Puget Blue caused an upset in the featured National Lottery Agent Champion Chase as the three day Festival meeting got underway at Gowran Park yesterday.
The field was reduced to seven runners after the withdrawl of Knife Edge, leaving Micko's Dream and Moscow Express to dominate the market. The leading pair looked sure to have the #30,000 event between them when drawing clear entering the straight. However both tired in the closing stages as Puget Blue came through under David Casey to beat Moscow Express by a length and a half, with Micko's Dream a further four and a half lengths back in third.
Winning trainer Mouse Morris nominated the Fortria Chase at Navan as the next target for his eight-year-old.
Moscow Express' handler Frances Crowley wasted no time going one better in the following Kilford Arms 3YO Hurdle, where Annie's Luck recorded another shock victory on her jumping debut. Steven Craine's mount struck the front between the final two flights for a three lengths verdict over Mighty Mist.
Craine went on to complete his first double on the Crowley-trained Henry Hammond in the F500 Maiden Hurdle (Division 2). The six-year-old gelding kept on well in the straight to beat Culmore Native by three quarters of a length.
Maryinsky, runner-up to Gossamer in the Group 1 Fillies Mile at Ascot last month, justified odds-on support with the minimum of fuss in the opening EBF Maiden. The daughter of Sadler's Wells was quite fortunate to get a run as the second reserve, but Michael Kinane had no worries in the seven furlongs event when easing past Ahsanabad over a furlong out to score by a comfortable two and a half lengths.
The jackpot pool of #3,061 was already carried forward to today's meeting before Catalpa Cargo landed a gamble (3/1 to 6/4) in division two of the F500 Maiden Hurdle. The Christy Roche-trained gelding was always prominent to beat Ira Hayes by two lengths.
Alan Magee
