Tara Mia wins drama filled Downpatrick finale

The concluding Racing Post Handicap Chase at Downpatrick was full of incident. Ultimately joint favourites Tara Mia and Open To The World filled the first two positions.

Sean Flanagan took a horrible looking fall from Quiet Account at the last fence with a circuit to go, and that obstacle was bypassed next time round.

The normal penultimate fence was then the last jumped in this three miler and it played a big part in the eventual outcome.

On terms and travelling more smoothly than Tara Mia, Our Bonus came to grief here presenting the Tom Gibney-trained and Darragh O’Keeffe-ridden mare with the prize.

Open To The World (8s into 7/2) never appeared ‘to go a yard,’ but she consented to run on well up the hill to be just a length down at the line.

It was ten lengths then to Mr Bolt in third.

Tara Mia was unfortunate when unseating two out at this venue a fortnight back.

Gibney reflected: "You don't always get your just rewards but she did today. She was very unlucky the last day when the saddle slipped at the second last when she was going to be there or thereabouts, so she had the luck today thank God!

"Darragh (O'Keefe) said she is tough out and he said the way she came up at the last he still thought he was in with a chance anyway, even though the other horse looked like he was going very well."

Early indications on Sean Flanagan were positive in that he was talking to paramedics before being taken to hospital.

S.D. Torrens, rider of Crutches Lad trained by William P Murphy, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount travelled well early on before losing competitiveness, was very slow at the fourth last and was pulled up thereafter.

(MG & EM)