TOM Taaffe’s 9/4 shot Argocat made full use of his light weight when running out a good winner of the featured Grade 2 €37,500 Greenmount Park Novice Chase at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day.

 

Conditions at the Patrickswell track were testing, with the recent rain leaving the going on the heavy side but that didn’t deter the Andrew McNamara-ridden four-year-old, who landed the day’s biggest pot with ease.

Willie Mullins’ Mikael D’Haguenet went off the 8/11 favourite for the two-mile, three-furlong contest but Rich Ricci’s former star hurdler once again blotted his copybook when falling at the fifth-last fence when still very much in contention.

The market leader’s exit opened up this five-runner affair in a big way and Agrocat, whose last run saw him chase home Twinlight in a good novice chase at Galway in October, stamped his authority on the race when surging clear in the home straight to beat Sue Bramall’s 14/1 shot Snooze by eight lengths.
“He had only 10-9 on his back and was getting all the allowances today,” said a thrilled Taaffe.

“He’s a good horse and today was a nice pot to win. I’m delighted for the owners, Fitri and Doc Hay and this horse won as a two-year-old on good ground at Newmarket so it’s a big difference running here today over fences. He won’t run again now until Cheltenham, where he will line up in the Jewson Chase,” concluded Straffan, County Kildare-based Taaffe.
Bookmakers got their afternoon off to the perfect start as 25/1 shot Love Rory took the opening race of the four-day meeting, the O’Kelly Bros Hurdle, for Enda Bolger and John Thomas McNamara.

A point-to-point winner, Love Rory handled the soft ground much better than his rivals and put his stamina to good use over the two-mile trip to beat disappointing even-money favourite Umpact by four-and-three-quarter lengths.

Cork trainer Jimmy Mangan landed a St Stephen’s Day winner as his 7/4 favourite Kilcrea scored under a good ride from his son, Paddy Mangan, in the Anglo Printers Maiden Hurdle, while local handler Eric McNamara kept his supporters happy when sending out 3/1 favourite Ponmeword to score under Rob Jones in the Sliabh Luachra Handicap Chase.

Robbie Colgan is a fine rider and the Meath native was seen to good effect when bringing Andy Lynch’s 5/1 shot, Futuramic, home in front in the Signplus Maiden Hurdle.
Fahamore won for the second year in-a-row at this fixture when following up his 2011 success in the Guinness Handicap Hurdle for trainer Eddie Harty and jockey Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden.

Kilkenny trainer Sharon Dunphy enjoyed a welcome change of fortune as her Richie Kiely-ridden 8/1 shot Pumbaa upset odds-on favourite Quickpick Vic (ridden by Derek O’Connor) to land the concluding GGL Security-sponsored bumper.

Arvika shines in Leopardstown feature

WILLIE Mullins’ Arvika Ligeonniere made it three wins from three starts over fences when landing the Grade 1 Racing Post Chase at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day.

A runaway winner of the Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse earlier this month under Ruby Walsh, Rich Ricci’s chaser was ridden on this occasion by Paul Townend and the seven-year-old was again sent out to make the running.

A well-backed 8/11 favourite, Arvika Ligeonniere seemed to jump out to his right at a good few of his fences but that didn’t stop the French-bred who, despite tiring visibly on the run-in, had enough in the tank to beat Oscar’s Well by two-and-a-half lengths, with Baily Green a further half-a-length back in third.

A thrilled Mullins said, “We thought he was a good horse when he won at Fairyhouse and he showed he was again today. He got a bit tired on the ground but that was to be expected. We dropped him back in trip and he coped well with that. He’s an exciting horse and Paul said he was idling a bit out in front. We’ll come back here for Arkle in February with him and I’m looking forward to that.”

Mullins, Ricci and Townend had earlier combined for big race success as Blood Cotil did the business for the trio in the Grade 2 Q8 Oils Juvenile Hurdle.
The absence of Dessie Hughes’ Our Conor made Blood Cotil’s task much simpler and the 4/9 favourite eased to a comfortable three-length success over runner-up Stockton’s Wing.

“He did that very well and settled nicely today as well, which we are very happy with,” said Mullins. “I’d like to think that Blood Cotil is up there with the best of our juvenile hurdlers and he might just have one more run before heading for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.”
Noel Meade has his team firing on all cylinders and the Navan handler struck early when sending out 4/5 favourite Ned Buntline to claim the opening four-year-old maiden hurdle.

Racing in the green and gold hoops of leading owner, JP McManus, Ned Buntline arrived full of running at the final flight and stayed on nicely on the run-in under Paul Carberry to beat Mullins’ Urano by two lengths.

Meanwhile, the King George at Kempton was the highlight across channel, with Long Run getting up close to record his second win in the race under his owner’s son, Sam Waley-Cohen.

Successful in 2010, Long Run had to dig really deep to land this year’s renewal when headed at the final fence by Captain Chris, with Nicky Henderson’s 15/8 favourite mounting a last-gasp challenge to beat Richard Johnson’s mount by a neck.

Tony McCoy took the Christmas Hurdle for his boss, JP McManus, when giving Darlan a power-packed ride to beat Raya Star by four-and-a-half lengths with Darlan’s trainer Nicky Henderson enjoyed a great afternoon at the London track when saddling four winners.

Early Christmas present for Elliott

GORDON Elliott received the perfect Christmas present when his Cause Of Causes sprung a 25/1 shock in the valuable Ladbrokes.com Hurdle at Ascot last Saturday.

Elliott, who moved into his brand new state-of-the art training centre at Longwood in County Meath three months ago, has been causing ripples in the training ranks and the former amateur rider bagged this big prize in good style.

Superbly ridden by Davy Condon, Cause Of Causes, who finished second to Rebel Fitz in the Galway Hurdle during the summer, handled the heavy ground with aplomb as the four-year-old came with a late challenge to beat runner-up Petit Robin by four lengths.

A thrilled Elliott reported, “I’ve won a Christmas Hurdle and a Fighting Fifth over here but to win a big handicap at Ascot is a real feather in my cap. I’m so pleased as, when he was second at Galway, I felt he should have won.”

The winner picked up over €90,000 for his trouble and will now be aimed at all the top novice races during the remainder of the season.
There was a strange appearance to the featured Long Walk Hurdle at the London track, given that Big Buck’s was an absentee due to his recent injury.

In the champion’s absence it was Nick Williams’ Reve De Sivola who picked up this prestigious Grade One when powering through the heavy ground to score under Richard Johnson.

Sent straight into the lead, Reve De Sivola (4/1), who had finished second to Big Bucks at Newbury, staked his claim to take over from Paul Nicholls’ sidelined star when running on powerfully up the Ascot straight to beat favourite Smad Place by an impressive 14 lengths.

The winner is now a best-priced 12/1 shot for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, with Quevega and Oscar Whisky currently quoted 5/1 joint-favourites for that three-mile contest.