Snow Falcon clears the last under Sean Flanagan© Photo Healy Racing
Snow Falcon made a great day even better for Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan, as he completed a treble for the pair in the Grade 2 MyCarNeedsA.com Chase.
Successful in the Kerry National on his last start, the son of Presenting was sent off an 11/4 chance this afternoon, having opened on-course at 10/3.
Settled in third by Flanagan, the Patricia Hunt (completing a double on the card) owned eight-year-old, closed on the front runners from six out, but wasn't fluent at the next.
He jumped the third last in a three way share of the lead, and hit the front before the next, keeping on well under pressure from the last to score by a length and a half. Shattered Love finished second under Jack Kennedy for Gordon Elliott at 4/1, while the 6/4 favourite Monalee was another five lengths back in third for Noel Fehily and Henry de Bromhead.
Meade said: "It has always been a lucky enough meeting for me since its first inception really. It has always been good to us.
"He's a lovely horse and he's a very genuine horse that has been there or thereabouts. He won the Kerry National and deserved to win a race like that.
"We learned a few things about him and he's better when he doesn't run too often and when there is a bit of a dig in the ground.
"He'll be entered in the big race at Christmas and he'll be entered in the King George and all those races because he does stay three miles.
"He's entered in the race at Newbury which is now the Ladbroke Trophy and was the Hennessy - he will probably end up with too much weight in it. If the likes of Coneygree or something like that was in it then it might be a possibility. I wouldn't be keen to go over there to carry top weight. We'll give him all the time he needs.
"He's a bit lazy when he gets to the front. He is a good horse - he was just touched off in a Liverpool Hurdle and was going real well in a Grade Two in Newbury a couple of years ago and fell at the second-last."
Flanagan added: "I was talking to a friend this morning and I said I could possibly ride a treble if everything goes according to plan.
"I would have been delighted with one, pleased with two, but with three it's unreal. It's great for the yard as a lot of work goes in.
"I was out and missed him in Listowel but I was genuinely thrilled for him there because he is a right horse. He is genuine, jumps, travels and does everything but always just fell a little bit short.
"Obviously looking back now he probably just lacked a gear over hurdles. It is really starting to fall into place for him now and he is super jumper of a fence which is a big thing as well.
"He was very deliberate over hurdles, he used to drive them out in front of him. When Noel said last year he was going to go chasing I wasn't sure, but to be fair to him he hasn't made a mistake since he started.
"Whether he is good enough or not, he deserves a crack at a Grade 1."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham
