From 66-1 Outsider to 12-1 Victor: The Young Rebel Fairyhouse Coup
In a result that sent shockwaves through the Irish horse racing community, the unheralded Young Rebel pulled off a monumental upset to land a huge gamble in the BAR 1 Casino (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at Fairyhouse. The four-year-old gelding, a bargain purchase compared to his rivals, was sent off at 12-1 after being backed in from a massive 66-1, defying the odds with a stunning late surge to claim victory.
A Star-Studded Field Overcome
The 14-runner contest was far from a modest affair, featuring some of the most highly-regarded young horses in training. The field included Gordon Elliott's unbeaten point-to-point winner Grangeclare Park and Willie Mullins' expensive £225,000 acquisition, Lultimatom. These two market leaders duelled for the lead entering the final two furlongs, but neither could respond when the challenger emerged from the pack.
Ridden with patience and determination by jockey Anna McGuinness, Young Rebel had dropped to the rear of the field at the halfway point and appeared to have no chance. However, making stealthy headway down the outside in the straight, the Crystal Ocean gelding found an extraordinary turn of foot, surging to the front towards the finish to beat Moonverrin by a length.
Trainer's Delight and Future Prospects
A visibly delighted trainer, Margaret Mullins, admitted to Irishracing.com that the victory was somewhat unexpected given the quality of the opposition. "There were some well-priced horses in the race and you'd be saying 'what are you doing here?'" Mullins said. "I'm delighted. He came here about three weeks ago and worked lovely."
She was full of praise for jockey Anna McGuinness, adding, "Anna never gave up and rode him the whole way to the line and he kept answering." The performance was so impressive that bookmaker Paddy Power immediately quoted Young Rebel at 25-1 for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, potentially setting up a thrilling future clash.
The race was part of a dramatic day for market movers at Fairyhouse. While Young Rebel was the story of the bumper, the Grade One action saw Ballyburn pipped by Teahupoo in the BAR 1 Betting Hatton's Grace Hurdle, a result that propelled the former to the head of the Stayers' Hurdle betting. Meanwhile, Romeo Coolio's eight-length supremacy in the Drinmore Novice Chase saw his price for the Arkle cut significantly.
