Racing: No smoke without fire as Roche and Geraghty strike

It is rarely a wasted journey to Leopardstown, rarely a day when the burden for providing excitements is left solely to the horses.

When Ireland's leading mixed course was completed in 1888 there was high drama at its first meeting. The racecards ran out and getting the jackpot up was an easier concept than finding anything to eat at the course's restaurants.

After those famines came the fire yesterday when one of the feature races at the Foxrock track was delayed by 13 minutes as a result of smoke from a nearby fire blowing across the course. In the Leopardstown Handicap Chase itself most of the sparks came from the hooves of Youlneverwalkalone.

Christy Roche's gelding, who was third to Fondmort at Cheltenham last month in the Tripleprint Gold Cup, travelled strongly and jumped well in the hands of a new partner in Barry Geraghty. The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old quickened after the final fence to deny the topweight Foxchapel King by a length.

"I'm delighted he's won a decent prize like this and relieved after my horses were off colour for the past week or two," Roche said. "We just had five horses cantering this past week and he was one of them, so I hope the others scope clean as well after they go back into work in the next few days.

"This horse has been called a lot of names, not many of them nice, but I wouldn't mind a few more with his talent. This was a great opportunity and I'm glad he was able to take it," added Roche, who will enter Youlneverwalkalone in a couple of handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

McManus, though, has still to win Ireland's most valuable handicap hurdle, the Pierse Hurdle, a race made famous, or rather notorious, as the Ladbroke. That honour yesterday went to Mick Fitzgerald and Xenophon, whose trainer, Tony Martin, has proved in recent years that he does not come over to Britain just to stock up on Marmite.

Off the course since runner-up in a handicap at Punchestown in early November, Xenophon, a 12-1 chance, was produced fit and well to romp to a two-length victory over the fast-finishing 25-1 shot Colourful Life, an inmate of Mary Reveley's stable.

"You need luck in running and Mick timed it well though I was a bit worried when he was on the inside three out with plenty of horses around him," Martin said. "This is a tough, hardy horse that I thought from day one would win a decent race or two for us.

"We had a hiccup with this horse after Punchestown and we had to forget about the Cheltenham meeting later in November. Once we got him right again we decided to wait for today's race and I'm delighted for the members of the Lane Syndicate who have had a couple of horses with me."

Fitzgerald had never previously won this valuable affair and, when asked if things had gone according to plan, he replied: "It always does when you win." Martin banked on Xenophon's finishing pace and was not disappointed. "I knew if Mick could have him within about five lengths of the lead turning for home he would run right to the line," he said.

Martin will keep Xenophon over hurdles for the rest of the season, but envisages the son of Toulon making his mark over fences. "He goes chasing next season and has already popped a fence well at home," he added.

Tony Dobbin reported that Colourful Life was getting into top gear only when the race was over, but made no excuses after seeing Fitzgerald pounce approaching the final flight, where a good jump sealed the issue.

The winner's prize of 78,650 euros (£51,500) attracted a record field of 28 and fourth-placed Emotional Moment might have secured a bigger chunk of the place money had he enjoyed a trouble-free run. Emotional Moment is now being aimed at the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury next month.