Impressive Vic cruises home in bumper

Vicangelome justified very good support when taking the McCarthy Insurance Group-sponsored bumper in effortless style at Cork.

The Robert Tyner-trained gelding was runner-up in a Tallow point-to-point last spring but cut little ice when switched to the track in a Navan maiden hurdle last month.

However a big run was expected in this weak-looking bumper and, having been available at 6/1 this morning, was backed from 11/4 down to 2/1 favourite on course.

That confidence was bang on target as the five-year-old Laveron gelding gave David O’Leary an armchair ride.

His only decision was when to go on as the strong-running gelding pulled double, and he cruised clear in the final furlong to beat Perfect Promise by a facile ten lengths. Amron Prince was a further five and a half lengths back in third.

Tyner said, “He was very impressive. We took him to Newbury for a bumper sales race last year but unfortunately it was called off with snow. I think we were unlucky and that proved it today.

“He was bought at Doncaster as an unbroken three-year-old to replace One In A Milan which the (Cork-based One In A Million) syndicate sold. He seems to handle soft very well. I don’t know what we’ll do next.”

Tyner has never had a runner in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and was non-committal about whether this gelding could be good enough to make the trip.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes