Island makes big splash in Drinmore

We had a third J P McManus winner on Bar One Hatton's Grace day at Fairyhouse. Coney Island (Mark Walsh) led home the other McManus runner, Anibale Fly (Barry Geraghty) in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase.

Breaking his maiden over fences on his second attempt over the larger obstacles, Coney Island was there catching the eye with his smooth travelling action from early in the straight. Diamond King was also going well at that point, but he couldn't keep it going for as long as Coney Island and he was struggling when making a mistake at the last.

At that stage the Eddie Harty-trained Coney Island was well on the way to victory. He got the job done at the finish by two and a quarter lengths from the staying on Anibale Fly.

It was pleasing to see Walsh and Geraghty fill the first two positions as they'd taken falls off Campeador and Sir Scorpion in the preceding heat.

The earlier McManus winners were Landofhopeandglory (Joseph O'Brien and Barry Geraghty) and Waxies Dargle (Noel Meade and Sean Flanagan).

"He was very good.  I didn't think he deserved to be 20/1 even though he'd only had the one run over fences and hadn't won," said Harty on his well-backed 8/1 scorer.

"On ratings he hadn't a lot to find accept against A Toi Phil   He deserved his place in it.  

"We had to go that way or the beginners and decided that because he wanted a better pace in the beginners at Punchestown why not come here to the smaller field.  He can always go back for a beginners.  Luckily we came out on top.

"He travelled and jumped great.  He won like a proper horse and I hope he is a proper horse for me, and for JP, but mainly for me!

"If he comes out of it well we'll look at Christmas which is only three weeks.  Either that or leave him off to the good novice in Leopardstown (PJ Moriarty).

"It would be the three-mile race at Christmas.  We'll see how he comes out of it.

"He has a lot of toe.  He won well in his maiden over two last Christmas.  We decided to take a chance upping for the novice handicap here over three and he revelled in it.

"He ran a blinder and you might have said he was a touch unlucky in the Grade One at Punchestown.

"We had a Grade One horse so treated him as such and he proved it today.

"It was obvious that Barry (Geraghty) would ride Anibale Fly today as he's won.  I can't blame Barry for that even though he loves this horse and he was one of his horses to look forward to for the year."

Coney Island triumphs in the Drinmore after an excellent performance with Anibale Fly second. A 1-2 for JP McManus: https://t.co/QbXpeyhzVJ

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 4, 2016

(TW & EM)