Ilmig (Shane Foley, right) beats Jesse Evans (Colin Keane, red silks, star on cap)© Photo Healy Racing
Jockey Shane Foley may have glanced down in a concerned looking manner in the back straight at Navan, but all was well that ended well for his mount, Ilmig in the Flower Hill Maiden. Jessica Harrington’s charge brought up a double for the Kilkenny man on the day.
He’s eight behind Colin Keane in the battle to be champion jockey (95 plays 87) and he relegated the former champ to the runner-up spot here.
Keane looked like he’d triumph on smooth-travelling favourite Jesse Evans in the straight, but Ilmig (9/2 into 7/2) kept going best inside the last to win by half a length. Tiger Roll was never in the hunt after a very slow start and finished sixth. Paddy Power are 5/1 unchanged about the dual National hero for the Cross Country Chase, and 12/1 favourite unchanged for the Aintree spectacular in the spring.
Foley earlier won on Sounds Of Spring for Ken Condon, and after the brace was competed for the stable jockey Mrs Harrington’s daughter Kate said: “We're delighted with him, he's a lovely horse.
“We gelded him in the spring, threw him out in the summer, and he's come back in a different horse.
“I'm so happy for Geoffrey (Ruddock, owner), he lost his wife in the spring, and this should give him a bit of a lift. He'll go on hurdling now.
“Shane said he was hanging for some reason. He said he would have won a lot easier if he wasn't doing that. He seems fine after but we'll get him checked out.”
S. Foley, rider of Ilmig trained by Mrs John Harrington, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount hung left throughout.
Meanwhile Gigginstown racing manager Eddie O'Leary said: "He (Tiger Roll) missed the break, which was understandable as he hasn't been in stalls for a long time.
"He doesn't do a tap on his own. Sam (Ewing) was very good on him, he passed a few and he blew his head off afterwards so it was great - he needed it (run).
"All going well it will either be one of the cross-country chases at Cheltenham in November or December, or the Boyne Hurdle.
"He probably has to go over to Cheltenham, but his rating is a mockery (168) given he got beat off a horse rated 152 (Easysland, at Cheltenham in March)."
(GC & EM)
