Nearly Supa Thursday but not quite as Harrington hope goes down fighting

Robbie Power believes Supasundae would have won the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle if the ground had not been so testing.

The Irish Champion Hurdle winner had won over three miles but could not cope with Penhill and the conditions as he went down by two lengths after looking to have every chance going over the last.

Of 6-1 chance Supasundae, the rider said: "He was just outstayed on that ground. On good ground he would get there no problem.

"If we hadn't have had the 9mm of rain last night it would have been perfect ground for us. But you cannot control the man above. It wasn't a strongly run race but on that ground you couldn't really go."

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Of last year's Coral Cup winner, trainer Jessica Harrington said: "The ground just caught him out in the last hundred yards. But that's the best he's run on that ground. He's improved an awful lot this year.

"He doesn't look like he's had a hard race – he's quite perky. There's Aintree and Punchestown but we'll see how he is when we get home. I'm absolutely thrilled with him."

'He's done us proud'

Sam Spinner was sent off the well-backed 9-4 favourite and set a steady pace in front but was eclipsed before the final flight, finishing fifth, two places behind Wholestone, whose trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: "He's done us proud. He was third in the Albert Bartlett last year, beating everyone except the Irish, and has done exactly the same."

The New One, stepping up to three miles for the first time, finished 12th after his challenge petered out, and Twiston-Davies added: "The New One hasn't run great. It was very soft and either he didn't get home or hasn't run his race.

"That was the worst race of his life, so it was very disappointing. He looked very cheerful afterwards and that's the main thing. He owes none of us anything."

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