Swiftmarc causes shock on return to action

Swiftmarc completed a great day for the Dessie Hughes stable when overcoming a long lay-off to land the 2m4f handicap chase at Clonmel.

The Curragh trainer, who saddled Guitar Pete to land the Grade 1 4YO Hurdle at Aintree earlier in the day, notched up a half-century of winners on the domestic front this season as Swiftmarc recorded a 16/1 shock.

Off the course for nearly two years, Roger Loughran’s mount was starting to assert when well-backed 5/2 favourite Sherika blundered at the last.

That settled the issue and the 11-year-old veteran came home nearly five lengths clear, with Take A Shot another 11 lengths away in third.

Loughran said, “I was surprised as I thought he’d need the run on that gluey ground. If only every horse had the heart of that fella as he’s broken down a few times and keeps coming back.

“I was saving him coming down the hill and he was able to race down to the second last and wing it which was the winning of it. He also jumped the last well which put it to bed, and hopefully he’s okay in the morning.”

Niall Madden, who has only recently returned from a skiing injury, took a heavy fall from Pipe Down and was taken away by ambulance for x-rays on a suspected fractured leg.