JESSIE HARRINGTON had last trained a winner before the clocks went back for winter. The long and frustrating hiatus for her Co Kildare yard came to a glorious end at Leopardstown yesterday, however, when the Pierse Hurdle, one of the most prestigious handicaps of the Irish season, fell to Studmaster.
The 12-1 shot, ridden by Tommy Treacy, stayed on dourly to lead home a field of 27. It was Harrington’s first success in 78 days and, despite briefly shutting down operations due to a virus afflicting her string, 97 losers had been sent out in 11 painful weeks.
This breakthrough may embolden Harrington to reintroduce Moscow Flyer, who was plainly off colour when suffering his third consecutive defeat late last month. The Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on February 5 would be familiar territory for the reigning two-mile champion, whose crown is under threat from a host of younger pretenders.
“We’ve made no decisions yet,” Harrington said. “Whether he runs before Cheltenham is up to him — he’ll tell us. He doesn’t like this heavy ground and he always runs better in the spring. With the sun on his back, he bounds along.”
Central House and Watson Lake, the two strongest Irish candidates for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, are set to meet at Fairyhouse next Sunday in the Normans Grove Chase. Roger Loughran, who infamously mistook the winning post when Central House was the moral winner of his previous race, is still serving a suspension and Ruby Walsh is favourite to take the ride.
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Walsh returned from a two-week injury absence to win on both his mounts for Paul Nicholls at Warwick on Saturday. Eurotrek’s victory in the totesport Classic Chase theoretically gives Walsh a dilemma over his Grand National ride but, in reality, he will not desert last year’s winner, Hedgehunter.
The most impressive winner at Leopardstown yesterday was Nickname, shortened to 8-1 by William Hill for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase after a trail-blazing success in a grade two novices’ chase.