Grade One success was a regular occurrence for Charlie Swan during a spectacular riding career but the former nine-time champion jockey enjoyed his biggest success as a trainer at Fairyhouse yesterday when One Cool Cookie made all the running to land the Powers Gold Cup.
The David Casey ridden 12 to 1 shot resolutely kept up a strong gallop to repel the favourite Schindlers Hunt by a length and a half with the 33 to 1 outsider, Anothercoppercoast, back in third.
Sure enough, Swan, who has enjoyed notable training successes with This Is Serious (Tote Eider Chase) and What A Native (Pierse Leopardstown Chase), was thrilled with the winner, who is owned by the Ryanair boss, Michael O'Leary, but there was also a definite regret that he can be added to the long list of people who have come off second best with O'Leary in an argument.
"He would have been some certainty in the Irish National tomorrow off 10st," Swan grinned, ruefully. "I wanted to run in the National but Mike said he was still a novice and should run in this instead. We had a few little arguments over it, but it was all a bit of a laugh, and you have to say, he was right in the end!"
Nevertheless, the way One Cool Cookie put up the best performance of his career yesterday, it's hard to argue with Swan's belief that the horse would have made a major impact against the older horses.
There was certainly an impressive maturity to the way he jumped and although the favourite recovered from a stumble after the third last, he never quite looked like getting past his rival. "Jumping is his forte, he likes this ground and he likes going right-handed," added Swan who has given One Cool Cookie an entry in the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown later in the month. "I was hopeful he would run well but I was afraid the other horse might have more class. He never missed a beat though. It's just that he won't have 9-13 in next year's National."
Both the probable favourite Wins Now and Ruby Walsh's mount Big Zeb were taken out of the Grade Two Hurdle due to their trainer's concerns about the ground and that left the way open for an impressive success by Aitmatov. Paul Carberry, riding his first winner since coming back from injury, picked correctly from the Noel Meade trio in the race and Aitmatov is now likely to go for the two and a half Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
"We are looking at that race for Aran Concerto but if the ground stays like this, he wouldn't run," explained Meade who was saddling his 99th winner of the season in Ireland, and his 100th in all with Jazz Messenger's Kempton success at Christmas.
Niall Madden and Colm Murphy, the trainers of Wins Now and Big Zeb, were both fined €200 and their horses banned for two days, after the stewards were not satisfied with their reasons for withdrawing.
Lounaos proved a disappointing favourite in the Grade Three mares hurdle which went to Grangeclare Lark who short-headed Shiul Aris in a driving finish. "It was very heavy in Cork the last time she ran so you had to forgive her that," said Dessie Hughes.
Tony Martin is gearing up for Dun Doire's attempt on Saturday's Aintree Grand National and he got the week off to the perfect start as Royal County Star scampered clear on the run-in to land the Beginners Chase.
The stewards decided the racecourse had been used as a schooling ground for the ninth in this race, Bob Klein, and the Pat Hughes-trained horse was banned from racing for 42 days. Hughes received a €1,000 fine and jockey Martin Mooney was suspended for seven days.
Amateur rider Robbie McNamara secured a double on Bob's Pride in the handicap hurdle and Sizing Africa in the bumper.
The crowd was up almost 3,000 on last year's corresponding fixture to 10,292. The Tote aggregate was also up by €58,000 to €340,878, but the bookies take was down €41,000 at €1.27 million.
