Normal service was resumed at Leopardstown on Sunday as Istabraq romped to a fourth straight win in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle. Cheers rang out round the winner's enclosure for Ireland's most popular jumper, silencing those who had doubted the three-time champion hurdler since his fall on the same course on New Year's Eve.
He made a mockery of rumours that all was not well with him, which had seen his odds for Cheltenham drift markedly last week. His emphatic victory saw Ladbrokes cut his odds from evens to 1-2 to land an unprecedented fourth Smurfit Champion Hurdle win, while William Hill and Coral go 4-9 and 2-5 respectively. Quashing pre-race speculation about the gelding's fitness, Istabraq's trainer Aidan O'Brien, insisted he had full confidence in the champion horse. “The rumours didn't mean a lot to me, they didn't bother me, we have had no worries,” he added.
Ironically it was Moscow Flyer, who won the race on New Year's Eve, who came to grief this time, hitting the deck two flights from home when in the lead. That handed the advantage to Istabraq, sent off 4-11 favourite, who had already looked to have his measure at that stage. And after a fine leap at the last, where he had fallen three weeks ago, he passed the post four and a half lengths clear without being asked a serious question by jockey Charlie Swan. Mantles Prince took second, two lengths ahead of 50-1 shot Penny Rich in third.
A 22nd win in 26 National Hunt races also made Istabraq the first jumper in Britain or Ireland to win over £1 million in prize money. O'Brien, enthused: "I'm very happy and Charlie is very happy. Everything went right. We have trained him very cautiously this year to peak at the right time so hopefully he will be better for the race and he should go to Cheltenham with a big shout if we can keep him in one piece."
Swan echoed O'Brien's sentiments, insisting: "It is very realistic to hope he can win at Cheltenham again. I hope he goes there in as good form as he was today, he definitely can do it. He did it like we thought he would, in fact better than we thought."
Filed by Shane Murray
