TIPPERARY REPORT: DUFF PUT up a gutsy performance to win the Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes at Tipperary yesterday. Edward Lynam's front-running six-year-old was challenged for the lead in the early stages by British raider Advanced.
After brushing him off, Duff (5 to 2) had enough in reserve for Fran Berry to hold Dohasa by three-quarters of a length.
“You could think you are a racehorse trainer when you have a horse like him,” said the Co Meath trainer. “We are thinking of going to Hong Kong with him. The trick is to get a rating of 115 then he’d have a choice of the mile or sprint race over there. He only needs to go up 1lb and after today I think he’ll go up enough. Fran gave him a great ride and he gets on very well with him.”
Berry was completing a double having earlier won on the John Oxx-trained Julie’s Jet in the Longfield Stables EBF Maiden.
Go Native (4 to 1 ) duly landed the odds for trainer Noel Meade and jockey Paul Carberry in the Friends of Tipperary Hurdle. With three non-runners the field was reduced to four and Carthalawn set out to make all the running, but he was headed at the second-last flight by Go Native. The odds-on favourite quickly put the race to bed and went on to win by three and a half lengths with River Liane claiming third.
“You could train this horse on a lead as he doesn’t take any work and he’s very clear winded,” said Meade. “He’s a very smart horse and he’s probably best when fresh. I don’t think he was at his best when finishing fourth behind Hurricane Fly at Punchestown. He will go to Down Royal next where there is a race for second-year novices and we’ll take it from there.”
Archie (9 to 4) hit the front over two out to win the O’Dwyer Steel Like-A-Butterfly Novice Chase. Once Davy Russell made his move, the seven-year-old kept on well to beat Wins Now by three lengths. “The plan is to run him at Aintree,” said trainer Paul Flynn.
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