O’Keeffe makes mark
Young Taghmon rider and Nolan on form
YOUNG JUMPS jockey, Seán O’Keeffe, has been going well since his return from his latest injury, and he scored a fine 126/1 double at the good quality Naas meeting on Saturday, including an all-Wexford success in the bumper.
Despite a few spells on the sidelines, Seán is really making an impact and has ridden 22 winners since he turned pro in August of last year, and his ‘claim’ has now been cut from seven lbs. to five.
He had a comfortable victory on Saturday in the two-mile mares’ bumper, landing quite a gamble on Paul Nolan’s Valentina Lady (backed from 18/1 in the morning to start at 5/1), running in the Wexford colours of John Brennan.
This was his third winner for Nolan in nine days and Nolan’s seventh in the six weeks.
‘I liked the way she settled today and travelled very well into the race. Seán gave her a very professional ride.’
O’Keeffe had initiated his double with a shock 20/1 win on Philip Rothwell’s (Tinahely) Fiveaftermidnight (backed from 40/1 early in the day) in the novice chase. Despite being slightly hampered at the last, he stayed on strongly to get home by 3.75 lengths.
The day began with another win for J.J. Slevin and his cousin, Joseph O’Brien, in the maiden hurdle on Gigginstown’s Embittered (7/2), beating a Willie Mullins hotshot, Blackbow (4/9f), by half a length with a strong finish.
O’Keeffe and Nolan also struck at Thurles the previous Thursday in an 18-runner maiden hurdle with the well-backed Mrs Milner (9/2), from Slevin on O’Brien’s even money favourite, Flicker Flame.
There was just a couple of ‘Wexford’ seconds on a high class card at Navan on Sunday – Paul Nolan and Rachael Blackmore with Latest Exhibition (7/2) in the For Auction Novice Hurdle, and Liz Doyle with Encosre Lui (14/1) under Niall Madden in a two-mile handicap hurdle.
In Britain, Daryl Jacob is getting much busier as the jumps season picks up pace and he had five winners in the week from just 13 rides. Two of them were on exciting prospects for the season in big races - Janika (5/2f) in the £70,000 Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on Tuesday, and Fusil Raffles (4/7f) at Wincanton on Saturday in the £60,000 Grade 2 hurdle.
He won much more modest races at Plumpton on Penny Mallow (7/2), for Venetia Williams; Simply the Betts (5/1) at Chepstow and Young Bull (2/1) at Ffos Las, both for Harry Whittingdon.
On the flat, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore tasted Group 1 success in Australia early on Saturday morning when they turned out
Magic Wand (19/5) just four days after being tenth in the Melbourne Cup. Moore rode a really strong finish as the mare got her first Group 1 after six seconds.
This followed the confusion that surrounded the finish of the Melbourne Cup itself when Joseph O’Brien’s Master of Reality (22/1) and Frankie Dettori were second but then demoted to fourth place, with Aidan’s Il Paradiso (14/1) and Wayne Lordan being promoted to third.
Pat Dobbs from Enniscorthy is really hitting his stride out in the United Arab Emirates with a remarkable five winners from six rides for Doug Watson at Meydan in Dubai on Thursday, amounting to a 200/1 accumulator. Watson actually went through the card but Dane O’Neill was on the sixth winner, with Dobbs fourth.
William Martin, Clonhaston, Enniscorthy, had a rare English raid on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Wednesday and he collected, with Tio Esteban scoring handily under Kieran O’Neill.
His trip did not go unnoticed as the horse was sent off 3/1f, having opened at 15/2.