Zero Ten ended up as the comfortable winner of Thurles’s Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase, the feature race on the only card staged in Ireland on Saturday. It proved an action-packed affair, with four of the nine runners parting company with their riders, including the favourite, Sizing Pottsie.
Jumping at this tight circuit proved to be an issue for Sizing Pottsie, who lost momentum with what seemed set to prove a costly mistake in the back straight. But, with Robbie Power pursuing aggressive tactics, he was still just about in front when he got too close to the second-last and fell.
Dallas Des Pictons, tracking him, was so badly hampered that Davy Russell was unseated. Then, at the final fence, Cut The Mustard fell, depositing Paul Townend on the drying turf.
That left Zero Ten to come home in his own time under David Mullins, who had been sidelined for four months by a horror fall at this track in October. Mullins suffered a crushed vertebra and this was just his second winner since returning to action last month.
Jockey changes for Race 6 at @thurlesraces
— IHRB (@ihrb_ie) March 21, 2020
Dortmund Park now ridden by Bryan Cooper
Hotel Du Nord now Paddy Kennedy
Max Dynamite (jockey change to follow)
Davy Russell, Robbie Power & Paul Townend all fine but stood down for remainder of today
Power, Russell and Townend were all stood down for the rest of the card, but a tweet from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board confirmed the trio were nonetheless “fine”.
Thurles
1.40 Fakiera 2.10 Moyhenna 2.40 Hide Out (nb) 3.10 Sizing Pottsie (nap) 3.40 Trumps Ace 4.10 Max Dynamite 4.40 Major Robinson
Chris Cook's tips
Downpatrick
1.40 Barnaviddaun 2.10 Wajaaha 2.40 Bread And Butter (nb) 3.10 Jimmil (nap) 3.40 Yeats Mardy 4.10 On The Sod 4.40 Ballyadam
