THE FLAT season may have spluttered lazily into life at Tipperary yesterday, but it was left to the Woodville Star, who jumped spectacularly, to raise the biggest cheer of the day as she turned the McManus Novice Chase into a procession.
Conor O'Dwyer's career has featured some absolutely top-class horses in recent years, but even the Gold Cup winning rider acknowledged afterwards he has never had a more thrilling ride from a novice.
"I've rarely ridden a better jumper, Strong Platinum perhaps, but for a novice she is an exceptional lepper," O'Dwyer beamed after Woodville Star's dead-eyed jumping from the front of the field left her rivals strung out and bed raggled.
Mallow trainer Liam Burke had been considering Tuesday's Power Gold for Woodville Star but ruled that race out afterwards. "Punchestown is definitely on her agenda though," Burke said.
If she is in the same freewheeling form then as she was yesterday, Woodville Star will be no forlorn hope, whatever the company. "She was a different horse this time compared to her previous race at Limerick. Today she was 10 lengths clear and still wouldn't drop the bit. She was mad for racing," concluded O'Dwyer.
Such naked enthusiasm was harder to detect for the first Flat race of the season, but champion jockey John Murtagh got his, and trainer John Oxx's, term off to the perfect start when Somerton Reef made virtually all to win the Slieve Felim Maiden from Alparest and the hot favourite, Eternal Joy.
"It's the first time I've had the first winner of the season and it's a pity it hasn't happened at the new Mallow racecourse. I wasn't too confident beforehand, as I thought he'd need the race. I would rather have lost than win with a hard race but he's done it well," Oxx said.
There was a prolonged wait for the decision in the Silvermines Race to be given to the favourite Lil's Boy who had barely the length of a well-smoked cigarette to spare over Orange Jasmine. Kevin Manning's mount needed every yard of the seven furlongs to just win on the line, and trainer Jim Bolger said: "He looked a bit rusty. He'll probably go for one of the classic trials now."
Orange Jasmine's connections, Aidan O'Brien and Christy Roche, also had to settle for second in the Slievenamon Handicap when Toast The Spreece, who looked all over the winner inside the final furlong, got run out of it close home by the fast-finishing 14 to 1 shot Wray.
Conor O'Dwyer added to Woodville Star when the J P McManus-owned market drifter Sleepy River pounced late to beat Be Home Early, ironically the best-backed horse in the race. But punters got it right in the bumper, although they had to rely on the stewards to collect.
