HRI Review
Racing Review
Big Plans For Listowel Winner Warm The
Voice
Brendan Duke is harbouring Classic aspirations for Warm
The Voice which defied top-weight to win the nursery handicap at Listowel on Monday.
Owned by Jackie Bolger, wife of trainer Jim, the 7/4 favourite had plenty in
hand as he won in the hands of Kevin Manning. The winner may now head for the
Beresford Stakes at Naas on Sunday and the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas is
the more long term target. Fozzy Stack and Chris Hayes landed the opening
maiden with 5/4 favourite Eire Rock while Count Of Carabass recorded his second
course success when taking the 6f handicap for Thurles trainer Hilary
McLoughlin and Chris Hayes. The father and son team of Albert and Keith
Moriarty from Glenbeigh, County Kerry landed the fillies’ maiden with 33/1
chance Intense Stylist and there was another Kerry success when Tommy Cooper
and his son Bryan combined to win the 2m maiden hurdle with 15/2 chance
Crocodile Dundee. The mares’ maiden hurdle went to 11/10 favourite Classic
Theatre which was ridden for Henry de Bromhead by Andrew Lynch. Spare Brakes,
trained by Robert Tyner and ridden by Donie McInerney won the opportunity
handicap hurdle at odds of 9/2.
On The Go Again Goes In Again
Mick Mulvaney’s On The Go Again, completed a hat-trick of
wins when taking the featured Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Handicap Hurdle at
Listowel on Tuesday. A winner on the Flat at Roscommon and Bellewstown, the 7/2
favourite was recording his second victory over hurdles and was giving Ross
O’Sullivan, a nephew of the winning trainer, his first win as a professional
rider and his third in all. The Charles Byrnes-trained Alto Esqua had luck on
his side as he landed the beginners’ chase under Phillip Enright. Capital
Force, sent off the 11/10 favourite, fell four fences from home while Bamako
Moriviere was a distance clear when coming down at the final fence leaving the
way clear for the 11/2 chance to score. Michael Hourigan and his daughter Laura
combined to win the bumper with 9/2 chance Sand Fly giving the Limerick trainer
his second success of the season. On the Flat, the first winner of the day was
9/4 chance Tonkin which won the 7f maiden for Patrick Prendergast and Ronan
Whelan. Youceeyouceecee took the handicap over the same distance for Mallow,
County Cork trainer Susan Finn and Killian Leonard. South East, a 4/1 chance,
took the 8f median auction maiden for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning while Dermot
Weld and Pat Smullen combined to win the fillies’ handicap with 11/4 favourite
Knowing you.
Second Kerry National Success For Lisa
O’Neill
Leading amateur rider Lisa O’Neill completed a remarkable
Guinness Kerry National double when winning the feature race of the week at
Listowel on Wednesday. She added to last year’s success on Wrath Of Titans and
gave Gordon Elliott his second win in the race when partnering 8/1 shot Potters
Point to a narrow win over Arkwrisht, which like the winner is owned by
Gigginstown House Stud. Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh combined to win the 2m4f
novice hurdle on 8/13 favourite Fabulous Saga while 1/2 favourite Wonder Laish took
the maiden hurdle for Charles Byrnes and Davy Russell. Sheila Ahern partnered
her sixth winner when taking the bumper on 8/1 shot James Eclipse which is
trained in Clashmore, County Waterford by Thomas Cummins. The day began with
Dot Love and Killian Leonard teaming up to win the 7f handicap with 10/1 chance
All The Mollies while over two furlongs further, Grey Willow was another winner
of a handicap for Feathard trainer Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll. Castlemartyr,
County Cork trainer Victor Clifford and Sean Davis struck with Hurricane
Twister in the second 9f handicap, the ten-year-old scoring at odds of 16/1.
Kevin Manning rode his first winner for Willie Mullins when taking the Listed
Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes on Riven Light. The 11/8
favourite lasted home to win from the long-absent Zawraq and is now heading to
Australia for the Group 1 Cox Plate next month.
Mullins Dominates With Thursday Listowel
Treble
Willie Mullins came out on top when winning three of the
last four races at Listowel on Thursday. He took the featured 2m handicap
hurdle with 5/2 favourite Lagostovegas which might have had a little luck on his
side as he accounted for Davids Charm by just a neck. The runner-up was short
of room and lost ground before the straight. There was no good fortune involved
as Coquin Mans, the 1/4 favourite, saw off his only serious rival Ask Susan to
win the qualified riders’ race under Patrick Mullins and even money favourite
Ben Button completed the treble for the champion trainer and a double for Walsh
when taking the 3m handicap hurdle. The only race over fences on the day went
to the Noel Meade-trained 11/4 joint-favourite Une Lavandiere which survived a
mistake at the final fence to win under Sean Flanagan. Racing began with a
runaway success for 9/4 shot Kupa River, trained by Patrick Prendergast and
ridden by Ronan Whelan, in the 8f maiden. Over the same trip, 100/30 favourite
The Last Indian got up inside the final furlong to win the handicap for Aidan
Howard and Pat Smullen. Brazos won the 12f maiden at odds of 9/2 for Upton,
County Cork trainer John Murphy and Shane Foley while Highland Fling won the
14f handicap at the same price for Navan-trained Gavin Cromwell and Rory
Cleary.
Tony Martin And Oisin Orr Take Listowel
Friday Feature
Tony Martin and County Donegal apprentice Oisin Orr were
the big winners at Listowel on Friday where they landed the Guinness Handicap
with 6/1 chance Ted Veale. The versatile ten-year-old finished with a flourish
to account for the Gordon Elliott-trained Ibsen. Pat Smullen has a good record
when teaming up with Harry Rogers and the pair landed the 12f handicap with 7/4
favourite Lord Erskine. Gavin Cromwell and Shane Foley took the 7f fillies’
maiden with 9/1 chance Lady Camelot while 10/1 shot Not A Bad Oul Day won the
handicap over the same distance for Johnny Feane and Newmarket-On-Fergus,
County Clare apprentice Dylan Hogan. Over fences, Dromnea won the 2m4f
conditions’ chance for Mouse Morris and Mark Enright at odds of 9/1 and the
County Limerick rider followed up in the 2m4f maiden hurdle on 1/2 favourite
Turbojet which he rode for Ratoath trainer Dermot McLoughlin. Gold Smoke won
the 3m handicap hurdle for Eugene O’Sullivan and Cathal Landers, the 11/1
chance winning easily from the well-supported I Will Follow. Conditional rider
Kevin Brouder won the bumper on 100/30 chance Masons Daughter for Glanworth,
County Cork trainer Philip O’Connor.
Willie Mullins Enjoys Final Day Treble
Willie Mullins brought his tally for the Listowel
festival to eight winners with a final day treble on Saturday. He shared two
winners with Ruby Walsh, the pair taking the opening 2m maiden hurdle with 4/9
favourite Makitorix before 8/11 favourite Rathvinden won the novice chase in
great style. Mullins’ son Patrick did the steering as Brahma Bull, an
easy-to-back 3/1 chance, made virtually all the running in the bumper. Gordon
Elliott landed the novice hurdle with 5/2 chance Morgan which could hardly have
been more impressive in the hands of Chris Meehan. Another 7lbs claiming rider
on the mark was Donie McInerney who partnered Michael Winters’ 10/1 Granny
Biddy to success in the Tote Handicap Hurdle. Gavin Cromwell and Ger Fox won
the 2m4f handicap hurdle with 5/2 favourite Highland Fling which was a winner
at the track on the Flat two days previously. Templemore trainer John Ryan
landed a double. Amateur rider Johnny Barry partnered 7/2 favourite Icantsay to
success in the qualified riders’ handicap chase while Danny Mullins was on top
as 3/1 joint-favourite Presenting Mahler won the 2m1f handicap chase.
Laganore Gains Deserved Group 3 Success
Laganore heads to the paddocks as a Group 3 winner after
her deserved success in the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies
Stakes at Gowran Park on Saturday. Sent off a 7/2 joint-favourite, the
five-year-old raced to a comfortable two-length success over I’m So Fancy
giving Colin Keane the opening leg of a double. The Meath jockey followed up
when taking the nine-furlong maiden on 5/1 chance Erratic Path which is trained
by Ger Lyons. Keane’s great rival in the race to be crowned champion jockey Pat
Smullen enjoyed a winner of his own as he partnered Pat Flynn’s Sleepy Head to
take the 8f handicap at odds of 6/1. Shane Foley enjoyed his first day as a
freelance jockey as he rode two winners for Jessica Harrington. He won the
two-year-old maiden on 7/2 chance The King and took the conditions’ event over
the same distance on 8/1 chance Gymkhana. Kevin Prendergast and Chris Hayes
took the 8f fillies’ maiden on 7/4 favourite Moghamarah while the only
apprentice to ride a winner on the day was Danny Sheehy who partnered Adrian
Keatley’s 10/1 shot Lucky Mistake to success in the 9f handicap. The latest leg
of the Corinthian Challenge Race Series was won by Killian McCarthy who partnered
the Gordon Elliott-trained Water Sprite to score from his market rival Nearly
Famous.
Racing News
Horse Racing Ireland Goes Ploughing
Horse Racing Ireland will return to the 2017 National
Ploughing Championships from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 September at Screggan,
Tullamore, County Offaly. The interactive HRI marquee will be hosted by ITV
Racing and At The Races presenter Matt Chapman and his At The Races colleague
Kevin O’Ryan who will interview top trainers and jockeys daily, including Davy
Russell, Ruby Walsh and Pat Smullen, with lots of competitions and racing
ticket giveaways. Visitors to the marquee will see RACE (Racing Academy and
Centre of Education) give horse simulator demonstrations, allowing members of the
public to experience what it is like to ride a racehorse and gain an
understanding of the career opportunities in the racing industry. Children will
be entertained by ‘Front Runner - Racing Club for Kids’. The daily shows at
11am and 2pm will include racing games, colouring competitions, quizzes,
demonstrations and great prizes. A
‘Racing Mastermind’ battle will also be a feature of the daily shows, with Matt
Chapman taking on Horse Racing Ireland racing expert, Martin Murphy.
Irish Sporting Legends Raise €160,000 To
Fund Irish Cancer Society Researchers
Hurling for Cancer Research 2017, a celebrity hurling
match organised by legendary racehorse trainer Jim Bolger and Cheltenham Gold
Cup winner and two-time Irish National Hunt Champion jockey Davy Russell, has
racked-up €160,000 for the Irish Cancer Society’s cancer research. In the six
years of the event, which sees past and present sporting stars from GAA,
hurling and soccer take to the pitch, €700,000 has been raised to fund
researchers working on life-saving cancer research. This year a record crowd of
almost 4,000 descended on St. Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, as sporting stars from
around the country flocked to the pitch for the clash of the ash. Amongst the
household names lining-out were GAA greats Lee Chin, TJ Reid, JJ Delaney, Tommy
Walsh, Martin Storey, Joe Deane, Ollie Canning, Peter Canavan, Ursula Jacob and
Mags D’Arcy. Representing racing were champion trainer Willie Mullins and
leading owner Rich Ricci, leading lady rider Katie Walsh, champion amateur
jockey Jamie Codd, Mikey Fogarty and Shane Foley. Former Ireland international
soccer stars Niall Quinn, Stephen Hunt also took to the pitch while their
former colleague Paul McGrath supported from the sideline. Cyril Farrell and
Jimmy Barry Murphy acted as referees and RTÉ’s Miriam O’Callaghan was kept busy
as a sideline official. Henry Shefflin and Marty Morrissey were also on hand to
lend their support. Victory on the night went to Jim Bolger’s Star’s managed by
Liam Griffin and ably assisted by Wexford boss, Davy Fitzgerald. They beat Davy
Russell’s Best, managed by Kilkenny’s Brian Cody and Kevin Manning by 7-21 to
8-13.
€120,000 Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction
Series Final Attracts Huge Entry
53 horses are entered for the final of the Foran Equine
Irish EBF Auction Series at Naas Racecourse on October 15th with total
prize-money of €120,000, up from €100,000 in 2016. It is a timely reminder,
before the yearling sales start this week, that horses purchased for €72,000 or
less will be eligible for the series next year. The Foran Equine Irish EBF
partnership has significantly boosted prize-money and made the auction series a
lucrative proposition for trainers and owners. The series is designed to create
wide-scale opportunities for horses purchased as a yearling or a two-year-old
at public auction for €72,000 or less, with allowances for fillies and horses
purchased at a lower auction price.
Former Champion Jockey Eyes September
Return
Barry Geraghty hopes to return to the saddle at the
weekend. The 37-year-old Meath-man has been plagued with injuries in recent
time and has been sidelined since late last month after suffering a hairline
fracture of his shoulder blade. The former dual champion jockey made a winning
return on his first ride back after several months on the sidelines with
victory aboard Le Richebourg at the Galway Festival before he enjoyed a big
race win three days later aboard the Joseph O’Brien-trained Tigris River for
his boss JP McManus in the Guinness Handicap Hurdle. He was also sidelined for
three months last summer with a fractured right arm, and also missed the
Cheltenham Festival this year due to fractured ribs and a collapsed lung
suffered in a fall at Kempton.
Doncaster St Leger Success For O’Brien
And Moore
Aidan O'Brien's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Capri
notched his second Classic success of the season in the William Hill St Leger
at Doncaster on Saturday. Ridden by Ryan Moore, who was completing a clean
sweep in British Classics, Capri got the better of Crystal Ocean and Stradivarius
in a thrilling finish to give O’Brien his 18th Group/Grade 1 winner of the
season. Rekindling, trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph and ridden by his other son
Donnacha, took fourth place.
2018 Fixture List Announced
The 2018 Fixture List for Irish racing was released last
week by Horse Racing Ireland and reveals that the total number of fixtures has
been increased by eight to 363, the highest number of fixtures ever to be run
in Ireland. The racecourses which have each been allocated an additional
fixture in 2018 are Ballinrobe, Bellewstown, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Killarney,
Naas, Navan and Punchestown, while Tipperary will lose the industry fixture
which they staged in 2017. These new fixtures have been allocated on a
temporary basis and their appropriate venues, dates and position in the
calendar will be reviewed annually. Overall, in terms of the overall
Flat/National Hunt split, it is estimated that Flat races will increase by 32
(to 1135) while National Hunt races will increase by 22 (to 1434). This
reflects the improvement in Flat average field sizes which were up by 0.63
runners per race for the first eight months of 2017 compared to the same period
last year (from 10.48 to 11.11), while National Hunt field sizes were up by 0.45
runners per race from 11.24 to 11.69.
2018 Fixture List - http://bit.ly/2w0RhXe