Bar One Hatton's Grace Hurdle |
|
| Grade 1, Fairyhouse 13:30 €100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1  |
|
| Sunday 3rd December 2017 | |
1 Apple's Jade EvensF
2
Nichols Canyon 2/1
3
Supasundae 14/1
7 ran Distances: 9l, 1¾l, shd
Time: 5m 7.20s (slow by 30.20s)
 |
Jack Kennedy sent the five-year-old straight to the lead, with Willie Mullins-trained Stayers' Hurdle hero Nichols Canyon always her closest pursuer as he went in search of a ninth win at the top level under Paul Townend.
The pair rounded the home turn almost as one, but Apple's Jade soon stamped her authority on the contest, pulling right away between the final two flights and safely negotiated the last to cap a hugely impressive performance.
Kennedy said: "Unreal - she's some mare. She jumped and travelled great and I was always confident on her.
"She seems to be getting better. She's a lot stronger this year.
"She's not slow, but she stays galloping and is able to gallop them into the ground over that (two-and-a-half-mile) trip."
Apple's Jade is likely to be a warm order to win the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for the second successive year, but asked whether he felt she could compete in a Champion Hurdle against the boys, Kennedy added: " I've never ridden a Champion Hurdler, so I wouldn't know, but she's definitely one of the best I've ridden."
Elliott soon quashed any notion his star mare could run in the Champion Hurdle, stressing the OLBG Mares' Hurdle - for which she was cut to 6-4 favourite from 5-2 with RaceBets - would be the target in March.
He said: "She looked class, to be honest. We thought she was a lot stronger at home. She's like a bull and Jack gave her a great ride.
"I was always taught to win the race you can win, so the mares' race will be the one I'll go for, all being well.
"She's only five years of age and she's six Grade Ones won. She's a different mare at home this than she was last year.
"The way she kept pulling it out, you'd have to be nothing but impressed with her."
Looking to more immediate plans, the trainer added: "We will give her a bit of a break now and she might go back to Punchestown for the race she got beaten in last year (Quevega Mares Hurdle in February).
"The Mares' Hurdle (at Cheltenham) is the plan and then Punchestown (Festival). If we mind her we might get a few years out of her."
Hatton's Grace Hurdle
€100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Apple's Jade (FR) Evsf | J W Kennedy 11-3 |
G Elliott | 5 | |
| 2nd | 9 | Nichols Canyon 2/1 | P Townend 11-10 |
W P Mullins | 7 |
| 3rd | 1¾ | Supasundae 14/1 | R M Power 11-10 |
Mrs J Harrington | 7 |
| 4th | s.h | Cilaos Emery (FR) 8/1 | Mr P W Mullins 11-10 |
W P Mullins | 5 |
| 5th | 2½ | Mick Jazz (FR) 25/1 | D N Russell 11-10 |
G Elliott | 6 |
| 6th | 21 | Augusta Kate 16/1 | D E Mullins 11-3 |
W P Mullins | 6 |
| 7th | 6 | Swamp Fox (IRE) 50/1 | S W Flanagan 11-10 |
J G Murphy | 5 |
