skip to main content

Dramatic Naas stewards' room win for Thedevilscoachman

Thedevilscoachman was involved in a three-way battle at halfway
Thedevilscoachman was involved in a three-way battle at halfway

Thedevilscoachman was awarded victory in the stewards' room following a dramatic conclusion to the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase.

Five runners went to post for the Grade Three contest, with the Willie Mullins-trained Ramillies the 13-8 favourite to follow up a successful fencing debut at Thurles last month.

Amirite and Rachael Blackmore took the quintet along for much of the three-mile-one-furlong journey, with Ramillies always his nearest pursuer under Paul Townend.

With Cheltenham winner Chemical Energy weakening disappointingly, it turned into a three-way fight, with Amirite and Ramillies joined by Thedevilscoachman and Bryan Cooper halfway up the home straight.

The drama began after jumping the second fence from the finish, with Noel Meade's Thedevilscoachman (100-30) seemingly having the door closed on him when going for a gap between the front pair.

Cooper angled his mount wide of his rivals to mount his challenge on the run-in and was was clawing back Ramillies all the way to the line, but the latter held on by a neck.

However, following a subsequent enquiry the stewards reversed the result.

Prior to the placings being amended, Mullins' assistant David Casey said: "There was a bit of race-riding at the back of the second-last and I think Paul just held his position.

"He's a grand horse and stays well. He seems to have put it together better over fences than he did over hurdles.

"He's in the National Hunt Chase and to me he looks like a horse for that, but the trainer will make the decision.

"He did it well and Paul said he was happy all the way round."

Seabank Bistro appears to have earned himself a place on Mullins' Cheltenham Festival team after making it third time lucky over hurdles.

A winner on his racecourse debut at the Kildare circuit on this day last year, the six-year-old went on to finish fourth behind esteemed stablemate Facile Vega in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

He was beaten at odds-on in his first two races over hurdles at Punchestown and Limerick, but made no mistake as a 1-2 shot for the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle - travelling strongly to the lead under Townend and coming home with just under three lengths in hand.

Mullins said: "He's a big immature horse. He did it nicely, he jumps well and is more of a chaser, I think.

"He'll go out in trip I'd say, maybe to three miles. He was just gawky when he got to the front, he was just idling.

"Paul had to get after him to get up the straight, but that's twice he's won around Naas and it's always a good sign when you can win on this track.

"I'd imagine he'll get entries in Cheltenham in the Albert Bartlett and Ballymore, I'd be thinking more the Albert Bartlett at this stage."

Oliver McKiernan's Aarons Day (3-1 favourite) secured his first win in almost three years in the Buy Your Naas 2023 Membership Now Novice Handicap Chase, with Phillip Enright the winning jockey.

The nine-year-old had been highly tried in novice company over fences and made the most of having his sights lowered with a seven-and-a-half-length verdict on his handicap chase debut.

The father-son team of Charles and Philip Byrnes teamed up to land the Cheltenham Trials Day At Naas February 11th Maiden Hurdle with 9-1 shot Byker.

Doyen Ta Win was a 6-1 winner of the Congratulations Naas On Cleanest Town In Ireland In 2021 & 2022 Handicap Hurdle.

Read Next