Leanne takes a fence behind Trafford Lad (no.4) andthe partly-hidden The Midnight Club© Photo Healy Racing
Leanne got up close home to touch off Trafford Lad in the two and a half miles Clonmel Festival Week Chase as The Midnight Club did little to advertise his Grand National claims when soundly beaten in third.
Leanne was done few favours by leader Trafford Lad who jumped left across the mare at the final two fences.
However Bryan Cooper galvanised the daughter of Alderbrook on the run-in, and the 6/1 chance got up in the closing stages to beat Trafford Lad (8/1) by three quarters of a length.
Ruby Walsh was hard at work on The Midnight Club from four out, and the easy-to-back 4/5 favourite couldn’t land a blow on the first two in the straight finishing a further four and three quarter lengths back. Cooldine was held up out the back in the five-runner affair, and never got involved finishing another six and a half lengths away in fourth.
Walsh, who flew back this morning from London where he failed in his appeal against a recent three-day suspension at Cheltenham, said “He was never going and the ground was just too heavy.”
Winning trainer Bill Harney said, “She’s in some health. We’ll have to sit and think about plans. She’s entered this day week at Thurles but probably won’t run.”
Trafford Lad's trainer Lar Butler said, "It's hard to find races for a horse rated 142 but the drop in class helped. He'll probably go for a race at Navan the week after Cheltenham."
