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Blackmore enjoys first winner since September

Rachael Blackmore bagged her first winner since resuming from injury as July Flower took the Grade 3 Beat The Bank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle.

The record-breaking rider spent three months on the sidelines after injuring her neck in a fall at Downpatrick in late-September and was forced to wait for her winner after seconds aboard the likes of Slade Steel, Koktail Divin and Bob Olinger in recent weeks.

However, Blackmore made no mistake on the Henry De Bromhead-trained July Flower (15/2), who got the better of 4/1 chance Kala Conti by four lengths, with Jetara (7/2) 12 lengths adrift in third.

Willie Mullins' 3/1 favourite Lot Of Joy was the disappointment of the race, weakening quickly after cutting out much of the early running.

July Flower was halved in price to 20/1 by Paddy Power and Betfair for the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

“It is just lovely to get one again, it’s brilliant. Everyone wants to be riding winners at a festival like this and it’s great to get it done,” said Blackmore.

“I feel like I was off for a long time – I was off for a long time. It’s brilliant to get back doing what you want to be doing.”

Reflecting on her injury, she added: “It was a bone in my neck up high, so it was quite serious. Ordinarily if you’re feeling good and you can do certain movements doctors are happy to go with you, but they were obviously being very cautious when it is your neck.

“Stupidly I kept setting myself an unachievable target over the three months and the doctors kept saying I had to sit out my time. Being back for Christmas is important, so at least I got back for that.”

Of July Flower, De Bromhead added: “She jumped great and Rachael was brilliant on her.

“I’m delighted for Duncan (Angove, owner) who was happy to buy her during the summer and obviously she’s a valuable broodmare as well.

“We had her when she was a younger mare and we liked her then, so when she came back on the market we were delighted to get her.

“We bought her to win the Mares’ Hurdle (at Cheltenham) so the dream is alive and we’ll probably head straight there now."

The Enabler bags opener for Elliott

Gordon Elliott saddled the winner in a very tight finish to the two and a half-mile Grant Fit Out Maiden Hurdle with The Enabler (4/1) just getting the better of fast-finisher I Am Lorenzo (9/1) by a short-head.

Sam Ewing had the winner handy throughout and after taking over from the weakening odds-on favourite Argento Boy just before the turn into the straight, he burst into a three-length lead running to the last.

Port Joulain was apparently the principal threat at that point but Danny Mullins' mount was awkward at the last and it was Keith Donoghue on I Am Lorenzo who finished best, switching on the run-in and gaining on the leader all the way to the finishing post. The photo was required to split them but The Enabler had held on by the narrowest of margins.

It was a 2,000th Irish National Hunt winner for Elliott, while Paddy Power and Betfair reacted by making the winner 33/1 (from 40s) for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

“He was good and just got a bit close to the last. I’m not sure what his trip is as he wasn’t getting home over three miles and two miles looked too short,” said Elliott.

“Michael and Anita (O’Leary) are racing here today and it’s great to get them a winner. He looks a chaser for next year."

On reaching his latest milestone, the trainer added: “You dream about doing something like that but it’s a testament to all the owners and our staff. We have a great bunch of young horses and we have been rebuilding for the last couple of years.”

Dingle continues to defy assessor

Ol Man Dingle completed a hat-trick of victories in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Ridden by Ricky Doyle for trainer Eoin Griffin, the five-year-old was backing up wins in a Clonmel maiden and a novice event at Wexford and did so in good fashion at odds of 20/1.

Ol Man Dingle is now unbeaten since fitted with a tongue-tie and was defying an opening mark of 122 in beating Henry De Bromhead's 11/8 favourite Taponthego by four and three-quarter lengths.

“Brian (Caherty, owner) has a big crowd down with him from Armagh and I’m delighted for him,” said Griffin.

“We had him kind of laid out for this race. He hadn’t run for a while as we gave him a little break. You are always a little bit apprehensive if you have done enough or given him too much time off, but I couldn’t have been happier with him coming here.

“This was his mid-season target, so we’ll have to reassess things from here.”

Rest of the action...

The Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase went to Sequestered for trainer-jockey combination Paul and Jack Gilligan.

The 10/1 shot had the race in safe keeping a fair way out, having built up a commanding lead before the bypassed final fence, and eventually passed the post with 10 lengths to spare over Dorans Law (10/1), with Jasmin De Cotte (22/1) and Ballybawn Belter (6/1) rounding out the places.

Al Gasparo was a 20/1 winner of the Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle for trainer Gavin Cromwell and 5lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh.

Cromwell said: “I’d say it’s important for him to be fresh. He’s good when he gets into that rhythm and gets it easy on his own. It was a good performance. It’s in the lap of the handicapper now but he’s a lad that will jump a fence.”

The Plusvital Flat Race brought proceedings to a close and Carrigmoornaspruce (10/1) came from last to first to run out an impressive winner under Declan Queally.

“She was unreal. It was kind of the same as Naas the last day,” said the rider.

“We just said to the boys that we would let her gallop around at the back and come home as well as we can. The lads said there is no pressure, look after her and we’re planning on coming here for the mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. It worked out and she’s a very talented filly.”

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