Moulin A Vent and Sean Flanagan negotiate the last© Photo Healy Racing
There was a dramatic conclusion to the Grade 3 Woodlands Park 100 Club Novice Chase at Naas today as the Noel Meade trained Moulin A Vent finished with a wet sail for a 999/1 in-running win under jockey Sean Flanagan.
Five horses lined up for the contest and while 200/1 outsider De Danus Back was never in contention, mistakes in-running seemed to have cost Moulin A Vent any chance entering the home straight, as he looked held in a bad fourth. Jury Duty and Mossback looked likely to fight out the finish approaching the final fence but Mossback fell at that final obstacle, leaving Jury Duty well clear.
At that final fence, Moulin A Vent had moved past eventual third-placed Livelovelaugh but Jury Duty was still well clear inside the final furlong. However to Moulin A Vent's credit, he finished well and in the end passed weary Jury Duty close home before scoring a four and a half lengths win.
There was predictable carnage in-running and, to use Betfair parlance, the winner was 'gubbed' in-running at 1.01 for E5,426, while Moulin A Vent was matched at 1000 (999/1) for €5.
Following the race, winning trainer Meade stated “there is no doubt that he has a lot of ability but he doesn't know how to jump and I don't know why, as he's such a good mover.
“Sean (Flanagan) said he jumps very flat and gets in under them; he made a bad mistake at the third last and that's where he got out of it.
"I thought I was going to be third but he stays very well. Hopefully some day he'll get his jumping right and when he does he has a good engine.
“We put the blinkers on because at home he was throwing his head around and it got him to concentrate on the fences and what he was doing. Sean said he settled better with them and we'll leave them on.
"His owner is very keen that he goes to Cheltenham and the obvious race is the four-miler but whether you would put an amateur on him I don't know!”
Paddy Power later cut Moulin A Vent to 20/1 (from 25/1) for the N.H. Chase at Cheltenham.
Quotes from Alan Magee
