By Don Clippinger
The Irish came to Far Hills, N.J., they liked what they found in many ways, and they conquered.
Sideways Syndicate's Jury Duty (Ire) (Well Chosen {GB}), the heavily favored vanguard of an unprecedented Irish invasion, took command on the final turn of America's richest steeplechase race and rolled clear to a 3 1/4-length victory Saturday.
Owner/trainer Emmet Mullins's Tornado Watch (Ire) (Selkirk) launched a big move on Far Hills' final turn to finish second and complete an Irish exacta. Two American contenders, Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose (Senor Swinger) and Harold A. “Sonny” Via's Hinterland (Fr) (Poliglote {GB}) ran a distant third and fourth, respectively in a field of nine.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, who has made American jump racing a profitable adjunct of his successful Irish stable, Jury Duty went off as the 13-to-10 favorite and ran the Grand National's 2 5/8 miles in 5:14.80. The jury was out on the verdict for some time as the Far Hills stewards examined a late change of lanes by Jury Duty leaving the final turn. Tornado Watch's jockey, David Mullins, claimed foul after tapping the brakes after Jury Duty came over in front of him, but the original order of finish was left unchanged.
Robbie Power, who shipped in with a squad of overseas jockeys for the Far Hills card, gave Jury Duty a tactical ride, keeping the 7-year-old outside and quiet while in the second flight behind a pace set first by Elliott-trained Clarcam (Fr) (Califet {Fr}) and then by Bruton Street-US's outsider Jaleo (Ger) (New Approach {Ire}), who shipped in from England for trainer Ben Pauling.
Jury Duty and Power powered past the fading speed on the final turn as Tornado Watch, All the Way Jose, and Hinterland launched their bids. The American contenders failed to make a lasting impression, but Mullins switched Tornado Watch to the inside and was in striking range.
Bending into the stretch, Jury Duty switched to the inside, and Mullins took up on Tornado Watch. Both riders continued to ride over the final fence and to the wire, with Jury Duty widening his advantage to the finish line.
Jury Duty arrived in the U.S. with solid credentials, including a third behind Clarcam in the €250,000 thetote.com Galway Plate Steeplechase in early August.
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