How did he stay on? Tom Doyle on Steele's Rock© Photo Healy Racing
Twice a winner over the course and distance in his hurdling days, Steele's Rock landed a real good punt (6s this morning into 5/2) in the Thomastown Beginners Chase at Gowran as the easy-to-back favourite Gagewell Flyer (4/7 this morning out to 10/11) failed to deliver. However such facts tell little of the drama that this two and a half miler threw up.
Steele's Rock put up a great display of jumping from the front. From some way out it was difficult to see Paul Townend bridge the gap on Gagewell Flyer. However Steele's Rock made a bad mistake at the last which Tom Doyle did well to survive. He briefly stopped to a trot as Doyle regained his seat, without the irons and he'd have done well to hold on if Gagewell Flyer hadn't himself crashed out at this point.
It wasn't altogether surprising to see Doyle hop down off Steele's Rock and lead him back in. The Inistioge, County Kilkenny jockey reported: "He was a bit sore pulling up but he got sounder as he walked back in. He made a bad mistake at the last and maybe he just tweaked something." (GC & EM)
