Road To Respect and Bryan Cooper win Brown Advisory & Merriiebelle Stable Plate
Thursday 1 February 2018 14:27, UK
Road To Respect was a 14/1 winner of the Brown Advisory & Merriiebelle Stable Plate to give Bryan Cooper a second Cheltenham Festival winner of the week.
Noel Meade's six-year-old stormed clear to win the Grade 3 handicap and make it five Irish winners from five races on the eve of St Patrick's Day.
Baron Alco (10/1) fared best of the British runners in a six-length second with Bouvreuil (10/1) back in third ahead of well-backed 7/1 shot Thomas Crapper.
Favourite Diamond King had no kind of run, making a bad mistake early and then being pulled up by Davy Russell a long way from home after he was stopped to a walk by a faller in front of him.
Cooper, who won the OLBG Mares' Hurdle aboard Apple's Jade on Tuesday, said: "He travelled really well, he's been running in good novice races all winter long and I was a bit worried if he lacked the experience.
"He didn't jump the first great, but after that I gave him a bit of room to get his confidence. It was a messy race but he bolted up.
"Noel is a great person to ride for. I had a lot of luck for him early in my job. I've struggled to ride a winner for him the last couple of years, but he does a great job.
"It's great to get another one on the board."
Winning owner Michael O'Leary said: "He's related to Road To Riches so he wants good ground, but he's been running against all the best novices in Ireland.
"I didn't think he had much of a chance, but Bryan gave him a great ride, he was in the right place the whole way.
"Someone told me it's Noel's first win over fences here which just goes to show if you keep banging your head something will give."
Meade said: "I thought we had three good chances to be in the money today, Disko was third (in the JLT), I was a little disappointed with Snow Falcon in the Stayers', and this fellow.
"I was telling a few people in Ireland I quite fancied him to be honest. I actually wanted to run in the RSA but Gigginstown had Alpha Des Obeaux in that and it makes sense the way the handicap was.
"The ground was a big help and we've always thought he was nice. He was obviously well handicapped."
