Slevin’s first treble
Caim jockey shines at Cork meeting
IN A quiet week overall for Wexford racing connections, it ended on a real high at Cork on Sunday for Caim jockey, J.J. Slevin, when he rode a first career treble (at 23/1) on horses saddled by his cousin, Joseph O’Brien.
Slevin did it in a hurry, taking three of the first four races and completing the treble in the featured €27k Kevin McManus Bookmaker Handicap Hurdle on Top Moon (3/1f) for J.P. McManus, with nearly four lengths to spare.
He had earlier won the opening 24-runner maiden hurdle on Front View (5/4f), also for McManus, and he took the second maiden hurdle on Midnight Run (13/8) for Gigginstown, nearly ten lengths clear of Willie Mullins’ hotshot, Colreevy (8/13f).
Slevin was delighted with his treble, the first in his career, including his time in point-to-points.
He is son of Shea and Elizabeth from Kiltrea, and he cut his teeth riding his dad’s pointers.
His mother is sister of the Master of Ballydoyle, Aidan O’Brien.
Slevin and O’Brien had combined to win at Fairyhouse on Tuesday with Cerberus (15/8) for the Good Counsellors Syndicate, and Seán Flanagan won for Gigginstown on Noel Meade’s Diol Ker (7/2).
It was a fruitless couple of days for Wexford connections at the high-profile Punchestown meeting, with just a couple of places to show.
The Mullins and Elliott big guns dominated.
On Thursday at Clonmel, young Camolin rider, James O’Sullivan, made it a second win at the track for Liz Doyle’s Burlesque Queen (9/2), pulling clear on the run-in. It was an impressive display.
The main focus in England last week was the Cheltenham November meeting, curtailed to just two days by the weather.
Daryl Jacob got on the board on Saturday with Wholestone (13/8f) for his retained owners in the £25k novices’ chase, though he was glad to see the line. He won on Friday at Southwell on Shantou Vow (5/4f).
It was interesting that the meeting was almost totally ignored by the Irish, with the main emphasis on Punchestown. Henry De Bromhead did have a win on Sunday with his only runner, Put the Kettle On, in the four-runner 35k Arkle trial.
Jonathan Moore went over to Cheltenham on Saturday to ride one for Gavin Cromwell but was down the field on Peaches and Cream, and the same applied to J.J. Slevin on Joseph O’Brien’s Us and Them.