Broomfield Hall © Photo Healy Racing
The mares beginners’ chase had only five runners but there was plenty of drama before the Philip Dempsey-trained Broomfield Hall (10/3) came out on top under Keith Donoghue.
The winner tracked the leaders but pecked badly at the third-last. She recovered to dispute the lead at the next where the challenging 11/8 favourite Brides Hill ridden by the winning trainer’s son Luke, completely misjudged her take-off and banked the fence with the mare and Dempsey, who was shot right up into the air, falling in spectacular fashion.
That left Broomfield Hall in front but the always-prominent Happy D’ex was still in contention. Slow at the last, Broomfield Hall did just about enough on the run-in to thwart the latter by a head.
Philip Dempsey said: “She did very well after the mistake and I was watching Luke as well, he got a ferocious fall — the horse landed in the fence.
“Keith said he let her pop the last and she sort of propped and it's hard to rally them then.
“With Brides Hill out it was hard to know what way it would have worked out but it was a great start.
“We were always hoping she'd be a chaser. She finished off last year well.
“She definitely doesn't like heavy ground anyway but I'd say she'd go on most sorts of ground.
“She jumped very well apart from one mistake when they were maybe racing at the third last. She just changed her mind and she'll learn from it. I actually thought she was gone."
Quotes from Gary Carson
