Free admission at Tipperary last night prove a tremendous success with over 5,000 people turning up for the mixed programme. Waterford trainer Pat Flynn opened his Flat account when Thepointaboutitis, supported at 10 to 1 in several betting offices before racing, swept to the front under Danny Grant at the furlong pole to easily land the Gowla Handicap.
'The boys backed him this morning,' remarked Flynn, referring to the Limerick-based owners, the Newtown Mahon Syndicate. 'He's a nice horse and is in again at Gowran next Wednesday,' added Flynn.
The race was delayed for six minutes when four of the 14 starting stalls failed to open, resulting in a false start. The contest was eventually started by flag.
Paul Carberry showed his marvellous horsemanship yet again when he partnered odds-on chance Dante's Battle to victory in the novice chase for new owner Mairead Cahill, wife of Dublin solicitor Finbar.
'Paul said he was slipping into his fences and lost his confidence early. He wants real fast ground and may run again at Cork next Friday,' said Meade.
The Jim Bolger-trained Traditional completed a quick hattrick in the Gowla Handicap. Sent off a very warm 4 to 7 chance, the three-year-old, gelded son of Erins Isle shrugged off the challenge of Act Of Defiance inside the final furlong to justify favouritism.
Charlie Swan can do little wrong in recent weeks and after Colonel Bradley scored easily on his handicap debut in the twomile hurdle, the Cloughjordanbased trainer saddled The King's Doctor (Karl Wyse) to dead-heat with Native New Yorker and Tim Hyde in the finale.
