French import Transcendental records first Irish win

French import Transcendental (10/1) notched a first Irish win today, landing the Curragh's Barberstown Castle Irish EBF Handicap for trainer Gavin Cromwell, who later spoke about issues he is experiencing with oilseed rape in neighbouring fields.

A dual winner in France, the five year old daughter of Goken raced with the pace under jockey Gary Carroll and eventually beat Iva Batt by a half-length.

Cromwell commented “it was like three races in one and it was hard to know what was the right place to be. She’s run over all sorts of trips — five, six and seven — fast ground is obviously ideal for her. It’s great to win here and we’ll look for something similar.

“We bought her in France last year and had her for a few months before getting this syndicate together to buy her.”

The Champion Hurdle-winning trainer, who has had winners on each of the last four Irish racedays, added “a few of our horses hadn’t been scoping great, we have oilseed rape beside us.

“Horses can get inflamed lungs and finish distressed due to the oilseed rape - it’s a huge problem. There is an awful lot more of it in the country, it’s up 40% this year on last year.

“We have a couple of staff in the yard who also suffer big time with it, so if it is affecting humans you can imagine as horses are so delicate it is affecting them even more.”

Quotes from Alan Magee