Leopardstown Round-up:Pat Hughes's belief that Point Barrow was his best chance of a winner yesterday was justified in style as the 2006 Irish Grand National winner defied top weight to secure another big handicap prize in the €100,000 Leopardstown Chase.
In the build-up to yesterday, most public interest in the Hughes team concerned View Mount Prince, who started co-favourite for the big hurdle only to finish unplaced. But the Co Carlow trainer's confidence in Point Barrow's chance in the main support event remained undimmed.
"I've said all week my best chance of a winner was Point Barrow. He's been in the best form I've ever had him, better than before Fairyhouse last year," said Hughes.
"I would love to run him in the English National. We gave him a rest after the Thyestes last year and I'd like to do the same and build him up for April."
Bookmaker reaction was to cut Point Barrow to as low as 16 to 1 for Aintree after Timmy Murphy delivered the horse with a perfectly-timed challenge to beat A New Story by three-parts of a length.
Hear The Echo received a 25 to 1 quote for the Irish National after landing the Grade Two Fitzpatrick Memorial Chase in almost surreal fashion.
After the favourite, King Johns Castle, unseated Tony McCoy at the third last, Hear The Echo looked destined to finish only third as Mister Top Notch kicked on from Justpourit.
But Mister Top Notch fell at the last, and then Justpourit, who'd come through to challenge, and looked to have the race at his mercy, idled badly on the run and somehow allowed Hear The Echo, who'd been trading at 200 to 1 on the exchanges just seconds previously, to get back up and win.
"He surprised me. I didn't think we'd catch him," grinned jockey Davy Russell. "But we did stay on well."
The Beginners Chase also turned into a bookies benefit in seconds as three of the first four in the betting fell at the second-last and the other market leader slipped up just before it.
That left the race open for Oran Climate, who gave Camolin trainer John Brennan his first winner at Leopardstown.
The sentimental highlight of the day was the success of the 2002 Pierse winner Adamant Approach in the Pertemps Qualifier, as Patrick Mullins brought the veteran through to beat Artiste Bay by a head.
"Thirteen years of age and we're probably only finding his trip," joked Willie Mullins, who could choose between the Coral Cup and the Pertemps Final for Adamant Approach. "He's run well at Cheltenham before."
Good horses like Kicking King in 2002 have emerged from this meeting's bumper, and Eddie Hales is happy that Sergheyev falls into that category after a winning debut yesterday.
"He was bought for Jamie Osborne, but he just kept growing," said Hales who, as usual, added that the horse is for sale. "This race has a habit of throwing up good horses and that's what this fellow is."
Bookmaker reaction was to make Sergheyev a 20 to 1 shot for the Cheltenham bumper, but Hales said: "If he goes there, it will be from a different hotel than mine."
