'Brilliant' Only By Night delights Cromwell with Tipperary triumph
NICE PROSPECT: Only By Night draws clear to win the Tipperary Beginners Steeplechase. Picture: Healy Racing
The Gavin Cromwell-trained mare Only By Night made an impressive chase debut when scooting home in the Tipperary Beginners Chase.
A three-time bumper winner, in addition to a maiden hurdle success, this mare’s form tapered off last season.
But there was a lot to like about this display, under a typically patient Keith Donoghue, challenging between the Mullins pair at the final fence, before drawing clear to beat odds-on favourite Mirazur West by six and a half lengths.
“She has been good to jump at home and was brilliant out there,” said Cromwell. “I thought we were in bother but she found plenty for pressure. It was a good performance and she’ll have no problem going further.
“We won’t be in a hurry, but there’s a good programme for mares. And we’ll consider travelling to the UK with her.”
Out of luck with Mirazur West, Willie Mullins, JP McManus, and Mark Walsh enjoyed better luck in the other beginners’ event, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase, when 11-10 favourite Sa Majeste had to dig deep to foil front-runner Shannon Royale by a short-head.
“We’re just glad to get his head in front for now,” stated the owner’s representative Frank Berry. “He toughed it out well. Mark said he hurdled a few fences, but’s he’s a chasing type so, hopefully, he’ll get better at it.”
Champion jockey Jack Kennedy took s crashing fall from Cleatus Poolaw at the sixth fence and emerged sore but relatively unscathed.
Earlier, Darragh O’Keeffe followed up Thursday’s treble in Thurles and consolidated his lead in the title race when partnering the unexposed Champs Elysees gelding Taponthego to an all-the-way success in the Visit Tipperary Maiden Hurdle.
The even-money favourite impressed, coasting home nine lengths clear of McLaurey, prompting the trainer’s representative Robbie Power to comment: “It’s great for the lads (the Both Sides Of The Water Syndicate) — they’ve been very patient and are being rewarded. He had a lovely hurdling debut, against a good horse, in Wexford and the step up in trip really suited him. We’ll look forward to him for the rest of the season and, particularly, when he goes chasing next season.”
German-born Maike Magnussen, who is based near Nenagh, savoured her first success in Ireland when the Sean O’Keeffe-ridden Moylussa found plenty in the closing stages to see off fellow 2-1 joint-favourite French Hill in the TipperaryRaces.ie Maiden Hurdle.
Robert Tyner’s recent Clonmel chase scorer Irish Impulse followed up, under Ryan Treacy, in the Follow Us On Facebook Handicap Hurdle while Shraheen, back after a six-month break, took the novice handicap hurdle for Philip Fenton and Niall Moore.
