'Life is too short to be worrying about this' - A dramatic DRF bumper but bright prospects emerge

The Leopardstown bumper delivered plenty of drama and excitement. Moonverrin trained by Martin Hassett, ran a confident and professional race, traveling well throughout and ultimately winning impressively.

Hassett had predicted a victory beforehand, and the mare lived up to expectations, showing plenty of potential as a six-year-old for the future.

The race was overshadowed somewhat by a mistake from Steven Connor aboard Royal Hillsborough who misjudged the 50-yard marker for the finish line and eased off too early, costing the horse a likely better placing.

The incident sparked debate about the usefulness of the 50-yard marker, with many arguing it is unnecessary since jockeys can judge the finish using furlong markers and their knowledge of the track.

Silly mistake

Speaking on irishracing.com’s Irish Angle, Johnny Ward shares sympathy: “Punters who back this horse, I've sympathy for them but this is on the jockey you know, he's the fellow who had to wake up today and in the overall scheme of life and like the tragedies in one's life, Steven will get over this. It’s not the end of the world.

“Life is too short to be worrying about this. He made a mistake but it was a genuine mistake. He wasn't showboating or anything like that.”

Jockey Coach, Paddy Flood, on the jockey’s mistake: “He'll be goated. Now, if I owned the horse, I'd be gutted, too. It's a 100 grand bumper. They don't come around very often.

“He deserves an arm around the shoulder and I hope he doesn't feel too bad about it. But at the same time, he deserves his two-week ban because it's a silly mistake to make.”

Despite the mishap, both mares - Moonverrin and Royal Hillsborough - demonstrated they have bright prospects ahead.

Moonverrin, in particular, looked composed and capable of stepping up in class, while Royal Hillsborough showed enough to indicate potential for improvement.

Overall, the race highlighted both the skill of amateur riders in Ireland and the quality of the young horses, making it an event with plenty of promise for the future.

The Winner

Moonverrin is a 5-year-old Irish-bred bay mare, foaled April 20, 2021, trained by Martin Hassett and for owner/breeder Ned Morris. She’s by Well Chosen out of Belsalsa (by Kingsalsa). She has shown promise early in her career with two wins and a place from her first three starts. She debuted with a strong second at Fairyhouse and followed up with a win in an Irish Stallion Farms EBF mares flat race at Cork in January 2026.

This weekend was her biggest success where she took the lead in the closing stages and won narrowly under Finian Maguire at long odds (ISP 20/1). Moonverrin showed determination and stamina to get up on the line, adding a valuable Grade 2 bumper victory to her record and marking her as one to watch going forward.