RACING: LEOPARDSTOWN FESTIVAL DAY ONE:DAVY RUSSELL had a painful experience in every way with Bog Warrior's fall in the big race at Leopardstown yesterday but this season's leading jockey had earlier given a masterclass of finesse to guide His Excellency to victory in the Grade Two UAE Juvenile Hurdle.
In five previous starts over flights, the horse that used to be owned by Sheikh Mohammed on the flat had never won, and shown a disinclination towards ever changing that unwelcome statistic.
The charitable described him as a “character” before yesterday’s €42,500 main support event: the uncharitable attributed canine attributes to His Excellency, especially a habit of revolving his tail like some sort of propeller.
Events though conspired to aid Michael O’Leary’s 65,000 guineas purchase yesterday. The favourite Sam Bass had beaten His Excellency at Fairyhouse earlier in the month and started favourite only to sadly sustain a fatal injury while running into the back straight.
One Cool Shabra cut out the pace and was still at the head of affairs on the run to the last as the field queued up to take him on. None was going better than His Excellency who enjoyed a dream run up the inner. But even then discretion would have been the prevalent attitude amongst those used to his running style.
Russell, though, did a magnificent job of kidding his partner along, kicking and shoving on the run-in but never using the whip, and eventually, with tail revolving, His Excellency deigned to go past One Cool Shabra by half a length. The latter’s jockey John Cullen subsequently got a one-day ban for his use of the whip.
Some bookmakers went 33 to 1 about His Excellency for the Triumph Hurdle, although quite what he might make of the famous hill is debatable.
Eddie O’Leary of Gigginstown Stud admitted: “This was probably his last chance. It was a good ride from Davy and he’s done it well. I don’t know where he goes now.”
Russell and the Gigginstown team had earlier also scored with the 11 to 10 favourite Midnight Game in the two-mile maiden hurdle as the O’Leary runner edged past Joxer by half a length.
“We probably over-faced him the last day (Royal Bond Hurdle) and the drier ground today was a big help,” trainer Willie Mullins said. “I’m hopeful he will improve from that.”
Mullins saddled an odds-on favourite for the opening maiden hurdle but Marasonnien had no answer to the JP McManus-owned Touch Back, who earned quotes of as low as 20 to 1 for the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham.
However, his trainer Christy Roche warned: “He’s probably the best I have but I wouldn’t get carried away. He’s a nice horse, and it’s great to have a Leopardstown horse again.”
Askthemaster was the oldest horse in the handicap hurdle, carried topweight and was having just his fourth ever start over the smaller obstacles. However, Robert Tyner’s veteran overcame all obstacles to record a convincing success over the favourite Harold’s Cross.
Jackpot punters were scuppered in the last leg, the handicap chase, as the 20 to 1 outsider Arklow Ger flew home to deny Jigalo, while odds-on punters were also out of luck in the bumper as Champagne Fever couldn’t cope with the sustained challenge of Thomas Edison who ended the day on an upbeat note for Bog Warrior’s trainer Tony Martin.
