Top Wexford trainers lock horns
AIDAN O’BRIEN spent a few years when young learning his trade with Jim Bolger, and during the week master and pupil really took each other on in some big races.
It was pretty much honours even at the end of it all after some thrilling contests, including a dead heat at Leopardstown on Thursday in a meeting dominated by the Wexford men.
The dead heat was in the €50,000 Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes as Kevin Manning on Bolger’s Cimeara (5/1) was nabbed on the line by Seamie Heffernan on O’Brien’s Sizzling (8/1) in a thriller.
In the €60,000 Tyros Stakes, Ryan Moore was a comfortable winner on O’Brien’s Anthony Van Dyck (8/11), ahead of Bolger’s duo, Bold Approach (7/4) and Copia Verborum (16/1).
There was a big disappointment for O’Brien in the other Group 3 race, the €60,000 Silver Flash Stakes, when Goddess (4/9), ten lengths winner in a recent maiden, trailed in last under Moore.
The previous evening in Naas saw the two Wexford master trainers also trading blows. Bolger was on top in the €60,000 Yeomanstown Stud listed stakes with his wife’s outsider, Sometimesadamond (14/1), with Manning holding on by a head from O’Brien’s Could It Be Love (11/4f) in a blanket finish.
Bolger doubled up with Scoil Naisiunta (9/2), beating the boys in a one-mile maiden, and O’Brien did pick up a couple of smaller races, with North Wind (4/9) and Threeand-fourpence (4/9).
Bolger has a habit of picking up the big races up north and recently won his third Ulster Derby in four years.
He followed up at Down Royal on Friday in the listed £50,000 Her Majesty’s Plate with Kevin Manning having plenty to spare on Twilight Payment (5/4f).
O’Brien had just one runner at Gowran on Saturday and duly won with Erin (2/1) under son, Donnacha.
In Britain, Aidan O’Brien sent two over to Ascot for the £1.25 million pounds Group 1 King George 6th and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and they trailed in well beaten, with Rostropovich (12/1) 13 lengths back in fifth and Hydrangea (10/1) practically tailed off last under Moore. The prices reflected their chances. Michael Stoute’s duo fought it out, with Poet’s Word (7/4) beating Crystal Ocean (6/4f) by a neck in a great finish, with the third nine lengths back.
P.J. McDonald capped a fine week in which he had eight winners with a 27/1 treble and a third from four rides at Newcastle on Saturday for four different trainers.
He won on Staxton (9/4) for Tim Easterby, Star of the East (5/4) for Mark Johnston, and Shamshon (11/4) for S.C. Williams.
He had begun the week well with a 38.5/1 double at Ayr on Monday with Fool For You (5/2) in a sprint for Richard Fahey and Lucky Violet (10/1) which he drove home by a neck for Linda Perratt.
He had a near 25/1 double for Rebecca Menzies at Musselburgh on Tuesday with Landing Night (9/2) and Trautman (7/2), and he had an evening winner at York on Persian Moon (8/5f) for Mark Johnston on Friday.
This coming week the big focus of attention will be the seven-day Galway Festival and the final day next Sunday will now clash with the All-Ireland hurling semi-final replay between the host county and Clare.