REST OF THE CARD: Spirit Leader wound up a remarkable Festival for Barry Geraghty by winning the County Hurdle and guaranteeing him the top-rider-of-the-meeting award with five winners, thus equalling the record held jointly by Tony McCoy, Jamie Osborne and Fred Winter.
Despite that, however, the final day was something of an anti-climax for the Irish. Five winners from the first two days had left some dreaming of a tally to equal the 1958 record of eight but it wasn't to be and nowhere was it felt more than in the Stayers' Hurdle defeat of Limestone Lad.
Starting joint favourite with Baracouda, Limestone Lad could never shake off the chasing group and was passed for the lead before the last. Geraghty's mount Iris's Gift threatened Baracouda to the line but the French star emerged victorious to become the first since Galmoy 15 years ago to defend the crown. Thierry Doumen again shoved a lot of criticism down a lot of throats and remarked: "All of it is useless and has no sense. It is being nasty for the sake of it and I don't listen any more." Owner JP McManus backed the winner and joked: "It isn't often we're cheering for the French! The horse loved the strongly run race."
Michael Bowe took Limestone Lad's defeat on the chin and was determined to make no excuses. "I'm never disappointed by him. He was beaten by two better horses and gave it everything. Just getting a horse here healthy and sound is an achievement and so is taking them home. "Maybe it's not the end yet. He'll tell me. Next year he'll be older and so will I though I don't know which of us is ageing the fastest."
Geraghty might have gone down in the Stayers' but he edged out Tony McCoy in a thrilling finish to the Triumph that saw Spectroscope score for Jonjo O'Neill. The favourite Golden Cross was struggling from some way out but kept on for third behind the winner who could be aimed next at the Punchestown Festival.
That will also be considered for Golden Cross whose trainer Michael Halford said: "He struggled to hold up with the pace and Charlie (Swan) thought in time he could make up into a Stayers' Hurdle horse."
Going into the finale, Richard Johnson, who had joined Geraghty on four winners with a Cathcart win on La Landiere, needed to finish in front of his Irish rival to be leading rider. But nobody finished ahead of Geraghty. Spirit Leader crept through the huge field to take up the running on the run in and Geraghty could wave to the crowd and still hold off Balapour's late surge.
"I've had some unbelievable luck this week," said Geraghty while Spirit Leader was following up earlier wins in the Tote Gold Trophy and the William Trophy for trainer Jessia Harrington, who also saddled Moscow Flyer to win the Queen Mother.Indeed, Harrington's feat of saddling two winners from two runners was remarkable and gave a final Irish tally of six winners.
