Abbey Magic produced a fluent display of jumping when making all to land the featured Baroneracing.com Handicap Chase in Navan yesterday, providing Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore with the second leg of a Sunday double, initiated by Daybreak Boy in the opener.
A seven-year-old mare, owned by the Halley family and previously trained by John Berry, Abbey Magic was following-up her chase debut victory at Kilbeggan and, having dictated the pace, she stayed on stoutly to beat Sam King by four and a half lengths.
“It’s brilliant,” declared de Bromhead. “She jumped really well and Rachael gave her a super ride. She was a lovely mare to get and to do what she did out there, in her first handicap, is not easy. Rachael is flying. She’s a great rider and is full of confidence.”
And he admitted: “I hadn’t looked beyond today, but we might be tempted to dip back into novices with her – there’s a nice programme of races for mares.”
Blackmore excelled too when Daybreak Boy, in the colours of Tralee man John Byrne, put his experience to good use in the opening Bar One Racing Download The App Maiden Hurdle.
The 7/4 favourite mastered Hyperdrive before the final flight before forging clear on the run-in to triumph by six and a half lengths, prompting the winning trainer to explain: “He had a couple of good runs last season and was a bit unlucky in Punchestown. He went a bit wrong on us during the summer and we gave him a short break. We always though he was a nice horse and he goes on most grounds. It’s great that he has rewarded John for his patience.”
Rolanna, trained in County Wexford by Willie Martin, landed the baroneracing.com Sign-Up Bonus Hurdle in dramatic style.
Optical Confusion (David Mullins) looked an assured winner going to the last and early on the run-in before being collared late and beaten a half-length by the gutsy mare Rolanna, ridden by Adam Short, who was riding his third winner in a week, but picked-up a one-day whip ban.
“We were going to pull her out because we thought it might be too firm for her,” admitted Michael Martin, son and assistant to his father.
“We don’t want to run her in handicaps yet, because her jumping is a bit too deliberate. She needs more experience, but she’s tough. Hurdling has definitely improved her.”
Placed in his three previous outings over fences, and a beaten favourite on his last two starts, Its All Guesswork opened his fencing account when justifying 4/5 favouritism in the Emerald Facility services Beginners Chase.
Ridden by Davy Russell, Philip Reynolds’ six-year-old produced an impeccable round of jumping for a convincing win over Rueben James, prompting Elliott to quip: “It’s always nice to get a winner in Navan,” before adding: “He was entitled to win today on his Listowel form. He jumped like a buck and, as Davy said, this proves that he’s a real top-of-the-ground horse.
“He’ll probably go handicapping, or he could go for a novice in England or Scotland.”