Merveilles ran out an impressive winner of the Summer Festival Hurdle instigating a double for trainer Jessica Harrington at Tipperary's seven race mixed card on Friday evening. Paddy Flood deputised for the injured Barry Geraghty aboard the 2/1 second favourite to partner his first winner of the new National Hunt season.
The winner stalked 1/2 favourite South West One throughout before going on to lead three out and score by four and a half lengths at the death. The double was complete thirty minutes later when Ebenholz flew home under a determined Niall McCullagh.
Held up at the back during the five-furlong sprint by McCullagh, the four year came with a late burst leading in the last 100 yards and staying on well to score from Calm Lad in second.
Tipperary proved to be an expensive haunting ground for odds on punters when the first three jollys were all overturned at odds of 9/10, 1/2, and 4/6 respectively.
That said the bookies failed to have it all their own way as the opening winner was backed from 10/1 into 7/1 having traded at bigger odds earlier in the morning.
Mick Kinane was at his very best when landing the two-year-old maiden aboard Reine De Coeur. The filly by Montjeu was trained by David Marnane didn't get the cleanest of passages throughout the extended seven furlong event and with just under two furlongs to race Kinane switched the winner from the rail out wide. That proved a valuable move as she moved to lead and win readily by a length and a half.
Tipperary trainer Marnane said afterwards, 'I am very thankful to Ray Grehan for trusting us with such an expensive filly. We will see where we go from here but there is a Group 3 for fillies in Naas in two weeks time and that could be a possibility if she comes out of this well.'
In the second race of the evening, Seamie Heffernan extended his advantage at the summit of the flat jockey's championship when partnering Arcadius to land the Primus Advertising Maiden. Heffernan was prominent throughout the race, taking it up early on and the pair stole some ground coming around the final bend and were never troubled from there on in.
'He improved a lot from his first run and was impressive today,' said the winning rider, of the Giants Causeway colt. 'It goes to show no matter how much work you do at home you can't beat a bit of experience on the track and that stood to him today.'
Many looked to be in with chances jumping the last in the first division of the Templetuohy Farm Machinery Maiden Hurdle but it was Phillip Rothwell's Dark Bolero who emerged to land the spoils under Shane Jackson.
The 10/1 shot was victorious by three parts of a length but it was little surprise to his trainer, 'He is a lovely horse who I think a lot of. I was delighted with him last season in a hurdle at Gowran and he just did not take to the ground in a bumper at Leopardstown last time out. I have been waiting a while for the ground and depending what mark he gets he will go handicapping or else novice hurdling.'
Bambootcha won the second division in the colours of the Price Of Oats Syndicate under Donie Fahy. It was a race that brought even more misery to odds on punters when Aldhaher Beebers (4/6), could only finish third.
Lemons Legend went one better then last time out when she was second behind Tyndall as she went on to triumph in the www.tipperaryraces.ie Qualified Riders Handicap Hurdle for trainer Steven Mahon and seven pound claiming jockey Keith Bowens.
The concluding bumper was won by 5/2 shot Your Sum Man eventually giving favourite backers something to shout about. It was two on the trot for the Tony Mullins trained five year old who is now likely to head for a mile and six amateur riders flat race at Leopardstown.
By Niall Cronin
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