After the thrilling heights of guiding See More Business to the top of the Gold Cup market at Cheltenham on Saturday, Timmy Murphy came down to earth with a bang at Naas yesterday.
The Co Kildare-born jockey is one of the emerging stars on the riding scene in Britain and travelled to Naas for two rides yesterday. However, Murphy was left with his arm temporarily in a sling after a bad looking fall from Young Mrs Kelly in the Cedar Building Handicap Chase.
Young Mrs Kelly, the 3 to 1 favourite, was travelling in fifth when making a terrible mistake at the seventh fence and Murphy had no chance of staying in the saddle. It was one of the following runners who made a potentially devastating contact with Murphy's arm and it looked bad for the rider when the field had completed a circuit and had to miss out the fence because he was still on the ground.
It looked even worse when Murphy left the medical room with his right arm in a sling but though obviously in pain he said: "It's just a dead arm, nothing broken." Murphy's judgement proved correct as an hour later he had discarded the sling but as a precaution he will not ride at Plumpton today.
It was an incident-packed three mile chase besides that. Only five of the 11 starters finished, with Stagalier sadly put down after breaking a leg on the flat, but after the pair had dominated for much of the race, Miss Orchestra pulled clear of the brave Roundwood who was conceding 16lb.
Paul Hourigan (17) lost his claim when giving Zaffaran Run a fine ride to beat Lord Dal in the Celbridge Handicap Hurdle but his trainer father Michael didn't look particularly concerned about that.
"I'm chuffed with him, proud as punch. I know he's only 17 but he is very talented and if anything happens to (Richard) Dunwoody, I know I needn't look much further," said Hourigan Snr. It may not be the very end of Hourigan's claim, however, as an increase to the number of winners allowed is currently being considered.
Blue Irish was given a 40 to 1 quote by Sean Grahams for the SunAlliance Chase after winning the Naas Novice Chase from Wyatt and Private Peace for Norman Williamson and Sue Bramall.
"We hoped today he would prove something and now we can think about Cheltenham. We've got his distance now," Mrs Bramall said.
There was another Cheltenham pointer when Dermot Weld's Archive Footage returned from an 18 month absence with leg trouble to win the Kill Maiden Hurdle and earn a 14 to 1 quote for the Supreme Novice Hurdle.
"We think a bit of him and I would expect him to be good enough to take part at Cheltenham. He has done what I thought he would and he should show a lot of improvement on better ground. He is the best of my hurdlers," Weld said.
Cailin Supreme took the Racing Writers Trophy under a good ride from Tommy Treacy but is unlikely to be a runner at Cheltenham while Noel Meade's newcomer Church Place sprang a 16 to 1 surprise in the Kildare Maiden Hurdle, such a surprise that he paid over 80 to 1 on the Tote. It was a happy result for one punter though as he scooped the Jackpot on his own and collected almost £13,000.
Richard Dunwoody is set to resume his partnership with Dr Leunt in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown on Saturday.
"Dr Leunt seems A1 and will run on Saturday, although I would like to see some rain," trainer Philip Hobbs said today. "I'd think Richard Dunwoody will probably ride him.
