Image © Healy Racing
Asphalt Cowboy recorded back-to-back victories in the Albert Bartlett Hunter Chase at Downpatrick on Friday evening as he led home a one-two for Kildare trainer Sonny Carey.
Asphalt Cowboy recorded back-to-back victories in the Albert Bartlett Hunter Chase at Downpatrick on Friday evening as he led home a one-two for Kildare trainer Sonny Carey.
Winless in six runs since last year’s success, the eight-year-old had entered the race in poor form having pulled-up in the Joseph O’Reilly at Fairyhouse before being beaten 62 lengths in the Bishopscourt Cup at the Punchestown Festival when tried in first-time blinkers.
Stepping back up in trip by an additional mile, and with the blinkers replaced by cheekpieces, the Getaway gelding came from off the pace to launch his challenge two-out in a race which had seen Gorthill, runner-up in the last two editions of the race, cut out much of the early running.
Once tackling his more fancied stablemate Cause For Comment, Rob James’s mount was quickly able to dispose of the favourite, with an error at the final fence from that rival sealing his fate.
Asphalt Cowboy was able to power clear up the hill to register his third victory at the Co. Down as he returned 11 lengths clear of Cause For Comment, with the second favourite, Fortune Lad, a further 20 lengths back in third.
Asphalt Cowboy is now three from three here, landing the Albert Bartlett Hunters Chase for the second year in a row under Rob James for Sonny Carey %uD83D%uDC4F pic.twitter.com/BhuT5Y9IxR
— Downpatrick Racecourse (@DownpatrickRace) May 22, 2026
“It’s brilliant, he is some little horse around here, he loves it around here,” Carey said. “It just suits him, he was won three now around here. He didn’t go a yard in Punchestown or Fairyhouse, but he just comes here and lights up.
“The other horse [Cause For Comment] is a better horse, but just around here he takes a lot of beating and Rob [James] was brilliant on him.
“He has an awful lot of ability, it’s just when he wants to show it. He would gallop with anything at home.”
“He loves it around here,” Rob James added. “He travelled well through the race, I was just trying to stay where I was, to keep filling him up, and we got a right gap going to the second last and I sent him to the line from there.”
