HRI Review

Racing Review

Three For Elliott At Tipperary Finale

Gordon Elliott dominated on the final day of racing at Tipperary for 2017 with three winners. He shared two of them with Davy Russell who partnered 2/7 favourite Roaring Bull to win the 2m maiden hurdle before taking the beginners’ chase on 1/5 favourite Death Duty which overcame a mistake at the final fence to account for his only serious market rival Cap D’aubois. Nina Carberry has enjoyed great success since she returned to race-riding and she rode her fourth winner in the space of two weeks when taking the bumper on Elliott’s 7/2 chance Secret Legacy. Miss Eyecatcher is certainly one to follow and she landed the rated novice chase at odds of 4/6 favourite for Cappoquin, County Waterford trainer Roger McGrath and David Mullins. Also over fences, the father and son team of Tom and Bryan Cooper were once again on the mark with 2/1 favourite Crocodile Dundee in the handicap chase. The young rider had begun the day with success on the Henry De Bromhead-trained 4/7 favourite Creation in the mares’ maiden hurdle while Cillian Leonard and Pat Fahy won the 3m handicap hurdle with 16/1 chance No Pressure Pat. 

Keane Outpoints Smullen To Extend Championship Lead At Dundalk

Colin Keane recorded two winners at Dundalk on Tuesday evening to reach the 79-winner mark for the season and increase his lead of reigning champion jockey Pat Smullen to five. Keane struck early when taking the 8f maiden on the Ger Lyons-trained 2/1 favourite The Kid Bobby B which battled back to edge out the Smullen-ridden Platinum Warrior by a head. Keane had an easier time of it on 5/2 favourite Commander Won which landed the opening division of the 12f handicap for Ratoath trainer Dermot McLoughlin. Smullen clawed a winner back when he took the fillies’ maiden over the extended ten furlongs on Dermot Weld’s 9/2 chance Muniza. Michael Halford and Colm O’Donoghue won the 7f maiden with 7/2 chance Invincible Ryker and the opening division of the handicap over the same distance went to 5/1 chance Coreczka which was ridden for Louise Cannon by Oisin Orr who is now level with the side-lined Ana O’Brien on 18 winners in the race to become champion apprentice. The second leg of the same race went to David Marnane’s 11/2 chance Seanie which was ridden by Declan McDonogh while the second division of the 12f handicap was won by Joseph O'Brien’s 8/1 shot French Mix in the hands of Wayne Lordan. Andy Oliver and Conor Hoban combined to take the 12f maiden with 50/1 shot Panther Soul which readily saw off 6/4 favourite World Stage on his racecourse debut. 

Keane Maintains Healthy Championship Lead With Naas Winner

Colin Keane and Pat Smullen dominated proceedings at Naas on Wednesday and while the reigning champion jockey enjoyed a double at the meeting, Keane ended the day with a heathy four-winner lead in the title race. He brought his season’s tally to 80 with success on the Ger Lyons-trained 2/1 shot Who’s Steph which had little difficulty in landing the fillies’ maiden. Smullen had earlier won the 5f maiden on the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Aurora Eclipse, the 15/8 favourite. Smullen brought his tally for the term to 76 winners with success on 9/10 favourite London Icon in the median auction maiden for Curragh trainer Adrian Keatley. Johnny Murtagh and Shane Foley won the 6f claiming race with 7/1 shot Mister Magic and Murtagh landed a second winner when Niall McCullagh partnered 6/1 chance Yolo Star to a two-length win in the nursery handicap over six furlongs. A similar race over 8f went to Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning who scored with 13/2 chance Scoil Naisiunta while Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan rounded off the day with 4/6 favourite Flag Of Honour winning the 7f maiden. 

It’s a Family Affair At Tramore On Thursday

Success for Philip and Luke Dempsey at Tramore on Thursday was quickly followed by a winner for another father and son team as Jimmy and Paddy Mangan also made their mark. The Dempseys landed the rated novice chase with 6/1 Persian Wind and also over fences, the Mangans scored with Conna Cross, another 6/1 chance and a first victory in a little over two years for the winning jockey. Austin Leahy and Mark Walsh landed the opening maiden hurdle with 4/1 chance Wait Here while Enniscorthy, County Wexford trainer Moses McCabe took the 2m5f maiden hurdle with 5/2 chance The Kings Baby which was ridden by Donie McInerney. James Dullea, who trains in Bandon, County Cork, took the 2m5f handicap hurdle with 4/1 shot Just Get Cracking which was ridden by Paul Townend but there were a couple of winners to keep the locals happy too. Mullinavat, trained by Henry De Bromhead and ridden by Sean Flanagan, won the 2m handicap hurdle at odds of 9/10 favourite while 6/1 chance On His Toes won the lady riders’ bumper for Kilmeaden-trainer Shay Barry and Laura Hourigan. 

Smullen Back In Business With Spectacular Four-Timer At Dundalk

Pat Smullen blew the race to become champion jockey wide open once again with four winners at Dundalk on Friday night. He shared three of them with Michael Halford and the pair got off the mark on the night when Smugglers Creek, the 8/11 favourite, won the 7f claiming maiden. Riyazan took the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Star Appeal Stakes at odds of 11/4 and Halford’s treble was completed when 13/2 chance Hunaina won the fillies’ handicap in fine style. Smullen was also successful on the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Militry Decoration which won the nursery handicap at odds of 3/1. Colin Keane hit back with a winner of his own as the Ger Lyons-trained 7/2 favourite Thunder Crash edged out the Smullen-ridden Bold Knight by a short-head and the pair ended the session with the young pretender leading by 81-80. Robbie Downey’s double was somewhat overshadowed. He took both divisions of the apprentice handicap, beginning with the Pat Flynn-trained 5/1 chance Sleepy Head and following up on Beau Satchel, trained by Ado McGuinness, which was the successful 7/2 favourite in the second leg. Aidan O'Brien and his son Donnacha won the 5f conditions’ race with 1/7 favourite Declarationofpeace. 

Smullen Draws Level with Limerick Winner On Saturday

The thrilling climax to the jockeys’ championship dominated at Limerick on Saturday afternoon as Pat Smullen once again drew level with Colin Keane when taking the 7f maiden on Imaging. Trained by Dermot Weld, the 6/4 chance easily accounted for 8/11 favourite Spanish Point and at the end of the day, Smullen and Keane were tied on 81 winners. Like Imaging, Sunday Smart made all the running to win the auction maiden at odds of 9/4 joint-favourite for Patrick Prendergast and Ronan Whelan. Another Curragh trainer on the mark was Johnny Feane who saddled Not A Bad Oul Day to win his seventh race of the season when landing the 8f handicap under Dylan Hogan. Joseph O’Brien and Wayne Lordan won the Listed Martin Molony Stakes with 7/2 chance Detailed and the winning rider completed a double when taking the second division of the 7f handicap on Thomond O’Mara’s 10/1 shot Voyageofdiscovery. The opening leg of the same race was won by 9/1 shot Tennesse Waltz which was ridden by Killian Leonard. Another youngster to ride a winner was Dubliner Daniel Redmond who partnered the Pat Tallis-trained Port Moody in the apprentice handicap. A more senior rider on the mark was Chris Hayes who won the 7f conditions’ race on 50/1 shot Hit The Silk which is trained in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny by Pat Murphy.  

Fayonagh Scores On Hurdling Bow At Fairyhouse

Last season’s outstanding bumper performer Fayonagh made a winning start to her jumping career when readily landing the 2m maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday. Sent off a 2/13 favourite, she made the running under Davy Russell from as early as the opening hurdle and will now go up in class for the Grade 3 mares’ hurdle at Down Royal early next month according to winning trainer Gordon Elliott. Elliott had also won the opening mares’ beginners’ chase with 1/6 favourite Shattered Love which was ridden by Jack Kennedy. Also over fences, the Paul Stafford-trained Fenlon’s Hill took the handicap at odds of 8/1 in the hands of Adam Short. Local trainer Dermot McLoughlin won the opening division of the 2m4f handicap hurdle with 25/1 chance Dromore Lad which was ridden by Danny Hand while the second leg of the same race went to Euro So Brave, at 7/1 chance which was ridden for Cloughjordan, County Tipperary trainer Willie Austin by Martin Burke. Donie McInerney rode his second winner of the week when taking the 2m handicap hurdle on 9/2 chance Russian Roulette for Charles O’Brien. Gavin Cromwell won the bumper when Jamie Codd brought 15/8 favourite Biddy The Boss from off the pace to collar the Gordon Elliott-trained Moonlight Escape. The opening beginners’ chase also saw Elliott lose out as Willie Mullins’ 2/1 chance Bamako Moriviere, with Ruby Walsh in the saddle, comfortably outpointed 11/10 favourite Tombstone. 

Keane Back In Front After Legacy Success

Colin Keane brought his tally for the season to 82 and leads the title race by one winner after the Ger Lyons-trained Gobi Desert landed the first running of the Listed Legacy Stakes at Navan on Sunday. The 3/1 chance got his head in front late on to deny Golden Spell and is finished for the season. Curragh trainer Michael Grassick and Fran Berry combined to win the Listed Waterford Testimonial Stakes with 16/1 chance Texas Rock while the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes went to Bye Bye Baby, the 5/4 favourite, which was ridden by Donnacha O’Brien for his father Aidan. Harry Rogers landed his biggest win on the Flat when the Conor Hoban-ridden 25/1 chance Lord Erskine beat 23 rivals to take the €100,000 Irish Cesarewitch. Tim Doyle, who trains in Moyne, County Tipperary, won the near-6f maiden with 10/1 chance Krispen which was ridden by Ronan Whelan. Rory Cleary and his dad Tom took the handicap over the same distance with 10/1 shot Landline while Aidan Howard’s Enter The Red won the 5f handicap at odds of 7/1 with Chris Hayes doing the steering. Pat Shanahan and Naas apprentice Tom Madden won the apprentice handicap with 14/1 shot Warp Factor.  

All Too Easy For Total Recall In Limerick Feature

On his first start for Willie Mullins, Total Recall ran out the easiest of winners in the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick on Sunday. Sent off a gambled-on 2/1 favourite, Ruby Walsh got the eight-year-old home by seven lengths but he could easily have doubled the winning margin if he had so wished. The Listed Dunraven Arms Hotel Novice Hurdle saw Mullins complete a 1-2 as the Paul Townend-ridden Robin Des Foret, a 7/2 chance, got the better of the Ruby Walsh-ridden 8/11 favourite Fabulous Saga. Balakani was left clear by the fatal fall of 1/7 favourite Mega Fortune at the second last hurdle in the opening conditions’ hurdle to win for Mouse Morris and Andrew Ring. Buttlerstown, County Waterford trainer Paul Power and his fiancée Jeanie Cook took the mares’ handicap hurdle with 8/1 shot Drakaina while 9/1 chance Crown Of Gold won the 2m6f handicap hurdle for Jim Culloty and Andrew Lynch. Henry De Bromhead and JJ Slevin combined to win the rated chase with 5/2 chance Attribution while Gordon Elliott got among the winners as Jury Duty, the 4/7 favourite, won the beginners’ chase in fine style under Davy Russell. 

News Review

O’Brien Closes In On World Record

Roly Poly dug deep when headed to battle back under Ryan Moore and notch a 23rd Group/Grade 1 victory of 2017 for Aidan O'Brien at Newmarket on Saturday. It was a third Group 1 of the year for the admirable filly, just one of a host of superstars who look set to carry O’Brien beyond Bobby Frankel’s worldwide Group/Grade 1 record of 25 in a single year. O’Brien said: “I can’t tell you how delighted I am with her. It’s a big team effort from the lads and Ryan gave her a class ride.

“She’s a great filly with a great heart, and she’s tough. She’s incredibly bred and is out of a Galileo mare which makes her tough.” Asked whether Roly Poly would head to the Breeders’ Cup, O’Brien added: “I think so. The lads will decide that but herself and Rhododendron will be trained for the meeting if the lads decide that’s what they want to do. "It would be incredible for everybody [to beat the record] but the horse comes first, always."

Ana O’Brien Eager For Quick Return

Ana O'Brien reckons it could be the start of 2018 before she returns to the saddle. Side-lined since July when she suffered multiple injuries in a fall at Killarney in July, fracturing the C1 vertebra in her neck and T6 in her back as well as damaging her eye socket, jaw and teeth, the 21-year-old admitted it’ll be a while yet before her return to action. She told ‘In The Stables’, Horse Racing Ireland’s weekly blog: "I've quizzed the doctors about getting back on a horse. They are not as keen as I am for the moment! Hopefully, the neck brace will be coming off next week. I'm doing my best to do as the doctors tell me so that everything mends properly, but as soon as I get the all-clear, I can't wait to get back riding out. However, it might be the new year before I get back in the saddle.” O'Brien had been a leading contender for the Irish apprentice title and continued to lead the championship race since her horrific accident on July 17 until last Tuesday when Oisin Orr drew level and registered his 18th winner of the season at Dundalk.

230 School Children Take Part In ‘Go Racing Kids Club’ Education Day

230 fifth and sixth class pupils from five local schools took part in Horse Racing Ireland’s ‘Go Racing Kids Club’ Education Day at Cork Racecourse Mallow early last week. As part of the day, the children spent time walking the track with racecourse foreman Maurice O’Brien who explained how the team at Cork Racecourse Mallow prepare for the racing season. Local trainer Eugene O’Sullivan and his daughter, amateur rider Maxine O’Sullivan, spoke to the children about their day-to-day routines and life in racing, and introduced them to racehorse Free Code. The pupils also received demonstrations from RACE (Racing Academy & Centre of Education) on the racehorse simulator and took part in the ‘Front Runner – Racing Club for Kids’ racing-themed games, puzzles and quizzes.