Leopardstown Sunday: Edward O'Grady produced Pizarro and Sacundai in top shape to rehabilitate their Cheltenham credentials yesterday and then admitted to "trainer error". Both horses had flopped on their previous starts and sent their trainer home scratching his head.
"After 32 years at this game, I think I must be a slow learner," O'Grady grinned after Sacundai earned a 5 to 1 Stayers Hurdle quote by winning the Woodies Christmas Hurdle.
Pizarro, like Sacundai, had followed up a scintillating first effort of the season with a poor effort in the Drinmore but there was no sign of a repeat as he galloped his William Neville Chase opposition into the ground.
"I'm very lucky to have excellent facilities at home and I think I overcooked them. Pizarro was not terribly fit when he won at Clonmel and I would say it could have been trainer error that beat him at Fairyhouse. We saw the wrong side of Goldilocks there," O'Grady said.
But Pizarro was very good yesterday, leading after the second last and putting nine lengths between himself and Best Mate's stable companion Rosslea.
The favourite, Emotional Moment, fell five out and Hi Cloy didn't appear to stay but Cashmans saw enough to reintroduce Pizarro into their SunAlliance Chase market at 10 to 1.
"We'll try and get to Cheltenham a third time and I'd like to think he will be better over three miles," said O'Grady, who will run Pizarro next in the PJ Moriarty in early February.
Sacundai's task was eased when Florida Coast was pulled up and was later described as being "clinically abnormal".
But the Aintree Hurdle winner will be targeted for a crack at Baracouda in March.
"Last year we made a bee-line for Aintree which worked out but this time we'll go for Cheltenham," O'Grady said. "When the (James) Bowe horse (Florida Coast) went out we were entitled to beat the rest but the Stayers is a very good race."
The O'Grady string further emphasised their wellbeing when Forty Licks won for Rhinestone Cowboy's rider, JP Magnier, in the bumper.
Adarma started a 1-3 favourite for the conditions hurdle but dramatically unseated Alan Crowe at the very first obstacle.
That left the newcomer Demophilos, runner up to Milan in the St Leger two years ago, to record a bloodless success.
Nevertheless, trainer Dessie Hughes said: "He should be a very good novice. That was very handy and that will have been a confidence boost."
Yesterday's official attendance of 19,289 bet an all-time course record with the bookmakers of 2,875,050. That was up 910,574 on 2002. The crowd, which was up 5,500 on last year, also bet 646,037 on the Tote.
