Back in business!
New interest for Top of Hill syndicate
THE TOP of the Hill Syndicate, called after the location of Gaynor’s Pub at the top of Hill Street in Wexford town, had many glory days with the great Solwhit, culminating with victory in one of the big four at the Cheltenham Festival, The World Hurdle, in 2013.
He won more than a million Euro in his career despite suffering some serious injuries. Now, they may have found another good mare to carry their colours.
Their Run for Mary (3/1) won a second mares’ bumper from two runs at Down Royal on Friday evening in impressive style. Like Solwhit, she is trained in Limerick by Charles Byrnes, and won by two and three parts of a length under Ray Barron. She had won her debut race at Limerick.
Byrnes said afterwards: ‘I’m delighted for the owners, the Solwhit connections; it’s great to get back again with them. They went a good honest gallop and I thought she won it well.’
Members of the syndicate are Pat O’Hanlon of Newtown Road, Wexford; Hugh Martin from Enniscorthy, and Alice Power from Clongaddy, Kilmore, who took over from her late husband, Tomás. Publican Ger Gaynor was also a member of the syndicate until his death some time ago and enjoyed the Solwhit success story.
Pat said they were delighted to have found another good horse and they looked forward with great anticipation to see just what Run for Mary could achieve, given reasonable luck.
Next best Wexford showing was by Colin Bowe’s Its All A Lark (9/1), ridden into second in the mares’ maiden hurdle by Paddy Kennedy.
Jonathan Moore is picking up a few rides for Noel Meade in the absence of injured number one choice, Seán Flanagan, and he took his chance at Downpatrick on Monday when forcing home Jack Slade (11/2) by a nose from Barry Geraghty on J.P. McManus’ Gentleman Duke (13/2).
Jamie Codd got the better of his old rival, Patrick Mullins, in a mares’ bumper at Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening, coasting home on Gypsy Island (3/1), with Mullins five lengths behind on his dad’s Getaway Gorgeous (5/4f).
Best Wexford showing at Bellewstown on Thursday evening was by the consistent Runyon Rattler (7/1) who came second in the Mullacurry Cup Hurdle under James O’Sullivan (Camolin) for Philip Rothwell (Tinahely).
Aidan O’Brien was in imperial form at the Curragh over the weekend with seven winners, making a total of 13 from the last four meetings at headquarters, and Jim Bolger joined in with a Friday night double.
O’Brien confirmed that his horses are coming back to form with six serious winners in two days at the Curragh the weekend before last.
And he continued the good work on Friday when he and son Donnacha had a treble, including the €40,000 two-year-old nursery feature with Cardini (3/1), which stayed on well to see off son Joseph’s Facethepuckout (8/1), owned by daughter Sarah, by half a length.
They made it a double with Sir Erec (11/8f) in a one-mile two-furlong maiden and made it a treble in the last with Lost Treasure (6/1), Donnacha getting both home by half a length.
Jim Bolger emphasised the Wexford dominance with a nice priced double of his own, with Luceita (7/1) in a seven-furlong maiden under Kevin Manning, and Vocal Music (10/1) under W.T. Byrne in an Apprentice handicap.
The O’Briens were in even more devastating form on Saturday with a four-timer highlighted by a 20/1 success in the €100,000 Irish Cambridgeshire with Kenya, winning by three and a half lengths under Seamie Heffernan.
The other three winners were all ridden by Donnacha, who completed his own four-timer when winning for brother, Joseph, on Perfect Tapatino (7/4).
The three he rode for his Dad were Sydney Opera House (5/4) in a one-mile maiden; Just Wonderful (7/4f), in the €80,000 Flame of Tara Group 3 stakes, and the impressive Ten Sovereigns (1/3) in the €63,000 Group 3 Stakes; this one was winning for the second time in a week.
The previous evening at Tipperary, Aidan and Donnacha picked up the two-year-old fillies’ maiden with Fire Fly (15/8), getting up by a neck from Dermot Weld’s favourite Tarnawa (11/10), and the two of them won a one and a half mile handicap at Bellewstown on Wednesday evening with Astron- omer (6/4).
In Britain, P.J. McDonald had wins on Romaana (2/1) for Simon Crisford at Catterick on Wednesday and followed up at Carlisle on Thursday aboard Jim Tate’s Royal Residence (9/2).
However, Friday typified the hard work that McDonald puts in on a daily basis, sometimes for little reward - he had nine rides between Thirsk and Newcastle all he had to show was a second on Brendan (4/1) in his final ride of the day at Newcastle, beaten by a nose!
He had six rides at Chester on Saturday and came away with a win on Mordred (4/1) for Richard Hannon, and a couple of seconds.
Jimmy Quinn (New Ross) had a couple of rides at Wolverhampton on Saturday and was pipped by a nose on Sir Michael Stoute’s Procedure (9/1), by Richard Fahey’s Fool for You.
Tom O’Brien (Adamstown) has been having a quiet enough summer over the jumps with a limited number of rides but he did score on an outsider at Fontwell on Thursday evening, Turban coming in at 20/1 for trainer Paul Henderson.