HRI Review
Racing Review
Fabulous
double for Mullins at Ballinrobe
You don't
often see races around Ballinrobe won by 20 lengths but Fabulous Saga bucked
the trend on Monday evening with a fabulous front-running display in the 2m5f
maiden hurdle. The previous point and bumper winner set a brisk tempo under
Ruby Walsh and maintained that strong gallop to score with plenty up his sleeve
and winning trainer Willie Mullins will surely be stepping up in grade now. The
champion trainer went on to register a double on the night when the
four-year-old filly Diamond Hill, sent off the 4-7 favourite, made a taking
winning debut in the concluding bumper under his son Patrick. The feature
Burligh Accountancy Handicap Hurdle went the way of the Gordon Elliott-trained
Walkabout who enjoyed being ridden more positively than normal under Davy
Russell and had seven lengths to spare over The Irregular. Snugsborough
Benny has been doing Liam Cusack proud over the last few months and won for a
third time in just four starts when coming out best in a thrilling battle with
Rosie Alice in the 2m5f handicap hurdle.
Alluringly
lands Listed feature at Gowran Park
Aidan
O'Brien has a whole host of fantastic fillies at his disposal this season and,
while Alluringly might not be in the same league as Winter, she did get closer
than most to Enable when chasing her home in the Cheshire Oaks in May and
gained a second career success in the feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Hurry
Harriet Stakes at Gowran Park on Wednesday evening. The Listed contest
over 1m1f developed into a duel between Alluringly and main market rival Making
Light and it was Seamie Heffernan on the 7-4 favourite who pull out more close
home to land the spoils by a neck. Jim Bolger
and Kevin Manning teamed up for a double thanks to the wins of Panstarr in the
1m1f fillies handicap and Solar Wave in the 7f nursery, both of whom were
returned at odds of 7-1. A field of
ten entered the stalls for the McEnery Cup Handicap and it was Fiesole, from
the Mooncoin stable of Eoin Doyle, who came home in front in the hands of Denis
Linehan at 8-1.
Patience
pays off for Stack's stable star at Leopardstown
When Fozzy
Stack took over the training licence from his father Tommy at the start of the
season, Alexios Komnenos was one of the star pupils in the Golden stable and he
is beginning to justify the hype following a emphatic success in the Group 3
Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown on Wednesday. Injuries have robbed us of seeing
the son of Choisir as often as we should but he is certainly making up for lost
time and found plenty for pressure under Chris Hayes to dispose of Music Box by
a length and a half. Stack was quick to nominate the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes
back at Leopardstown next month as Alexios Komenos' next start. Dermot
Weld has failed to live up to expectations this season with a nasty bug to
blame for fewer winners than normal but his team are finally beginning to his
top gear and the victories of Chiara Luna in the 6f fillies maiden and Bella
Estrella in the concluding 1m fillies maiden provided him and Pat Smullen with
a double. Atlas has been hitting the crossbar on plenty of occasions this
summer but he deservedly hit the back of the net for Denis Hogan and Leigh
Roche in the 1m handicap, doing so in style by five lengths at odds of
3-1. Ducky Mallon has been a great servant to Dunleer trained Donal
Kinsella over the last few years and the gry six-year-old posted a fifth career
success in the 6f handicap in the hands of Niall McCullagh.
Life is a
Beach at Tramore
Grade 1-winning
hurdler Airlie Beach, who was a fine third behind Tigris River in the Guinness
Galway Hurdle, was the star on show on day one of Tramore's four-day festival
and she did not let her supporters down. The 30-100 favourite adopted her
customary front-running role under Kate Harrington and never saw another rival
on the way to a four and a half length victory over Game Puppeteer. She could
show up in a Flat maiden over the next few weeks but that will be her last
appearance as she is in foal to Mount Nelson. The widest margin winner of the
evening was the Henry De Bromhead-trained Mullinavat who jumped for fun under
Sean Flanagan on the way to a 21-length success over main market rival Penny
Jane. Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell are forming a formidable partnership
of late and they teamed up for a double thanks to the wins of Swingbridge (9-4
favourite) in the 2m6f beginners chase and Fridaynightlights (4-1) in the 2m
rated novice hurdle.
Spruce
scores for Feane and Halpin at Dundalk
There was
plenty of prize-money on offer at Dundalk on Thursday and the most valuable
contest on the card, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Red God Handicap, threw up
the most thrilling finish of the evening with Spruce Meadows edging out Le
Vagabond by a short-head. It was an 18th winner of the campaign for Johnny
Feane, while winning jockey Gary Halpin now has 16 winners to his name in
2017. Oisin Orr is a young jockey going places fast and he helped himself
to a 119-1 double when steering Freescape (14-1) to victory in the 6f maiden
and Wild Shot (7-1) in the 1m apprentice handicap. Colin Keane's quest
for a first Irish jockeys' title is gathering pace and he added another winner
to his account when Reckless Endeavour landed the 6f handicap. Brothers Joseph
and Donnacha O'Brien combined to take the opening 5f rated race with 5-2 shot
Duplication.
Potters make
his point at Tramore
The tastiest
dish was served up first at Tramore on Friday evening as Potters Point (6-4
favourite) put in a flawless round of jumping under Davy Russell to take the
opening EY Chase in great style by eight lengths in the hands of Davy Russell.
It was a second success over fences for Potters Point who could be an ideal
type for the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse next Easter. Potters
Point's trainer Gordon Elliott went on to double his account in the 2m maiden
hurdle when the previously luckless Canny Tom made it 26th time lucky under Keith
Donoghue. Touch Of Gold provided Dingle native Michael Kennedy with his
first ever winner as a trainer when scoring at Killarney last month and he
repeated the feat in the 2m handicap hurdle, once again under Michael's brother
Paddy. The 5-1 shot was two and three-quarter lengths too good for
Drakaina. Mooncoin-based Eoin Doyle has a cracking course record at
Tramore and he enhanced that further in the 2m5f handicap hurdle thanks to the
victory of Ardera Cross under Brian O'Connell. Robbie McNamara sent out
Dasmyhoss to win the concluding bumper in the hands of Barry O'Neill.
George back
to best in St Leger trial
Order Of St
George returned to his brilliant best in the Group 3 Comer Group International
Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday, winning the race for a
third time on the trot. The 1-2 favourite relished the underfoot conditions in
the hands of Ryan Moore and coasted to a four-and-three-quarter-length win over
Rekindling. The Irish St Leger and the Arc at Deauville are likely to be on his
radar now. My Silver Nails was very unsociable in the 6f nursery, keeping
away from the field by Chris Hayes, and it proved a masterstroke as she belied
her 14-1 starting price with a comfortable triumph. Kells trainer Mick Mulvaney
will now be eyeing a step up in grade with his two-year-old filly who was
opening her account at the ninth time of asking. The biggest gamble of
the day arrived ahead of the 7f handicap as the Bill Farrell-trained Xenobia
was backed from a morning price of 10-1 into 4-1 favourite at the off and the
cash was right on the money as she came home in front under Chris Hayes, who
was recording a 74-1 double.
Saturday to
savour for Colin Keane
Having
guided Would You Believe to glory earlier on in the day at the Curragh, Colin
Keane made the trip south to Tramore and bagged another two winners. He was
first successful on High Expectations (5-1) in the 1m4f handicap and then
produced Water Sprite (7-2) with a perfectly-timed challenge down the outside
to take the 2m handicap. Both of those were trained by Gordon Elliott. It
was a super Saturday for punters as five of the seven favourites were
successful. All Of Me (8-13) got the ball rolling in the opening 1m4f maiden
for Johnny Murtagh and Shane Foley, while Miss Snossyboots (9-4), Turnabout
(4-6), St Stephens Green (11-10) and Rubenesque (5-2) all justified their
positions at the head of the market too.
Magical
provides O'Brien with a dozen Debutantes
Aidan
O'Brien won the Group 2 Breast Cancer Research Debutante Stakes with Ballydoyle
in 2015 and Rhododendron in 2016 and he registered a 12th success in the race
with Magical, who upset her better fancied stablemates Happily and September.
Donnacha O'Brien sent the daughter of Galileo straight to the front and the
11-1 shot stayed on strongly to see off Happily by a length. The Group 2
Galileo Irish EBF Futurity Stakes was more punter friendly as the well-backed
favourite Rostropovich (11-8) swooped late and fast under Ryan Moore to deny
stable companion Coat Of Arms by a short-head. It was all one-way traffic
in the Group 3 Qatar Airways Royal Whip Stakes as the Dermot Weld-trained
Shamreen (11-4) sauntered to success under Pat Smullen, winning by far more
authority than the winning margin of three and a quarter lengths
suggests. Colin Keane completed a wonderful weekend with a 15-1 double as
Gobi Desert (3-1) justified favouritism in the opening 7f maiden and Treasuring
(3-1) made all the running in the Group 3 Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club
Curragh Stakes.
Holden and
Russell rule in Tramore feature
Ballyhale-based
trainer Ellmarie Holden has made a blistering start to her training career and
she took the feature Noel Cummins Bookmaker Handicap Chase with Sir Jack Yeats
who made all the running and put in a foot-perfect round of jumping under Davy
Russell. The 11-4 favourite had nine lengths to spare over Burndown at the
line. John Nicholson believes that Fort Montagu is developing into a
course-specialist at Tramore and the 7-4 favourite showed a willing attitude to
take the 2m maiden hurdle by half-a-length under Mark Enright. Champion
trainer Willie Mullins had another short-priced double with Hey Little Boy
making a winning Irish debut in the 2m5f maiden hurdle and Irish Lass taking
the concluding bumper in the style of a very useful filly.
Racing News
Cheltenham
Gold Cup-winning owner passes away
Ann Potts,
who along with husband Alan enjoyed Cheltenham Gold Cup glory this year with
Sizing John, has died after a long illness. She was 69. Prolific winner Sizing
Europe, who landed the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in 2011 among
seven Grade 1 victories, was the couple’s first top-notch horse, and most of
their major triumphs have come with Irish trainers. Sizing
Europe was trained by Henry de Bromhead, while Sizing John – who followed up
his triumph at Cheltenham by winning at the Punchestown festival – is based
with Jessica Harrington, who led the tributes to Mrs Potts.
Irish
Champion Stakes hero retired
Almanzor,
winner of last year's epic Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, has
been retired after failing to fire on his seasonal return. Almanzor was kept in
training at four with the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe his main aim this
season. However, trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has endured a difficult year, with
an outbreak of the deadly EHV-1 virus in April in his barn, and Almanzor then
suffered a physical setback the following month. Speaking after the colt had
finished a disappointing fifth of six in a Group 3 at Deauville last Tuesday,
Rouget hinted the horse may have run his last race.
O'Brien
sending big guns to York Ebor festival
Churchill is
pleasing Aidan O'Brien in advance of his first run over a mile and a quarter at
York on Wednesday, where he will be joined by stablemate Cliffs Of Moher in the
Juddmonte International. Cliffs Of Moher, the Investec Derby runner-up,
finished fourth behind Ulysses in the Coral-Eclipse in which he was badly
hampered less than three furlongs after the start. O'Brien has enjoyed success
in the Juddmonte International on five occasions. He first won the race with
Giant's Causeway in 2000 and was subsequently successful with Duke Of
Marmalade, Rip Van Winkle, Declaration Of War and most recently Australia. Capri
is not among the final field for the Group 2 Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes on
Wednesday, with Venice Beach and Spanish Steps leading the Ballydoyle challenge
for the staying contest.
The
countdown is on for Jog for Jockeys
The
countdown is on for Jog for Jockeys. Join multiple Group 1 winning
jockey-turned-racehorse trainer, Johnny Murtagh, along with a host of
well-known jockeys and trainers next Sunday, August 27, to walk, jog or run the
5km or 10km routes at the unique setting of Naas’ racetrack, with its
challenging uphill finish. Register now at www.jogforjockeys.ie,
online advance entry costs €20. All runners who pre-register online will
receive a race t-shirt and will be provided with timing chips to record
accurate race times. Entry on the day will be €25, while a team of five is
€100, with the three best times to count. All children can take part free of
charge but there is a €10 fee for children who would like a T-shirt and a
timing chip. There is also a prize for the winning ‘equine team’ – a team
comprising racing yards, vets or any equine-related business across Ireland. Irish
Injured Jockeys are delighted that K-Leisure, Ireland's premier fitness clubs,
are sponsoring the Jog for Jockeys T-shirts and the race warm-up with current
Irish national elite 57kg boxing champion Dervla Duffy. Start time
for 10km run is 11am and the 5km runners will begin at 11:05am.
Hurling For
Cancer a resounding success
A star
studded line-up featuring a combined 63 All-Ireland medals and 66 All-Stars
gathered to play the annual Hurling for Cancer match at St Conleth’s Park in
Newbridge last Wednesday and the €100,000 barrier has already been broken for
the 2017 edition. The game was a 15-goal thriller with Jim Bolger’s Stars
winning on a scoreline of 7-21 to Davy Russell’s Best 8-13. Some of the stars
who featured in the game included Niall Quinn, Stephen Hunt, Richie
Hogan, Peter Canavan, Joe Brolly, Lee Chin and Davy Fitzgerald. The event
has now raised well over half-a-million since it began six years ago.