Easy Game and Paul Townend © Photo Healy Racing
Easy Game landed a hat-trick in the Grade 2 McInerney Properties Chase at Fairyhouse this afternoon in the most fortuitous fashion.
8/11 favourite Janidil looked 'home and hosed' in the two-mile-three contest but knuckled on landing at the final fence.
His departure left the way open for his stablemate to grab the spoils and he finished 81 lengths clear of the only other finisher in the four-runner contest, the other Willie Mullins-trained runner Royal Rendezvous
2/1 shot Easy Game was making his return to action and had landed the last two runnings of the race.
Assistant David Casey said afterwards:- “Obviously we're just fortunate we had one coming behind when Janidil took an unfortunate fall.
“It's great for Easy Game to win the race for a third time. Obviously he had a little bit of luck on his side but that's what you need sometimes.
“He's wonderful, I thought the ground would probably have gone a little bit soft for him today as he does like better ground. He was just there to pick up the pieces.”
On Janidil he added:- “He looks fine, he looked like he jumped it well but just didn't get out the landing gear or slipped on landing.
“Mark had given him a great ride and it looked like he was going to go and win the race so it's very unfortunate for him and connections.”