Yielding

1:25 Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (3yo)

[off 1:29] £23,085.11, £6,773.05, £3,226.95, £1,099.29 8 hdles 2m

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Clear Riposte W P Mullins 3 10-4 D J Casey 14/1 — —

2 3 Artist´s Muse T M Walsh 3 10-4 D N Russell 7/2F — —

3 shd Dreux (FR) Thomas Cooper 3 10-9 N P Madden 8/1 — —

4 7 Miss Caruso (GB) P J Prendergast 3 10-4 G Cotter 16/1 — —

5 hd First Row D T Hughes 3 10-9 R Loughran 16/1 — —

6 Kells Castle (GB) Ms F M Crowley 3 10-9 b J L Cullen 12/1 95 — —

7 Quinmaster (USA) M Halford 3 10-9 J P Murtagh 8/1 — —

8 King Of Merlia (USA) E Sheehy 3 10-9 J R Barry 6/1 — —

9 The Last Stand (GB) Anthony Mullins 3 10-12 M P Watts 7/1 109 — —

10 Orpen Guama John F Gleeson 3 10-9 M Darcy 20/1 95 — —

11 Ballygally Bay (GB) S J Mahon 3 10-9 P Carberry 4/1 — —

12 Packie Tam Patrick O Brady 3 10-9 t T P Treacy 33/1 — —

12 ran TIME 3m 55.00s (slow by 6.00s) TOTAL SP 125%

1st OWNER: Heritage Syndicate BRED: Miss Honora Corridan TRAINER: W P Mullins

2nd OWNER: Seamus Ross

3rd OWNER: Mrs Valerie Courtney

TOTE WIN £26.00 PL £5.50, £1.60, £1.80; Ex £59.10; CSF £67.32

ANALYSIS: A really good juvenile hurdle run at a reasonably good pace and a much improved performance from CLEAR RIPOSTE who raced in a handy position before leading at the third last. She stayed on well under pressure. It wasn't a Triumph Hurdle-winning performance in that she showed far more stamina than brilliance but bookmaker reaction - Cashmans cut her from 66-1 to 33-1 - has almost certainly underestimated her worth. A more realistic quote would have been 25-1.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "We changed tactics and decided to make more use of her. This was her best run by far. Hopefully she will be good enough to go for the Triumph Hurdle and she will also go for the top French four-year-old hurdle. She probably needs the extra distance of that race."

Artist's Muse, who won at Fairyhouse last time, was well backed. She seemed to be going particularly well at the second last but was only able to stay on, getting second close home. This was an improvement on her last running and she is clearly going the right way.

Dreux, a wide margin winner at Thurles, chased the leader from the third last but had no more to give on the run-in. He needs to improve a little to come into the Triumph Hurdle reckoning but it would be unwise to dismiss him at this stage.

There was another seven lengths back to Miss Caruso who has some reasonable form over hurdles but her last two runs suggested that she should not have finished much closer.

First Row made a pleasing introduction to the jumping game. He was waited with and given every chance before keeping on well. He looks sure to improve on this quite considerably.

Ballygally Bay was a big disappointment. He was moved up into a decent position halfway down the back straight but dropped outof contention soon afterwards. Clearly something was wrong with him, and he was found to be post race normal when examined by the Turf Club vet.