Cork Racing: Success for East Cork owners Kieran and Cathy Mariga as Brian Hayes rides a 100-1 winner
Lantry Lady and Rachael Blackmore win the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. Picture: Healy Racing
RED Mills Day attracted a huge crowd to Gowran Park on Saturday afternoon and there was a notable success for East Cork owners Kieran and Cathy Mariga in the Grade 3 Red Mills Hurdle as Lantry Lady made it two from two.
They also enjoyed a memorable day at Cheltenham last year when Maskada won the Grand Annual. The East Cork theme continued in The Grade Two Red Mills Chase as Lisgoold jockey Paul Townend made all on Saint Sam for a poignant success giving Willie Mullins his eighth victory in the race.
Rosscarbery jockey Brian Hayes bagged a 100-1 winner in the opener on Karl Des Tourelles who was returned at a whopping 639/1 on the exchanges.
Connollys, the Goresbridge-based company, sponsored free admission to racegoers for the third consecutive year.
The twin feature on the card was the Grade 3 €30K Red Mills Trial Hurdle which looked like a dead match on paper between Gordon Elliott's What’s Up Darling, who had to concede 14 pounds to the East Cork-owned mare Lantry Lady. Henry de Bromhead's mare had won a maiden hurdle here last year but had to defy a 343-day absence.
The choicely bred mare saw off her market rival What's Up Darling having loomed large, travelling easily entering the straight. She wasn't perfect at the last but kept on in great Style for a facile nine-and-a-half length success.
Lantry Last is 16/1 with Boylesports for that Cheltenham contest. Lossiemouth spearheads the market on 4/6 after her impressive Cheltenham victory last month.
The €37,500 Grade Two Red Mills Chase was the featured race with just five going to post. The market suggested this was another dead match.
Punters marginally favoured Saint Sam 10/11 who had been off since a final fence fall at Listowel. Paul Townend made all the running and got a few breathers into him as he enjoyed an uncontested lead.
He won easily from Riviere D’etel who might have been feeling the effects of a hard race in Naas last week. It was the eighth success in the race for Willie Mullins.
Afterwards, Patrick Mullins said it is a race they target every year and he nominated the Grade Two Chase at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday as a possible target. The yard have won that Fairyhouse race for the last three years with Easy Game.
Brian Hayes landed a surprise success on Karl Des Tourelles at 100/1 in Gowran's opening Juvenile Maiden Hurdle.
Philip Fenton's newcomer came with the proverbial wet sail and won easily in the end by six lengths. He might be above average as he looked distinctly green.
The winner’s Betfair SP was 639/1
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