Portrait King clears the last with a riderless horse for company© Photo Healy Racing
The Maurice Phelan trained Portrait King gained an overdue first racecourse win when staying well to take the Dobbins & Madigans National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown today.
Ridden by Davy Condon, the gelding moved to the front two out before staying on well to defeat Up The Beat by three and a quarter lengths.
Davy Russell received a fall in the race from Start Me Up in a nasty looking incident on the bend after three out. Russell’s mount was effectively forced out of the race in an incident where the winner, Portrait King appeared to squeeze Start Me Up, which was racing on his inside. Russell was subsequently fine.
The Stewards subsequently enquired into the incident, which involved Condon, Denis Hogan and Philip Enright, but, as the report read "having viewed the video of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards were of the opinion that the video evidence was inconclusive and were unable to apportion blame to any one rider and therefore took no further action."
Evidence had been heard from the riders concerned.
Following Portrait King’s win, Phelan said “he was unlucky the last day and deserved that. He has been placed in hurdles and bumpers but that is his first win, apart from a point to point. He’d prefer further and will get four miles.
“He’ll head across the water for a staying chase, probably the Eider Chase at Newcastle at the end of the month. He loved the testing conditions and it’s a tougher track than Fairyhouse which suited him.”
