Champagne celebrations after Gowran opener Champagne Jury was a warm order in the opening Red Mills Auction Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park this afternoon and got favourite backers off to a winning start. The Gavin Cromwell-trained gelding went to post an even-money shot in the two-mile contest and went to the front with a circuit to run, under Keith Donoghue. He was asked to assert before the final flight and, despite a sloppy jump there, had enough up his sleeve to record a two-and-a-quarter length win over Eagle’s Quest. The Jukebox Jury gelding had won a bumper at Naas almost a year ago. He was making his third outing over timber and had an official rating of 124 after a couple of placed efforts. Cromwell said:- "It was testing ground the day he won his bumper at Naas but it is very testing ground today and while he got a grand lead, it was very hard to tell how fast to go. "They went very steady and quickened it from the turn-in, but they still finished tired. I wouldn't say you could quicken for too long on that ground. “He did everything right and off his rating (124), he was supposed to win that. "It's not as if I haven't thought about going for the Series Final at the Punchestown festival, but I will consider going straight chasing with him now. He is getting on and chasing will be his job." (Quotes by Tom Weekes)
