Grade 2 success for road to riches

Road To Riches stormed clear in the closing stages to make an impressive return to action in the Clonmel Oil Chase this afternoon.

Bryan Cooper made the running on the Gold Cup third in the Grade Two contest and he was asked for an effort two from home in the two-and-a-half mile contest.

Noel Meade's charge really got motoring going to the last and he produced a fine leap at the final fence to seal matters.

The Gamut gelding, carrying the first colours of a trio of Gigginstown runners, stayed on strongly on the run-in to record a six-length success over Bright New Dawn.

The winner had been available at even-money this morning but was strongly supported and ended up going to post a 8/13 shot.

I don't usually sweat about runners but I couldn't sleep last night,badmitted Meade.

I was thinking would he fancy the track or the ground and going two and a half miles around here. You'd have to be happy though and he jumped great.

œBryan said he was full of running going down to the last and there is no question that he stays three miles.

We know what to do with him now but don't know where we go next. Michael (O'Leary) mentioned the Durkan Chase but I think three miles would suit better. I'd rather run in either the Lexus or King George.

Everything in the outfit (Gigginstown) is done on a discussion basis and there'll be any amount of discussion but the Chairman usually rules anyway!â€

Cooper said:- he did it well. It was tough work out there. Conditions were hard as there is a good strong headwind.

To be fair having to make the running on your first run isn't ideal. A lot of things went against him, the track, the ground, the trip, but he had to come here and he did it well. Hopefully he's open to more improvement.

The extra week or two we got (coming here) instead of Down Royal probably left us better for today than it would have for Down Royal so that helped out.

I was impressed with his jumping. When I needed him he was very good and he couldn't have done it any better.

I committed him down to the last. In these good races you don't want to be sitting up. Types likes him are used to going forward. He got me out of trouble.

He's  a nice horse to look forward to. He can go two-and-a-half but ideally probably three miles is better suited.

We have plenty for the staying division so we'll have to see where we are going with them.

Clonmel with roads to riches

1 runner today all the way to Clonmel with Roads to riches:

The reappearance of this fella after giving us and his owners a marvellous season last year , today he's gone to Clonmel for the grade 2 Clonmel oil chase, we hope that he continues in the form he had last year as he seems to be in great order at home.  

Saturday double for tu va

Fantastic result at Naas for Tu Va Stables at the weekend 

 

Race (4) & (5) Winner's Killer Miller & Disko 

Race 4: 2nd Bonny Kate

Race 1: 3rd Powder Hound 

Race 7: 5th Une Lavandiere

Road to Riches wins Lexus !

Road to Riches pictured here winning at down royal. 

Noel said afterwards: "I'm thrilled. Things didn't go quite to plan as we thought we'd be able to make it. He was getting hassled up front early on but it worked out well in the end.

"We knew he was in great shape and he's been improving all the time since Punchestown.

"The way he came home I'd imagine it's all systems go for Cheltenham. You'd say he'd get the trip. He really stuck on well there.

"Bryan said they went very quick and if he had been up there he would have been going too quick. He stayed on really well and I'd say going further wouldn't bother him.

"I'll have to talk to Michael and Eddie. I don't know if he'll run again but obviously we're hoping to go to Cheltenham.

"We did the same with him that we did after Punchestown and left him off. It was never the plan to run at Gowran and he was a bit of work short. We learned a lesson there.

"Bryan rode him work in Navan last week and was delighted with him.

"I thought that was a good race today and thought it was every bit as good as the King George."

Road to Lexus !

Noel commented after the victory of Road to Riches in the JN Wine Chase at Down Royal today “that's terrific, everything went a dream.

“They left him alone in front and he had a couple of great jumps up the back which stretched them.

"This was always the plan; he was a bit undercooked going to Gowran and is still slightly heavy today - five or six kilos 'over' from Galway.

“He's a good horse and I'll probably leave him now until Christmas where we'll go to the Lexus if it's not too heavy.

“I'd love to go for the Gold Cup, but there's more things to be done and he's not going to have his next run in the Gold Cup.

"We changed his training regime and diet completely from Punchestown on and it has made a big difference."

Very wood reappearance !

Tu va takes plate with riches!

(Road to Riches )

Noel stated: "This was Eddie's (O'Leary) plan. I thought he'd have top-weight if he came here and I was delighted to see Kid Cassidy (top-weight, unfortunately a fatality Meade stated: "This was Eddie's (O'Leary) plan. I thought he'd have top-weight if he came here and I was delighted to see Kid Cassidy (top-weight, unfortunately a fatality in the race) in.

"Willie (Mullins) was behind me when they started up the hill and he clapped me on the back. At that stage I wondered did he have a lead-cloth on him at all he was winning so easy.

"He was out of all the trouble the whole way and with Shane it's obviously a case of an old head on young shoulders.

"Michael (O'Leary) is not here but I'm sure he's watching in. They've had the third too in Willie's Balnaslow. Jonathan Burke, another young man going places, was on him.

"Being by Gamut, and Gamut is by Spectrum, most of them want good ground. Probably that's the key to him and he does want to come into a race fresh. He jumped brilliant.

"He went a fair gallop but he was always comfortable. He jumped so well he gave himself a chance, and every fence was a help to him.

"I think that was Shane's first ride for me. Ger (Fox) would have been riding him put for breaking his collarbone (at Wexford last Friday) but that's racing. We bought him off Martin Cullinane who only trains about six miles from here.

"That's the only one of the big races (at Galway) that I hadn't won. I've been second in it I think three or four times. I'm absolutely thrilled as the Plate is something you want to win.

"I'm sure the handicapper is not going to be too nice to him after that, he won so easy. I'm sure he's a Graded horse, there is no doubt about that. His handicapping days might be over after that. Good ground is essential." the race) in.

"Willie (Mullins) was behind me when they started up the hill and he clapped me on the back. At that stage I wondered did he have a lead-cloth on him at all he was winning so easy.

"He was out of all the trouble the whole way and with Shane it's obviously a case of an old head on young shoulders.

"Michael (O'Leary) is not here but I'm sure he's watching in. They've had the third too in Willie's Balnaslow. Jonathan Burke, another young man going places, was on him.

"Being by Gamut, and Gamut is by Spectrum, most of them want good ground. Probably that's the key to him and he does want to come into a race fresh. He jumped brilliant.

"He went a fair gallop but he was always comfortable. He jumped so well he gave himself a chance, and every fence was a help to him.

"I think that was Shane's first ride for me. Ger (Fox) would have been riding him put for breaking his collarbone (at Wexford last Friday) but that's racing. We bought him off Martin Cullinane who only trains about six miles from here.

"That's the only one of the big races (at Galway) that I hadn't won. I've been second in it I think three or four times. I'm absolutely thrilled as the Plate is something you want to win.

"I'm sure the handicapper is not going to be too nice to him after that, he won so easy. I'm sure he's a Graded horse, there is no doubt about that. His handicapping days might be over after that. Good ground is essential."