Cheerful Chap, far side, leads Johngus over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Cheerful Chap (4/1f) fought off his rivals in the Daragh Fitzpatrick Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle to enhance Philip Rothwell's best-ever season.
He held a narrow lead from a packed field with three furlongs and two flights to negotiate. He didn't meet the second-last on the best stride and soon came off the bridle with Johngus and Clarens challenging.
His main rival, Johngus, made a mistake at the last and soon dropped to third as Cheerful Chap went for home on the run-in. The Pour Moi gelding wasn't home yet, though, as Verbal Sparring was making headway in fourth. He didn't lift a leg at the last, but stayed on well in second in the closing stages.
Cheerful Chap was driven out by James O'Sullivan to hold Verbal Sparring (9/2) by three-parts of a length. Johngus (16/1) was another length and a-half away in third.
This was Rothwell's 38th winner of the season and he said: “Cork the last day was his first run for me and I thought he was just doing a bit too much too early. James let him on and he ended up finishing second.
“It was his first run in a long time and we were pleased with it, but I probably got tactics wrong in Mallow.
“Today I said to James - back in trip and the ground is probably only just soft enough for him, let him bowl away and I’ve been very lucky with two-milers around here before in handicaps.
“He’s in Ballinrobe on Friday. He was a few pounds out of the handicap but will get a penalty for today. I’m not sure if he’ll go there but he’s definitely a horse that will get a summer break.
“He’ll go back over fences next winter and has a rating over fences that looks favourable.
“He’s owned by a similar syndicate to Deons Diamond so they are lucky lads. She’s on a break as I felt she had done enough as a four-year-old so we bought this lad to fill the gap.
“I bought three horses off Noel and Genny Dooly. They are pre-training and are fabulous people who recommended the horses to me and came to me in unbelievable good nick.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
