Tiumen clinches hat-trick of wins in Pardubicka

Tiumen made it hat-trick of wins as he swooped late and fast to lift the Velka Pardubicka at Pardubice.

Trained and ridden by 58-year-old Josef Vana, Tiumen was adding to his victories in 2009 and last term. He beat stablemate Sixteen on the way to his first win and it was that horse who put up most resistance in the extended four-and-quarter-mile cross-country spectacle this time.

Sixteen was always in the front rank and she still led after jumping the last.

However, Vana had timed his run to perfection aboard Tiumen and he powered down the middle of the track to claim the prize in the shadow of the post. Vana was winning the Pardubicka for an eighth time as a jockey and the ninth as a trainer.

At Limerick meanwhile, Muirhead (10-1) won a dramatic race for the Ladbrokes.com Munster National.

Paul Carberry oozed confidence on the Noel Meade-trained eight-year-old to challenge Bideford Legend in the straight and pull away to win by a length and three-quarters with Uncle Junior third. The first of the two fences in the straight was omitted after mayhem at what was the first obstacle. Glenstal Abbey fell, bringing down Tinakellylad and For A Finish.

Casey Top made the running but could not keep up the gallop for all of the three miles while last year’s winner Golden Kite unseated his rider at the fifth last when still in contention.

Meade said: “I don’t know how he got through those fallers at the first. They seemed to come down right in front of him. We got the luck there. He has very little mileage over fences. The Kerry National was the plan all along but the ground got heavy for him so we said we would come here instead. He doesn’t like the ground too heavy.

“The Troytown Chase at Navan is a possibility now or the Hennessy in England, the handicapper is hardly going to be too easy on him.”

Meanwhile, Richard Hannon could be double-handed at the Breeders’ Cup meeting with Strong Suit and Lilbourne Lad after their sterling efforts at Newmarket on Saturday.

Strong Suit is as short as 3-1 for the Breeders’ Cup Mile after his facile win in the Challenge Stakes while Middle Park Stakes runner-up Lilbourne Lad has a choice of engagements.

“Strong Suit definitely heads to Churchill Downs, and there is a chance that Lilbourne Lad might be there too,” the Marlborough trainer said.

“The ground at Newmarket was a bit loose on top, but in Kentucky it will probably be as hard as the local freeway and that will suit him perfectly.”