The Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware Mullingar Handicap Chase at Kilbeggan was full of incident with the stamina test eventually going the way of Victoria Bay (7s into 5s).

What started as a good evening for the Noel Meade team, after Deployed impressed in race two, ended disappointingly as Red Jack was pulled up injured after an early mistake here.

Tu Va’s Future Proof was also pulled up quickly in the previous heat, and there was further happenings involving a horse belonging to the former champion trainer in the latter stages of this three mile one furlong event.

Meade's The Caddy Rose (eventually 3rd) was badly hampered at the second last fence jumped, effectively ending her winning chance. Boro Tari was shaping as a winner at the same point when colliding with High Sparrow and coming to grief.

Victoria Bay, for Colin Bowe and Rob James, was soon in front, and she kept up the gallop around the bypassed final fence to beat aforementioned opponent High Sparrow by two lengths.

“I wanted to be down the inner but it worked out well in the end. She travelled away and jumped like a buck,” said James.

“I didn’t want to be in front too soon but Rachael (Blackmore on Boro Tari) fell and I winged it and said I’d drive on.

“She stuck it out to the line well. She doesn’t do a whole lot in front so that’s why I was trying to hold onto her as long as I could.”

Due to the low lying sun, the Stewards granted permission for the omission of fence number 1 (final fence) from this race.

(AM & EM)