Betheholygobbs in shock win for Brassil

Newmarket-on-Fergus trainer John Brassil tasted success as his Betheholygobbs sprung a 14/1 shock under Kerry jockey Tim Doyle in the www.thurlesracecourse.ie Handicap Chase at Thurles last Thursday.
In front three out, Betheholygobbs looked beaten when headed at the second last by Burnt Oil Babe but the son of Insan rallied again close to home, putting his head in front on the run-in to beat that rival by three lengths.
Remarkably, this was Betheholygobbs’ first racecourse success on his 20th attempt since he won a point-to-point at Avaune back in December ’07.
Brassil, who trains the winner for Castletownroche, County Cork farmer Eddie Farrell, was thrilled that his charge finally broke his duck. “It’s great for the owner, he has been a very loyal patron of mine over the years. As a jockey, I rode Hamers Flame to win the 1983 Galway Plate for him and he was also involved in How’s The Boss, whom I trained to win the then Ladbroke Hurdle back in 1992,” he said.
“This horse has been very unlucky not to have won up to now and it just proves if you stay at it long enough you’ll find something.  He has run some terrific races in defeat and he certainly deserved his day in the sun. I’m hoping the handicapper will not be too hard on him and he should be up to winning a similar type of race again,” he added.
Earlier in the afternoon at the Tipperary venue, Tony Martin’s Psycho (5/2) put his best foot forward when running out a smooth winner of the featured Grade 3 Beamish Stout Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase.
A talented but quirky sort, Psycho was on his best behaviour here as he turned in a fine round of jumping under Paul Carberry to beat the pace-setting Let Yourself Go by two and a half lengths.
On the point-to-point scene, the only meeting to take place last Sunday was the Muskerry Foxhounds’ session at Aughabullogue, County Cork, where there was an all-Clare conclusion to the seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
This was a thrilling affair, with the Barry John Foley-ridden 7/1 shot Danpaddyandy, trained in Newmarket-on-Fergus by Fachtna Twomey for his wife Lorna Casey, just getting the better of a titanic battle with Paddsparks (6/1) from Ruth Hassett’s Quin stable.
This pair had the contest between them in the closing stages, with Danpaddyandy just pulling out that bit more on the run-in to get the better of the JD Moore-partnered runner-up by a head.
Wexford jockey Jamie Codd moved to within four winners (25-21) of reigning champion Derek O’Connor at the head of the point-to-point riders’ championship when registering a double at the Leeside venue.
Codd opened his account for the afternoon when steering 3/1 chance Rossmore Lad to victory for Wicklow trainer Liam Kenny in the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, following up half an hour later as Jimmy Mangan’s 8/1 outside Oscar Delta came out on top when beating Island Peak by a length in the open lightweight.

Mullins 1-2 in Leopardstown

Willie Mullins has his team in great form at the moment and the Carlow handler emphasised that fact when his well-backed Final Account led home a notable 1-2 for the champion trainer in last Sunday’s valuable MCR Hurdle at Leopardstown.
This €100,000 handicap is one of the trickiest puzzles of the season to solve but sustained money for Final Account (14s into 6/1 at the off) suggested that the Paul Townend-ridden five-year-old was fancied and the players were forced to dig deep into their satchels as the market mover did the business.
Townend, who is surely a future champion jockey, gave Final Account a peach of a ride, hugging the rail all the way round in this competitive two-miler before punching his mount to the front off the home bend.
A minor mistake at the final flight did little to halt Final Account’s progress and he ran on in great style to beat his fast-finishing stable companion Call The Police (Emmett Mullins) by two lengths, with Joanna Morgan’s Mutadarek in third.
The fact, that the winner carried the colours of Douglas Taylor, managing director of the sponsors, MCR Recruitment, and the mastermind behind the very successful gamble on D Four Dave at Kilbeggan last summer, meant that this was an extra special occasion for the winning owner, who also bred the successful son of Pivotal.
“We aimed Final Approach at this race all year and, thank God, it has worked out,” said Mullins.  “While Paul (Townend) might have got the front a bit soon, he still gave the horse a great ride.  I’m very pleased with the runner-up as well, he ran a cracking race. We’ll have to see where the winner will go now; today might have been his Derby.”
There was drama in the earlier three-runner Grade 2 Tote Pick Six Killiney Novice Chase, where Gordon Elliott’s hot-pot Jessies Dream was beaten by the Davy Russell-ridden Magnanimity.
A fortunate winner of the Drinmore at Fairyhouse last month, where the final fence exit of Mikael D’Huguenet handed him the race, Jessies Dream went off 4/9 favourite to add this €40,000 two-mile, five-furlong contest to his CV but it all went pear-shaped as the opportunistic Russell outwitted an over-confident Timmy Murphy.
Russell forced the pace aboard the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Magnanimity (9/4) all through, throwing his mount into every fence as the pair made the best of their way home. In contrast, Murphy was biding his time in behind and, while it appeared as if the favourite could pick up the leader anytime he liked, that didn’t prove to be the case when push came to shove, as Jessies Dream, who lost a good bit of ground when running out to his right at the last, just could not peg back the winner, who passed the line three-parts of a length in front.
While the winner is a good horse, the fact that Murphy didn’t allow his mount, who was full of running at that stage, take closer order between the final two fences may well have cost him the race.
Spancilhill trainer Noel Glynn had hoped to run his exciting jumping prospect Old McDonald in the opening maiden hurdle at the Foxrock track but, having set out from his Durra House yard at 7am, Glynn was forced to abandon ship when unable to complete his journey due to the frosty roads. Victory in this two-mile event went to 5/1 shot The Bull Hayes, who carried Barry Geraghty to an impressive 12-length victory from the Tony McCoy-ridden 5/4 favourite Ballyburke.
McCoy, who completed a full hand of Grand National successes when guiding Synchronised to victory for his boss JP McManus and trainer Jonjo O’Neill in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow the previous afternoon, didn’t leave empty-handed however, as he visited the number one berth when brining Rahan De Marcigny (7/2) home in front in the Beginners’ Chase.
Trained by Noel Meade, the winner jumped well and showed a good attitude when rallying close home to get the better of Willie Mullins’ Tawaagg by half a length.
It has been a great few weeks for 15-time champion jockey McCoy, who provided the sport of racing with a welcome boost when crowned the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December.