Hartside impresses when winning by 11 lengths at Tramore© Photo Healy Racing
Hartside formerly trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute, came good on his fourth outing in Ireland when coming home well clear in the mile and a half August Festival Centenary Handicap at Tramore.
The 4/1 shot gave jockey Ben Curtis a double at the track after he won the previous race on Quench The Flame
3/1 favourite Porterman and Wayne Lordan set out to make all and with half a mile to race had burned off all his rivals except for Hartside.
The German-bred, trained by Tommy Carmody, tracked Porterman to the furlong pole before powering up the hill to win by a comfortable 11 lengths.
Porterman in turn was six and a half lengths clear of 25/1 outsider Quantum Reach in third.
Tommy Carmody said: “He deserved to win a race like that. I’m surprised the way he handled the ground.
“He jumps great and is a horse with a future over jumps.”
On Hartside’s previous three runs in Ireland he had finished seventh, eighth and sixth in handicaps. In three runs in England he finished no better than seventh. Windsor Pride disappointed and he was reported to have changed his legs on several occasions and couldn't handle today's ground.
(on course reporting by Donal Murphy)
