Magnificent seven wins for Danz The Man
THERE was an unusual feeling at the track on Friday night as Dundalk became the first meeting to be staged behind closed doors as part of special measures put in place in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Initially, all race meetings staged in Ireland until March 29th will take place without members of the paying public, although racing will be available to broadcasters.
This situation will be monitored by Horse Racing Ireland and, in partnership with the Department Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Health, reviewed accordingly.
As HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: “Public health is the number one priority.”
The Sheila Lavery-trained Danz The Man (11/1) made it seven wins at Dundalk Stadium, all of them over the minimum distance of five furlongs, when landing the card’s opening race, the Crowne Plaza Dundalk Race And Stay Handicap.
The winner is owned by Sheila’s brother, John, and was ridden Ronan Whelan, who has partnered the nine-year-old gelding to five of his victories but was stepping in for the suspended Robbie Colgan tonight.
Having seen Front View run unplaced as the 4/1 favourite in the finale at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Joseph O’Brien had better luck at Dundalk a few minutes later when Will Be King (6/4fav), ridden by Shane Crosse, was a comfortable winner of the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Claiming Race on what was his first run in claiming company and his first at tonight’s trip.
Remarkably, this was Joseph’s 72nd winner at Dundalk since January 2018 and his 13th this year at the Stadium.
Seventy-two quickly became 73 when Dark Vader (15/8), who is owned by the Hayden, Casse, All In Line Partnership, gamely held the challenge of promising newcomer You’resobeautiful to give weight and a beating to the field in the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Race and record a third win from just four runs at the Stadium.
The winning jockey was promising apprentice rider, Dylan Browne McMonagle, who will turn 17 this month and rode the winner of the prestigious Dingle Derby at just 12 years of age. He has also been a champion boxer, having won an Irish national title in 2017.
Having looked good when winning his maiden at Dundalk on December 6th, Golden Valour then ran moderately on his first try in a handicap on December 20th. Tonight, though, on his first run since that handicap effort, he confirmed the promise of his maiden win by running out a good winner of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap as a well-supported 11/4 favourite.
Winning trainer Richard O’Brien said afterwards: “I’m delighted. His work at home is better than his current mark, but he showed it a little bit there.” The four-yearold may return to Dundalk for the valuable Winter Series Finals Day on Saturday April 4th.
Winning jockey Donagh O’Connor was recording his fourth win from his last five rides at Dundalk and is clearly a man in form and remains outstanding value for his three-pound claim.
Owned by Frank Lynch and Michael Hartnett, the winner, whose sire is the top-class racehorse Kingman, was previously owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation and is related to plenty of winners.
A thrilling finish to the Craic At The Track Handicap initially left observers feeling that Sharjah had become only the third horse to win ten races on the Polytrack surface at Dundalk, Andy Slattery’s ten-year-old having rallied gamely under Ben Coen in the closing stages.
However, it was the Eoin Doyletrained Lady Of Luxury (10/1) who got the judge’s verdict (by a nose) to record a first career win in what was her ninth race. The winning jockey was Wayne Lordan, who said afterwards, “She hit the line well. She’s genuine and, hopefully, she can win again.”
Racing in a visor for the first time, the Johnny Murtagh-trained Trueba (14/1) dug deep to hold off the well-backed favourite Beleaguerment to land the card’s seven-furlong handicap. The winning jockey was Shane Kelly.
A winner at Naas in September, Trueba was gaining reward her for subsequent consistency. He races in the colours of Paul McKeon, whose mare Relegate, who won the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in 2018, finished fifth in the Pertemps Final at this year’s Festival on Tuesday (March 12th).
Winning jockey Shane Kelly said: “He’s a grand little horse - hopefully this year will be his year.”
Trainer Anthony McCann’s horses have been running well all year and he added to his tally of successes when the Rita Shahowned Mutadaawel (9/1) edged out Koybig in a driving finish to the first of the card’s mile handicaps.
It was winning jockey Conor McGovern’s first winner since his recent return to Ireland following a successful two seasons in Britain.
The card’s finale, the Winter Series Awards Day Saturday 4th April Handicap - the second of the mile handicaps - went the way of Mythologic (13/8fav), who gave fledgling trainer Donnacha O’Brien, a second success from just the handful of runners that he has so far had. The winning jockey was Gavin Ryan and Mythologic races in the colours of Donnacha’s mother Ann Marie.
Donnacha, son of Ireland‘s champion flat trainer Aidan O’Brien, was, of course, champion jockey in Ireland last season but has now joined the training ranks.
Dundalk’s next meeting – once again, behind closed doors – will take place on Friday, with an eightrace card set to start at 5:15pm.