Solerina leads Bowe heroics

Racing Fairyhouse report: Sports-scribbling tends towards the overblown but it is difficult to overstate just how remarkable Solerina's victory at Fairyhouse really was.

The e75,000 Ballymore Hatton's Grace Hurdle was already something of a benefit for James Bowe and his family, with the prolific Limestone Lad winning three of the previous four editions of the Grade One pot.

That gallant old stager has exhausted most of the superlatives at our command but even as Limestone Lad recuperates from leg injury, his stable companions threaten to demolish racing's romantic boundaries.

As Solerina started a 7-4 joint favourite with Sacundai, her victory can hardly be termed a surprise. Much more so was the sight of her stablemate the 33-1 Florida Coast filling the runner-up spot.

The odds against the two being brother and sister, both out of Fine Print, are outrageous but that such class can come from a stable with just one other horse in full training is plain ridiculous.

"We would have been happy to have had one of them in the first four," exclaimed John Bowe, son of the permit holder, who officially owns Solerina.

His brother Michael, who does most of the training, and had his colours carried by Florida Coast, said: "The fact they are brother and sister, and we bred them, makes it all the more special. It must be a record in a Grade One race."

In the midst of it all, the fact that Solerina's jockey, Gary Hutchinson, was having his first winner in months after returning from injury almost didn't register on the "feel-good scale".

However, the claiming rider grinned afterwards: "I've never ridden Limestone Lad but if he is better than Solerina, he must be an absolute machine. When I gave her a nudge on the turn-in she sprinted away."

It was enough for Cashmans to cut the little mare to 9-2 for the Stayers Hurdle, a race Limestone Lad failed to win in two attempts.

"She keeps amazing me. She is bored at home and shows nothing. But she seems to know when to do it," said Michael Bowe, who was the one man at Fairyhouse not surprised with the runner-up. "All my life I've been trying to get him fit. If he could, all he'd do is eat and sleep, but for the first time I'm getting him fit now," he said.

There were 13 lengths between the Bowe duo and the third, Scarthy Lad, but the latter's trainer, Thomas O'Leary, had his own story after Newmill's all-the-way success in the Boylesports Royal Bond Hurdle.

Newmill was just the tenth winner of O'Leary's four-season career and the 30-year-old from Clonakilty intends running the novice at Leopardstown in the Future Champions Hurdle over Christmas.

"Even when he's schooling he likes to be in front all the time so we told Garrett (Cotter) to ride him accordingly," said O'Leary.

Mistakes by the runner-up, Mariah Rollins, helped Newmill's cause and another clash between them is likely at Christmas.

Nil Desperandum capped a fine weekend for Ruby Walsh when running away with the Drinmore Chase and earned a 14-1 SunAlliance quote in the process.

Strong Flow, whom Walsh rode to win Saturday's Hennessy, is as low as 11-4 but could yet run in the Gold Cup. If he does, Nil Desperandum could yet be Walsh's SunAlliance mount.

"He jumps so well and was cantering the whole way," reported Walsh, who won out by 14 lengths from Catalpa Cargo.

Trainer Frances Crowley nominated the William Neville Chase for the horse's next start: "We won this with Sackville and Promalee and we have something to look forward to again."

The favourite, Brave Inca, won the handicap hurdle but Amplified's fall at the second set off a chain that left four horses on the ground and Paul Carberry with a suspected thumb fracture.