Siberian Gale blows too hot

Siberian Gale was the only runner in the seven-strong Denny Gold Medal Chase not to have run in the Galway Plate, but he showed what a loss his late scratching from that race was with a comfortable success yesterday.

The Paddy Mullins-trained gelding, contesting his first handicap, forced the pace from the start and, although some of his jumping was less than foot perfect, Siberian Gale ultimately ran out an easy winner from Lucky Town and Moscow Express.

Mullins took Siberian Gale out of the Plate because of the fast ground, and the going could also dictate whether the horse will take his chance in the Kerry National at Listowel.

"We will have to think about the Kerry National but the ground may be gone by then. If the ground was good at Listowel, I wouldn't have a worry," said Mullins, who was adding to the Guinness Gold Cup win of Bob What on Wednesday.

It was an especially good day for Limerick trainer Andrew McNamara and his nephew, John Thomas McNamara, who took the Havasnack with Daraheen Chief and the opening maiden hurdle with King's Tipp.

Daraheen Chief cruised through to take over from the well backed favourite Promalee and win going away by seven lengths. His trainer had been thinking in terms of a flat handicap at Listowel but will now switch Daraheen Chief to the Smithwicks Handicap Hurdle.

"I looked at him in the parade ring and he looked so well I got more hopeful. Hopefully he is getting better and stronger," said the trainer, who praised his nephew, the champion point to point rider for the last two years.

"He's riding great and is not getting half the chances he deserves. He'll be staying on board this horse," he said.

King's Tipp finished well clear of the favourite in the opener, but Lodge Hill made a very bad mistake at the opening flight and Ruby Walsh did well to survive. The winner is owned by a syndicate headed by Michael Lowry TD.

The Jim Bolger-trained Dawn Project won the 11 furlong handicap for the second year running after a good tussle with the favourite Tango Passion. Dawn Project races in the colours of Dave Bernie, a midfielder with the 1968 Wexford All-Ireland final-winning side. Tango Passion's rider, Jamie Spencer, afterwards got a three-day suspension for careless riding.

Second Nature foiled the favourite Abracadabra in the concluding maiden, while the pony-sized Cincuenta had far too many guns for the opposition in the two mile handicap and ran out a six-length winner.