Memorable few days continue for Allen at Thurles

Image © Healy Racing

Fresh from riding a hat-trick at Dungarvan, which included a 100th point-to-point winner, Darragh Allen was back in the winner’s enclosure at Thurles four days later as Cold Old Fire ran out a wide-margin winner of the maiden hunter chase.

The Kilworth native had been in the saddle aboard the Frozen Fire gelding for both of his two successes last year in Dungarvan and Knockanohill, and the pair maintained their 100 percent strike rate together with this 21-length success.

Sent off as a 25/1 shot after being beaten 33 lengths in a similar contest at Limerick on his return to action, all the focus surrounded Pat Doyle’s multiple open victor, Magic Sadler, who was the warm odds-on favourite as he attempted to go one place better than at Clonmel earlier in the month.

However, the favourite’s race got no further than the opening fence, with the eight-year-old partnering company with regular rider Emily Costello, which opened up the race significantly for their eight rivals.

It was Cold Old Fire who took full advantage, as having loomed alongside Benwisken approaching the home straight, he was soon sent clear with authority, and the Ray Hurley-trained eight-year-old had victory sewn up well before the last.

Our Story came from off the pace to snatch second, albeit 21 lengths adrift of the winner, as the runners returned at long intervals in the testing conditions.

“I have actually been very lucky with this horse,” Allen said. “It is only my third time riding him, and I had won two point-to-points already.

“He had a good run in Limerick when James Coffey rode him. He stayed on the whole way to the line, so I was hopeful if they didn’t get too far away from me early, and I was able to niggle away and save everywhere until we turned in that I would have a chance of being second to Magic Sadler. Once he went at the first, I knew everyone had a chance then.

“I made one mistake, but in fairness to him, he is only a handy horse, but he kept coming long at fences, and every time I asked him, even when I probably should have sat quiet, he galloped the whole way to the line.”