Istabraq makes it look easy

Istabraq duly won the AIB Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown at the prohibitive odds on 1 to 10 against predictably negligible equine opposition. However, it's to the champion hurdler's credit that he managed to show his class in appalling conditions.

Driving wind and rain made the racecourse resemble a Burmese swamp, as the horses swam their way around. The ground on the chase track was so bad that the fifth race, the Killiney Handicap Chase, was abandoned after the stewards consulted with the senior jockeys and the clerk of the course, Joe Collins.

"The conditions deteriorated since the first race, and in the interests of safety, we've decided to abandon the race," said Collins.

Istabraq, however, had got his third win of the season under his belt at that stage and was barely out of a canter at any stage against his two opponents.

Gazalani set a reasonable pace to the turn-in, where Charlie Swan eased the favourite alongside. Shantarini put in a stout effort on the outside, but an extravagant leap at the last allowed Swan the luxury of looking around all the way up the run-in.

"Riding him is like driving a Rolls Royce. He didn't mind the ground. He was a bit long at the last but got himself out of it," said Swan, who nominated French Holly as the danger to Istabraq in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Aidan O'Brien also expressed himself impressed with French Holly's Kempton success on Monday but couldn't hide his confidence in Istabraq. "He's heavier than he's ever been and is stronger and quicker," he said.

Notice that the later chase would be abandoned came after Conor O'Dwyer, riding his first winner after his long suspension, came back to report the ground on the chase track as "definitely unraceable".

O'Dwyer had forced the favourite, Sarsfield The Man, home just ahead of Church Place - a welcome success, which was his first since being suspended at the start of November. Since then O'Dwyer rode on seven days in Britain, having 20 rides and two second placings. O'Dwyer had to settle for third on the odds-on Kadouko in the maiden hurdle behind Almira, who made all under Paul Carberry to give Noel Meade a first winner of the meeting. There was a dramatic festival finale, in another three-horse race for the Madigans Flat Race. Ingonish and Billywill fought a titanic battle, with the latter just getting the verdict after the judge had called for a print. Once that was decided, however, the stewards called an inquiry into interference in the last 200 yards and then reversed the placings.

That was good news for Ingonish's rider, 23-year-old Robbie Burns from Co Galway, who was riding his first winner in Ireland. He had, however, ridden seven winners as a claiming professional when with the late Gordon Richards in Britain. Ingonish will now be aimed at the Cheltenham bumper.

Royal Signature fought back to beat Aonfocaleile in the previous bumper, while Belle Star was an always-prominent winner of the handicap hurdle.

There was a crowd of 7,000 at Leopardstown yesterday, bringing the attendance total for the four days to 59,010. Some £361,367 was bet with the bookmakers yesterday, bringing the four-day total to £3,403,359. The total Tote figure for the meeting was £1,194,653.

Meanwhile Willie Mullins yesterday gave Florida Pearl a clean bill of health after his dramatic fall in Monday's Ericsson Chase.

"He's fine. He ate up this morning and is not stiff and sore. The only sore head this morning was mine!" Mullins reported.

The said that the Hennessy Gold Cup is still Florida Pearl's next target, although he will also be entered in the Pierse Handicap Chase at Leopardstown and the Pillar Chase at Cheltenham.

"If he ran in either of those he would miss the Hennessy, so that's highly unlikely. He fell too early to say if he would have won but Richard (Dunwoody) was very happy with him at the time. The ground probably didn't help him. I don't think he would have fallen on better ground," Mullins added.

The Ericsson victor, Dorans Pride, was also reported sound by trainer Michael Hourigan.

"There are no problems. He will be entered in the Hennessy and we'll see what happens, but he is an unlikely runner. He will most probably go straight to Cheltenham," he said.

The management of Cork racecourse, where racing is scheduled for Saturday, have expressed concern at the deteriorating conditions in the Mallow area. An announcement about a possible inspection is expected today.

Trainer Tommy Stack, who is in hospital in Cork, is reported to be improving slowly as he fights a dangerous viral infection. "He is progressing slowly but as the consultants expected," said a spokesperson yesterday.

Gowran's Thyestes Chase, which is scheduled to be run on Thursday, January 28th, will be sponsored by Cuisine de France, a subsidiary of IAWS Group, plc. The Group Two race will carry a purse of £35,000.