By Brian Fleming
Charlie Swan showed yet again why he has no less than nine championship titles under his belt when he teamed up with Sacundai to take the Red Mills Trial Hurdle before another bumper crowd at a bitterly cold Gowran Park yesterday, writes Brian Fleming.
Liss A Paoraigh was sent off the warm 4/6 favourite (from 4/5) and Barry Geraghty elected to set a strong gallop from the outset aboard John Kiely's mare, closely tracked by Swan aboard her market rival.
The odds-on shot still held the advantage rounding the home turn but once Charlie Swan switched Edward O'Grady's charge to the inside he began to narrow the gap rapidly. Sacundai soon drew alongside approaching the final flight before forging away on the run-in for a one and a half-length victory.
'That was an enterprising ride by Charlie Swan and is the first time any of my horses has beaten Liss A Paoraigh, ' said O'Grady, 'It's hard to know where he'll go from here as he's not quite up to the step up in class and he has a high handicap rating. He's in the Coral and County Hurdle at Cheltenham but it will depend on the going and what weight he gets.'
Michael Halford and the Kildare Racing Club dedicated the victory of Bellaficient to the late Anthony Powell, who was tragically killed in a car accident on the Curragh last month, after the even money shot landed the odds under Adrian Lane in the opening Red Mills Maiden Hurdle.
'Anthony schooled all our horses over hurdles and without him this horse wouldn't be here in the winners enclosure as it took a lot of Anthony's time to get him right,' said Halford, who has not ruled Bellaficient joining stable companion Golden Cross in the Triumph Hurdle next month. 'The ground would have to be soft,' Halford said.
Noel Meade, successful with Beechcomber Bay in the beginners chase, revealed that Scottish Memories, an absentee in the featured Red Mills Hurdle, will go straight to Cheltenham for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle. 'He's a better horse on better ground and I didn't want to run him on that ground as he could have left his race behind here on testing ground. The A plan now is to go straight for the Champion.'
Paul Carberry was later stood down after his mount Montys Music slipped up on the level after the fourth last in the 2m4f handicap hurdle won by John Hassett's 16/1outsider Back On Top.
David Casey deputised aboard Arctic Copper in the supporting Red Mills Danoli Chase but the pair had to settle for the runner-up berth behind fellow joint favourite More Than A Stroll and Conor O'Dwyer.
'He'll have one more run before going for the Aintree National, ' said Moore after his 10yo added to his Down Royal Jim Nicholson Chase victory recorded last November.
