Daly Tiger and Sean Flanagan© Photo Healy Racing
After securing Grade B honours at odds of 22/1 at Punchestown in November today Daly Tiger (20/1) struck in the Grade A Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse.
He bounced back from an under-performance at the County Meath venue last month to earn a 16/1 first show quote with Paddy Power (non runner no bet) for the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham.
All seemed to go well for favourite Chatham Street Lad but the Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Noel Meade-trained Daly Tiger (Sean Flanagan up) wasn’t long about capitalising on the market-leader’s penultimate fence mistake.
Too keen in the run Pont Aven gave chase when a final fence error ended his bid for glory and five lengths eventually split them.
The aforementioned Chatham Street Lad ended up seven lengths back in third.
“He's done it well. We were anxious to put a line through his last run,” said Flanagan.
“That really wasn't him. I fancied him that day but he just never showed up. His work at home has been quite good and I'm delighted he's put himself back on track.
“He's a horse with a big turn of foot. I was anxious the day I rode him in Punchestown that it could have been a little bit far for him.
“He does plenty when he's on the bridle so I had to get him switched off. He's a very quick horse so that trip isn't too sharp for him.”
For his part Meade reported by phone: “We put a claimer on him the last day. It probably wasn't the claimer's fault because he got his instructions to ride closer to the pace and I think we used him up a little bit too much.
“Today when Sean got him relaxed, he was just a different kettle of fish. He's a brilliant jumper and he's a nice horse.
“He's going to get a fair old penalty for today so it might knock him out of handicaps.
“We'll enter him in the Grand Annual (at Cheltenham), but I would imagine he's going to have a lot of weight in that. I would think we'd probably look at Grade Threes. We'll have a look where we go.
“I thought he'd go for a two-mile-five handicap in Leopardstown at the (Dublin) Festival meeting, but I'd say that's a 150 race and I don't think he'd get into that now.”
The Stewards requested a report from Noel Meade, trainer, as to the apparent improvement in form of Daly Tiger (FR), placed first, as compared with its recent run here on the 12th December when finishing 9th of 10 finishers beaten forty lengths by the winner and thirty four lengths behind the second placed Entoucas (FR) whom he beat today. Emma Connolly, Authorised representative for Noel Meade, reported that the trainer was very disappointed with the poor run the last day and no abnormalities were found on post race examinations at home. The only possible reason may suggest that S.W. Flanagan, the winning rider today, may have made up the horses mind from flagfall by making him keep up to his job under strong handling. Having considered the evidence the Stewards noted the content of the report.
(GC & EM)
