Bentham (left) and Conor McNamara beat Celine Soprano.© Photo Healy Racing
It certainly wasn’t a good day for trainer Gavin Cromwell with the announcement of the death of his 2019 Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen, but it did end on a somewhat brighter note when Conor McNamara got Bentham up close home to take the closing Beaufort Golf Club (Pro-Am) INH Flat Race.
The claiming professional’s 7lbs allowance was doubtless invaluable as he challenged on the favoured stands’ side and his mount wore down Celine Soprano (8/1) to score by half a length, with the 5/2 favourite Harrison Line running a good race on debut in third, another three and a half lengths away, having raced freely in the early stages which were steadily run.
The winner had previously been successful at Bellewstown in July under Mark O’Hare.
"He's by Jeremy and they're supposed to like the soft ground but this ground is the key to him," said winning trainer Cromwell.
"I ran him a couple of times on soft ground when I shouldn't have.
"He is in my wife's colours. We'll see if he's sold or not but we could go over hurdles with him."
Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy
