Punters fume at ‘soft’ ride as 2-9 favourite is nabbed on the line in heartbreaking fashion

10 months ago 60

PUNTERS have been left less than impressed after a long odds-on favourite was chinned on the line at Tramore.

The Willie Mullins-trained Jolie Coeur Allen was 2-9 for her hurdling debut after some useful form in bumpers.

2/9 favourite Jolie Couer Allen beaten at @TramoreRaces

Soldante makes a winning start over flights for Eoin Walsh & Ciaran Murphy pic.twitter.com/Kp5OTXwhwa

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 28, 2023

Second in a hot French race on debut, she was fifth in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree last season on her debut for Mullins.

Punters couldn’t get enough of the JP McManus-owned four-year-old, who was getting weight from most of her rivals.

She looked to be cruising in the lead as they freewheeled down the hill and approached the straight.

Jolie Coeur Allen clearly has her quirks, however, as she was wearing a hood and although Mark Walsh looked confident, that may have not been the case.

Walsh was niggling at his mount in the final furlong, perhaps trying to eke out the remaining petrol in the tank without throwing the kitchen sink.

The cupboard was bare as Walsh asked for everything from his mount in the dying strides and she was collared close home by the experienced Soldante.

It’s fair to say that punters were less than impressed with what they’d seen.

One punter said: “Stewards should be asking the question of Mark Walsh for his very soft ride on Jolie Coeur Allen at Tramore. The hot favourite rolled.”

Another said: “The jockey on the second should be banned as he was not riding the horse out one hundred percent.”

One more added: “Looked like zero effort made to win the race.”