Balafre completes hat-trick as fav slips up

Ange Balafre completed a hat-trick this term in the two-mile novice hurdle, where odds-on favourite Arctic Fire slipped up on the level after two out when holding every chance.

The Noel Meade-trained gelding came here off the back of a bumper win at Roscommon and a successful hurdle debut at Wexford but certainly had some good fortune on his side in making it a treble under Paul Carberry.

Arctic Fire was full of running on the heels of the leaders when appearing to clip heels and exiting between the final two flights, although both Paul Townend and the Willie Mullins-trained Tipperary bumper winner seemed fine afterwards. Macnicholson was slightly hampered at this point and unseated Mark Bolger. The Game Changer had just hit the front after two out and appeared the likely winner but found little under pressure after a mistake at the last.

That mistake left Ange Balafre (6/1) in the lead and he held on by half a length from Tiger Trek with The Game Changer nearly four lengths back in third. Noah Webster was being driven along by Robbie Power entering the straight and could only manage fourth.

Meade said, “That is very pleasing and we bought him in France very cheaply in a breeze-up sale at Deauville. Goldikova is a long way back in his pedigree. He’s a gorgeous, well balanced horse.

“He disappointed in a bumper at Sligo on soft and I’d say he’s ground dependent. We’ll paddle on for the moment and he’ll only run at Christmas time if it’s good. He idled in front but at least he wanted to get there.”

Reflecting on the recent return of stable jockey Paul Carberry, who partnered a double on his first day back from shoulder surgery at Fairyhouse on Wednesday, Meade added, “I was worried that he might not be able to come back but Paul never thought that way.

“I was putting him under pressure to come back but there was no point in coming back half ready. In fairness he worked really hard on it, and has done a lot of riding out and schooling.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes