he was badly injured in the 2003 National. That was fantastic - and I bred the jockey too!" said Robert Waley Cohen.