Smoking Gun and Rachael Blackmore© Photo Healy Racing
Jockey’s championship leader Rachael Blackmore landed the opening Clonmel Maiden Hurdle on the Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Joseph O’Brien-trained Smoking Gun (6/4 out to 9/4 favourite).
It could have been different if runner-up Makka Pakka (6/1 into 7/2) had jumped better but Smoking Gun (off a 284 day break) was going away at the finish for a three length win.
Blackmore wasn’t long about pouncing on the Gold Well gelding along the stand’s rail from the back of the last and the principals were a length and three parts ahead of Getaday (7/2 from 9/2 on track and bigger earlier).
T J Nagle’s Getaday was ridden by Paul Townend, and the former champion is now two behind Blackmore at the head of the 2018/19 table.
"He was just starting to gallop for me and I thought if I got a good jump at the last he had a chance. He is a little bit backward and is learning all the time and should learn from that," said the winning rider.
"The step up in trip should help and Joseph said the same thing to me this morning.
Regarding her position in the Jockeys' Championship, she added "it's unbelievable and I don't know what I can do to get racing called off for the rest of the season but I'd be happy if it was!"
R.A. Doyle, rider of A Dos No Bueno (GB) trained by Conor O'Dwyer, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount hung left throughout.
(TW & EM)
