Richard Dunwoody celebrated his 34th birthday with a double at Fairyhouse yesterday, and in the imposing shape of Sarsfield The Man he received an exciting and potentially lucrative present.
The Liam Browne-trained seven-year-old had been unbeaten in two bumpers and turned his hurdling debut into a procession as he won the Goosander Maiden by 14 lengths from Dorans Pride's half brother, Scarvagh.
"That was very impressive and he's something to look forward to," Dunwoody grinned. What he and Browne can look forward to is the SunAlliance Hurdle, for which Sarsfield The Man has been given a 10 to 1 quote by Sean Graham bookmakers.
"I asked Richard was he good enough for the SunAlliance and he told me why not," said Browne, who saddled Mr Kildare to win the SunAlliance 20 years ago.
"This horse has been jumping fences for the last couple of months, but we decided to go hurdling after he won his bumper at Christmas. I couldn't have asked for any more. If he'd won a bumper like that I'd have been happy, never mind a hurdle. He has such a big frame that he can only improve, and you wouldn't know what he might become."
Dunwoody brought his total of winners in Britain and Ireland this season to 100 when Fallow Trix travelled the shortest way into the straight on the very testing ground to beat the gambled-on Mulkev Prince by nine lengths and bring Dunwoody's Irish total to 34.
Another man on the double was Willie Mullins and he too saw some Cheltenham hopes ignited. Hotel Tuskar, at 6 to 1, absolutely bolted home in the bumper, and considering Mullins has won the last two Cheltenham bumpers, the debut winner was immediately pounced on as a possible for a hat-trick bid.
"I suppose that's the first thing that comes to mind and he'll probably go to Cheltenham. He's the only one on the shortlist anyway," Mullins said. "We had been thinking of it until before Christmas when he worked badly, but now they've been rekindled. He has been very hard to train because he is so free and hard on himself, but he has always looked a smasher."
With heavy rain turning the ground heavy, Mullins had thought Toureen Gale's chance had diminished in the Tattersalls Mares Novice Chase, but the Tommy Treacy-ridden horse fought back gallantly to touch off the fast-finishing Black Queen and Raheen River, who only managed third after leading 50 yards from the line.
Divine Dancer held off another fast finisher in Supreme Gold to win the opener, and considering the weather, it was not surprising to hear that owner Edward Campbell is in Lanzarote and trainer Ger Lyons is currently holidaying in Barbados!
Divine Dancer's breeder, William Flood, got on the scoreboard as a trainer when Wilbar sprang a 20 to 1 shock in the hunters chase, giving rider John O'Connell his first racecourse winner and surprising Lucky Town and the favourite, Stay In Touch.
"He's a family pet and, if its soft, he could go for the Foxhunters at Cheltenham. We'll give him another run, though, to see if this was a fluke," said Flood from Trim, Co. Meath.
