Fitzgerald takes Tipperary by storm with 1,436/1 treble More than one seasoned observer of the point-to-point scene had jockey Shane Fitzgerald (twice champion novice in that sphere) tipped for a big future long ever ago. The young Cork man knocked in an amazing 1,436/1 treble in successive races at Tipperary today, the hat-trick completed by Forged In Fire’s win. Joseph O’Brien trains Forged In Fire, and his victory in the Packie Downey Memorial Rated Novice Chase was adding to earlier gains for the Piltown handler at the Curragh with I Siyou Baby and Emphatic Answer. There were just three finishers in the Tipperary two mile three furlong contest, and despite wandering a bit from before the last, Forged In Fire had the momentum with him at that stage, as he came to claim Roi De Dubai. Three and three parts of a length separated them at the finish, with a gap of twenty seven lengths back to La Tektor at the rear. Fitzgerald triumphed earlier for Val O’Brien on Avec Espoir, and for Conor O’Dwyer aboard I’m Not Alone. "It was my first double as a professional earlier and this is now my first treble. It's my second winner for Gigginstown and this is great. I'm with John Ryan two days and Joseph two days a week,” said Fitzgerald. "It was his first run over fences, you wouldn't really think it, he was brilliant the whole way and was a bit green coming down the straight and went to his right a little bit. He was good at the end though." Kevin Brouder took a horrible fall from Alpine Cobra and there will be updates to follow. D.J. O'Keeffe, rider of Zoffalee (FR) trained by Andrew McNamara, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount stopped quickly. (TW & EM)
