Moore’s major cross-channel win
IN BRITAIN on Saturday the jumpers returned to centre stage with major meetings at Ascot and Wetherby, and in a remarkable couple of hours three Wexford jockeys, all born within a few miles of each other, ruled the racing world and picked up the bulk of the £320,000 on offer in the day’s big races, writes Pegasus.
The £100,000 Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby featured iconic horses like the odds-on favourite, Cue Card, and Menorah but their thunder was stolen by Jonathan Moore from Adamstown who rode a great race on the Rebecca Curtis-trained Irish Cavalier to take the honours at 16/1.
In his only other ride, the Grade 2 Hurdle, he was leading on the Romford Pele (10/1) for Curtis approaching the last but faded back to fourth.
Not a bad day’s work on the big stage for the young Adamstown man.
Tom O’Brien, nephew of trainer Aidan, pulled off an amazing 116/1 double in a pair of £60,000 listed races at Ascot. He was a clear winner on Colin Tizzard’s Quite By Chance (8/1) in the Byrne Group Handicap Chase.
He followed up with a nerve-wracking victory on Sternrubin (16/1) for Philip Hobbs in the William Hill Handicap hurdle; the horse hung badly left on the run in, but O’Brien got him back up to prevail by half a length.
Daryl Jacob almost got in on the act in the £100,000 Sodexo Gold Cup chase at Ascot. He disputed the lead all the way on Emma Lavelle’s Junction Fourteen (16/1); he was collared by Jamie Moore on Antony but picked up £21,000 for second.
Jacob and O’Brien had won both divisions of the maiden hurdle at Chepstow on Tuesday. Jacob scored on Laser Light (9/4) for Alan King, while O’Brien gave a great ride to Elegant Escape (10/), for Colin Tizzard.
Jacob scored comfortably in the last at Stratford on Thursday for Nigel Twiston Davies aboard El Terremoto (7/4 jf).
Jimmy Fortune had a nice double on the flat on Friday at Newmarket.
He pulled off a real shock with a great ride in the first for Brian Meehan on 25/1 outsider, Giovanni Battista; his second was on Star Rider (7/2 jf) for Hughie Morrision.
The final day of the flat season was at Leopardstown on Saturday, with doubles for Wexford’s two top trainers.
Aidan O’Brien picked up two of the main races with Cliffs of Moher (7/2) and Elizabeth Browning, while Jim Bolger ended on a high note with Dubai Sand (7/1) taking the listed €47,000 Eyrefield Stakes and winning the final race of the season with a massive outsider, Escondida (25/1).
O’Brien was a clear winner of the flat trainers’ championship once again with 115 winners, from Dermot Weld on 86, with Bolger doing well to take third on 57 after a troubled enough season marred by some infection problems and niggling injuries.