Geraghty double at Fairyhouse
There was a double Easter Sunday success for Meath jockey Barry Geraghty at his local Fairyhouse track on the opening day of the Festival when he won with Jer’s Girl to give trainer Gavin Cromwell his first Grade 1 victory and then was on the mark in the feature event, the Ryanair Gold Cup, with Kylemore Lough for UK trainer Kerry Lee.
Jer’s Girl took the lead in the home straight approaching the second last and Geraghty sent her on after negotiating that hurdle to win by 13 lengths.
“That’s fantastic. I couldn’t believe how well she did it. I quietly fancied her. It’s brilliant,” stated the trainer who last week had the responsibility of putting the racing plates on Don Cossack in his role as a farrier.
“I’m in shock and she’s done it so well. I wasn’t worried about the two and a half miles particularly as it isn’t bottomless ground.
“All her form is solid but you just don’t know about a juvenile taking on the older horses. Punchestown has to be part of the plans,” he added.
Geraghty was back in the winners’ enclosure after the Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase which he won with the seven-year-old that was the Herefordshire trainer’s first runner in Ireland and also her first runner in a Grade 1 race.
They very nearly didn’t make it to Fairyhouse as the ferry wouldn’t take any horses on Friday due to the weather.
'We had to divert to Haydock overnight and we were fortunate that we got a sailing yesterday,” stated the trainer.
The 7/4 chance was completing a five-timer and posed too many questions for the favourite Outlander with the Tony Martin-trained and John Breslin-owned Blair Perrone a further six lengths adrift in third.
Owner Mick McMahon also bred Kylemore Lough and is from Clare and now living in Birmingham and is in partnership with Denis Gallagher from Achill Island in Mayo.
Tony Martin was also on the mark with Dollar And A Dream in a handicap hurdle to maintain his recent good form.
“All went to plan and fortune was on our side today. Sometimes it goes the other way,” suggested the trainer in a post-race interview.
The Tote Aggregate showed a healthy increase on 2015 at €381,594 compared to last Year at €316,551.00
CORK
Ashbourne jockey Andrew Lynch was in Cork today where he was on the mark for Larne trainer Stuart Crawford and claimed the featured Grade 3 Imperial Call Chase with stable star Fine Rightly.
“He could run in the Scottish National if there’s some moisture otherwise he could be left off early and brought back in early,” stated the trainer.
Lynch and Crawford were successful at Carlisle on Saturday when Baby Bach (1/4) won the opening race on the card.