Doubts over Dundee future

Nick Dundee may have run his last race although staging a winning comeback at Cork this afternoon in the Buttevant To Doneraile Chase.

Although winning trainer Edward O`Grady initially expressed relief with the outcome, the Tipperary handler later revealed that the injury-plagued nine-year-old had finished unsound.

'Nick Dundee is not sound in front and, subject to talking to his owners, retirement is a considered option now with him.'

It was all an anti-climax for the O`Grady camp and regular partner Norman Williamson, the locally-born English-based rider who had made all the running on the odds-on favourite.

A drifter in the market from 1-4 to 2-5 despite the late withdrawal of Ferbet Junior, Nick Dundee overcame a couple of untidy jumps to move away from the well-backed Clash Of The Gales and the outsider Bregogue (20-1) turning into the home straight.

Both the winner and Clash Of The Gales, which was later found to have burst a blood vessel, made mistakes at the third last, but Williamson had the favourite in a clear lead before the final fence and they could afford to coast home by three-and-a-half lengths as Bregogue took the runner-up spot by half-a-length from Clash of the Gales.

Nick Dundee was reappearing for the first time since last February and looked ready to do himself justice, having failed to win in three starts last winter following his successful comeback in this race a year ago when it was transferred to Navan.

There were no dramas, however, post-race regarding another successful favourite Knife Edge which romped away with the O`Connell Transport Hilly Way Chase in the hands of Tom Rudd.

Back at the course where he had recorded his most impressive win over hurdles, Knife Edge was always out-jumping his main market rival Moscow Express who kept on under pressure from champion jockey Ruby Walsh to finish second beaten three lengths.

But it was a case of Knife Edge bar a fall from a long way out, this former top-class hurdler looking to be enjoying every moment of this two-mile contest on a level track at which his finishing pace was always going to prove decisive.

Knife Edge will go next to Leopardstown for a similar event later this month and not surprisingly has shortened to 16-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham which is his prime target according to trainer Michael O`Brien.

Walsh ended up on the deck in two other races, the heavily-backed 11-8 favourite Davenport Milenium coming to grief at the second last in the Connell Warehousing (Ireland) Stayers Novice Hurdle.

At that stage Walsh was already beginning to look anxious on the favourite as the locally-trained Barrow Drive which went off in front at set a searching gallop, was not stopping although not always fluent at his obstacles.

After completing a four-timer (two bumpers and two hurdles), Barrow Drive could represent trainer Charles Byrnes at Cheltenham at the Royal & SunAlliance Novices` Hurdle on this evidence.

Walsh was an early casualty aboard another Willie Mullins-trained fancied runner Assessed in the Mallow Novice Chase, but emerged unscathed.

Victory went to 10-1 chance Dantes Bank, following up his Thurles comeback win recently for Limerick owner-trainer Annette McMahon and jockey Kieran Gaule.

In sharp contrast to the fate of the Mullins yard, Dungarvan trainer John Kiely had a day to remember as he landed his first-ever treble which was initiated by the top weight Keevers (8-1) in the hands of Pat Crowley in the Tote Exacta Handicap Hurdle.

Touch Supreme (7-4) in the ESB Maiden Hurdle and Killamery (9-10) in the concluding bumper were his other winners for a 46-1 trio.