Quick Grabim and Ruby Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
"I dropped him in off a slow pace at Navan the last day and he missed the second last but it's much easier to dictate your own speed in front," said Ruby Walsh after winning the Grade One BARONERACING.COM Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Quick Grabim
Backed from 5/4 into even money to reverse Navan form with his Willie Mullins stable companion Aramon Walsh and Quick Grabim controlled things nicely from the front in this four runner affair and jumped slickly.
He had a really smart change of gear when required over the closing couple of flights to account for Triplicate by three and three parts of a length.
The aforementioned Aramon was three and a quarter lengths back in third whilst Commander Of Fleet brought up the rear, a length and a quarter back.
"Davy (Russell) was pushing me to go faster (on Commander Of Fleet) to make it more of a stamina test and I was trying to slow it down to make it more of a speed test but that's just the tactics of it," further explained Walsh.
"He absolutely flew the second last and landed running and I set sail and he was good and quick at the last so it was great."
Geraldine Worcester owns Quick Grabim and of course with her late husband Michael they had 1997 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Mr Mulligan.
“I thought Ruby was tactically brilliant today. He jumped out in front and saw there was no pace. We were hoping someone else might make the pace so Ruby made the running slowed it down and then caught them on the hop. He had the horse to do it," said Willie Mullins.
“He got him settled and Ruby had him jumping so slick and that was probably the winning of the race.
“We tried something in Navan (holding him up) and it didn’t work, and he was 7lb better off today. Ruby had two plans going out and he went to plan B as we thought the Gigginstown horse might make it.
“Leopardstown is the obvious place to go after here. His owner missed her flight over today so I better tell her to book her flight early next time!”
Quick Grabim is 14/1 (from 25/1) with Boylesports for the Supreme Novices Hurdle.
Meanwhile Gordon Elliott later said of Commander Of Fleet: “We knew he wanted two and a half miles, and from the last to the line he’s staying on the whole way. He’s a horse for the future — a nice horse.”
(AM & EM)
