Clonguile Way comes good at the right time

Winning jockey Jonathan Moore summed things up nicely with his: "He can be a bit of a monkey but in fairness to him there in the latter stages of the race, when I needed him, he stuck his neck out and went up the hill well for me,” after triumphing on Clonguile Way at Downpatrick.

Sixteen days on from a Perth trip that yielded nowt, it looked as though it would be a similar story here as he didn’t seem to be enjoying it out the back early in the Molson Coors Handicap Chase.

However from before the second last the successful Double Eclipse gelding was moving menacingly as he came forward towards a third career victory.

Also a point-to-point winner back in 2019, Clonguile Way was too strong for his opponents here in the closing stages, beating Call Of The Loon by four lengths.

"It was great to get that with him because he probably didn't appreciate the winter ground,” further reflected Moore on the Hasson Syndicate-owned and Gavin Cromwell-trained Clonguile Way (12/1).

"A lovely summer staying chaser is what he will be."

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer reported to the Stewards that Our Friend trained by Paul Nolan was found to have blood at the right nostril post race, possibly as a result of a bad mistake at the second last.

(MG & EM)