TIMES FASTEST IN ENNISCORTHY’S LORD OF CHARITY

TIMES FASTEST IN ENNISCORTHY’S LORD OF CHARITY

Ian Fortune

Timeless Times and Bounceback Chico were the semi-final winners in the Lord of Charity Open Unraced Stake at Enniscorthy on Monday night, securing their place in next week’s €2,500 decider.

Amazing Spark was favourite to win the opening heat and all seemed to be going to plan when he ranged up to challenge the long-time pace-setter Ardera Billy. But John Simpson’s Timeless Times had other ideas. Despite being bumped wide on the opening turn when prominent, the son of Ballymac Bolger and Minisduke managed to turn a close second before moving past the aforementioned Amazing Spark into the third turn.

Amazing Spark ran a tighter third turn to improve his position again. Suddenly, a tiring Ardera Billy was flanked by Amazing Spark on the inside and Timeless Times on the outside. Amazing Spark had the clearer passage and briefly struck the front but Timeless Times was in determined mood and he stayed on to see off Amazing Spark by a head in 29.09. Coolavanny Love was two and a half lengths away in third.     

CHICO GOING THE RIGHT WAY

Bounceback Chico is certainly bred to be special as a son of Wolfe and former Oaks winner Jaytee Jordan and he emerged a superb winner of the second heat despite finding traffic into the turn and entering the back straight a long way behind the pace-setting Mystical Jet.

Owned jointly by Anthony Kehoe and William Byrne, the November ’22 whelp attempted to get to the fence in the early yards but failed to do so from a tricky draw in five. Taking a number of bumps into the turn, he was a long way behind the leader in fourth as they hit the back straight.

Once getting on the fence, Bounceback Chico flew into the third turn to go second. Mystical Jet continued to set a strong gallop but he was now under severe pressure from Bounceback Chico. Switching outside the pace-setter on the final bend, Bounceback Chico stayed on strongly to lead in the closing yards for a most impressive three parts of a length success in 29.15. Elsiemazie was best of the remainder in third, some four lengths adrift.