Risk Belle justified favouritism in the €100,000 RYBO Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse but needed the assistance of the stewards to claim victory.
It was Seán Doyle’s Monbeg Park who was first past the past, coming home half a length clear of the Willie Mullins-trained 7-2 market leader.
However, with half a furlong to run the two got close together and at one point Risk Belle was knocked off her stride.
Brian Lawless, on Monbeg Park, tried his hardest to keep his mount off Risk Belle, but he continued to lug right and the decision perhaps came as no surprise.
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Risk Belle had jumped the last upsides in the Boodles at Cheltenham before being beaten a neck into third by Jazzy Matty, who finished down the field in this.
It capped a fine day for owner JP McManus, who was on hand to welcome back three winners, with Tony Martin’s Gain De Cause (15-8) winning the Fred Kenny Lifetime Services To Racing Ladies National Handicap Chase and Canal End (9-4) the opening Tom Quinlan Electrical Maiden Hurdle.
Canal End was a victory on his return to action for Mark Walsh, who having also been on Risk Belle will have been pleased with a double on his first day out since Cheltenham.
“She got good experience in Cheltenham and you would have called her a winner jumping the last and just got run out of it up the hill. She had a lovely light weight today,” said Walsh of Risk Belle
“She got a good run through the race and it all went to plan bar the interference after the last. Hopefully she can keep improving.”
Frank Berry, McManus’s racing manager, said: “She got a couple of bumps. It’s never a nice way to win and also a horrible way to lose, but she ran a blinder.
“She got a bad fall in Leopardstown and was a bit unlucky in the Boodles so it’s nice for her to get that. She jumped great today and if she comes out of this well there is every chance she will go on to Punchestown.”
Mullins was also on the mark with Annamix (18-1) and Instit (15-2), with both beating better-fancied stablemates.
Instit turned over her much better-fancied Allegorie De Vassy to win the BoyleSports Mares’ Novice Chase.
Allegorie De Vassy appeared to have the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways having been narrowly denied by Impervious at Cheltenham.
It would have been an easy decision for Paul Townend to choose her over Instit, given there was officially 20lb between them on ratings.
Everything appeared to be going smoothly for Townend as he tracked Instit (15-2) into the straight, but as has happened so many times in recent years, Danny Mullins had given his mount the perfect ride from the front.
Having taken over on the run to the last, Townend suddenly looked worried in front and Instit had just about regained the upper hand before Allegorie De Vassey made a jolting mistake and the race was over.
“She’s a mare that hadn’t fulfilled her potential over fences verses what I’d seen from her over hurdles,” said Danny Mullins.
“I was conscious not to set it up for Paul and save my own petrol in parts. The race mapped out perfectly for him and my filly still managed to come out on top.
“We went good even fractions for the first two miles and were able to get a breather in. A great jump at the third-last gave me a chance and of the two mistakes at the last mine was more minor which allowed me to land galloping a bit faster and got away to win nicely.
“The ground is pretty dead. We had a lot of rain over the past week but there is fantastic grass and the course is in good condition. A strong wind and a bit of sun today has left it sticky. Fairyhouse takes a good round of jumping and the best horse usually wins.”
Annamix was a surprise victor in the Low.ie Best For Mortgage Protection & Life Insurance Hunters’ Chase, winning for the first time since November 2020.
Once an ante-post favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, it is fair to say Rich and Susannah Ricci’s grey has not lived up to expectations.
Even in the hunter chase sphere he has failed to hit the heights and he looked up against it adrift of odds-on favourite Ferns Lock and Mullins stablemate Billaway.
But Charlie Mullins refused to accept defeat and he powered away after the last to win by four and a half lengths. Ferns Lock faded very tamely into third.
“I knew they had gone pretty quick and I said I’d sit back,” said the winning rider.
“I felt he had a chance turning into the straight. When he passed one or two he took a hold with me again. I let him fly at the last and he kept picking up for me.
“He made a few bad mistakes and can take off from anywhere!”
