Kerry dances to the Alfa Beat again

Alfa Beat at 20/1 won the Kerry National for the second year in-a-row under Barry Geraghty and is being lined up for a tilt at the Grand National at Aintree next April.

“It’s great to win two Kerry National’s in-a-row. It’s a lovely race. My wife Paula is from just outside Listowel,” Barry Geraghty said.

Geraghty had the Shark Hanlon trained seven-year-old wide in third place throughout as Fosters Cross cut out the pace. He moved into the lead five out when the front-runner blundered, and was never headed from then on, coming home three-and-three-parts-of-a-length clear of 4/1 favourite Bideford Legend from the Charles Byrnes yard.

It was a length-and-three-parts back to Dessie Hughes’s Lenabane at 9/1. 6/1 shot Blazing Tempo from the Willie Mullins stable was fourth and for punters who were paid each-way on the fifth horse, that was Michael Hourigan’s Dancing Tornado (10/1) who came second last year.

A delighted Shark Hanlon said: “That was unreal. I honestly thought the ground had gone against him. He has been working well, is fit and is in good form though. I've only had him a couple of months.

“Barry gave him an excellent ride and he said he might go wide in the race.

“I met a Tom Foley who trains horses for this owner Irvin Naylor in America. The owner is one of the biggest in America and is the champion jumps owner. Tom said to pick one out for Irvin that could win the Aintree National.

“I then gave 70,000 for this horse in the Doncaster Sales. People thought that was too much as he was up in the handicap after winning this race last year.

“We’ll mind him and go for the Grand National. He’ll get a break and will run before then to sharpen him up.”

Alfa Beat was trained by Charles Byrnes when he won this race last year.

Michael Graham