Philip Rothwell lands Listed handicap hurdle with unexposed The Busy Fool

Philip Rothwell put up a good training performance to have the unexposed The Busy Fool ready to win the competitive Listed Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle after a seven-month absence under promising 7lb claimer Tiernan Power Roche.

The imposing six-year-old set out in front and took advantage of an uncontested lead, but had to be good enough to see off a number of challengers from the second-last in beating Park Of Kings by three-quarters of a length. 

Rothwell said: "He's a lovely big horse and the guys who own him have been very patient. He's big and backward and I said that I didn't want to go over fences with him this season. 

"He won over two miles at Tipperary in the spring and I felt that this step up in trip would suit, and Tiernan's claim got rid of his winner's penalty. I think Tiernan will be very important for me going forward in some of those handicaps.

"I might look at a good two-mile handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse but he would need a lot of rain. He's a good, strong galloper but a big, weak horse for this year, so we will just creep away." 

Pinot Gris wins the Fishery Lane for Gavin CromwellCredit: Patrick McCann

Another Fishery for Cromwell

Not for the first time, Gavin Cromwell saddled an impressive winner of the Fishery Lane Hurdle. The previous one was the ill-fated Espoir D'Allen in 2018 when it had Grade 3 status, prior to his brilliant win in the Champion Hurdle win the following March. 

That is probably where the comparisons with this year's winner Pinot Gris begin and end, but the Basil Holian-owned gelding still impressed by winning in a canter. Keith Donoghue had an armchair ride, hardly moving a muscle when taking it up from the front-running Palamon after the last and breezing past to score by three lengths. 

Cromwell said: "The blinkers worked a trick, they just made him concentrate. He's a lazy and idle sort of a horse. If you look at his run when he was second in the Lartigue at Listowel, he wandered around in the straight. It's just a pity we didn't have them on him then. We'll probably go for a handicap next."

Lieutenant Mayne scores by 16 lengths under Ben HarveyCredit: Patrick McCann

Lieutenant commands

A couple of significant withdrawals rendered the 2m3f maiden hurdle as one of the weakest run at Naas in living memory, but 1-4 favourite Lieutenant Mayne could do no more than hand out a comprehensive beating to his rivals.

He jumped particularly well for Ben Harvey to score by 16 lengths, and was an important winner for trainer John McConnell with his first horse for the powerful McNeill and Stone families.

He said: "We knew that he was a nice horse and anything he did in bumpers last season was a bonus, because he is such a good jumper. We will go baby steps with him. We might try and find a nice novice hurdle for him, maybe across the water, and then step up in grade." 

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