Racing with a difference at Wexford Racecourse
Bettyville hosting behind closed doors meeting today
THE WEXFORD horse racing season is due to kick off at Bettyville this St. Patrick’s afternoon with €130,000 on offer in prize money, one of the most valuable cards of the year, but the meeting will take place in strange and almost eerie circumstances.
Because of Covid-19 precautions, no members of the public will be allowed in, there will be no bookmakers or Tote betting in operation, and no catering facilities.
Admission even for those involved in racing and with runners will be severely restricted, and contact details must be provided by everyone entering the course.
The aim is to ensure the numbers present do not exceed the 500 limit imposed by the Government for the holding of outdoor events. It was a Horse Racing Ireland decision to proceed with fixtures for the time being under stringent guidelines.
Michael Murphy, managing director at Bettyville, said: ‘This is a unique situation in my many years associated with Bettyville and racing in general and I feel confident that the good sense and co-operation of all involved will ensure a safe and successful outcome.
‘I want to thank our own staff at the course for all the hard work they have put in over the past week to ensure that all the hygiene and hand washing and sanitising facilities and other safety measures will be in place and will be checked regularly during the course of the meeting, in addition to all the usual pre-race preparations.’
Access will only be permitted to essential service providers and industry participants.
Only one groom, trainer and owner will be allowed for each runner, and people are asked to vacate the track as soon as their horses have run.
Three meetings have been run off over the weekend under these restrictions, at Dundalk, Navan and Limerick, and appear to have been successfully completed.
I spoke to experienced Wexford rider Seán Flanagan on Sunday evening.
He said the contrast between Cheltenham last week and the empty Navan and Limerick was very noticeable, but he did say the officials at the course were very stringent in enforcing the new regime.
Jockeys were not being allowed to hang around congregating in the changing rooms after their races but had to go back to their cars or to a much larger designated waiting space, and hygiene rules were constantly emphasised.
It was a Horse Racing Ireland (H.R.I.) decision to proceed with fixtures for the time being under stringent guidelines.
They are anxious to keep the sport working for as long as possible when approved by the regulatory authorities because there are so many people in all aspects of horse racing who will be severely impacted if a full close-down is eventually necessary.
This includes stable staff, riders and trainers right through to ancilliary veterinary, farrier and transport people, among others.
H.R.I. noted that ‘the restrictions will limit social interaction but will allow a vital rural industry to continue to operate, protecting livelihoods and jobs’.
They will continue to keep the restrictions under constant review as they liaise regularly with the Departments of Health and Agriculture.
Racing begins at Bettyville at 2.05 p.m. and there are two main features this afternoon.
The €40,000 Arctic Tack Stud Veterans’ Chase will take place at 4.25 p.m., over two and a half miles, which is preceded by the €26,000 Micheál O Murchadha Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
This race is in memory of a man who had a long association with the course, and father of the current managing director.
‘IT WAS a dream come true’ said Killanne jockey Rob James after he scored his first Cheltenham Festival win last week.
It was a more of a heartbreak for Paul Nolan and his Davidstown stable team when Festival glory and a £50,000 bonus was snatched from them by a couple of feet, and it was a brave effort that saw Jonathan Moore (Adamstown) get third in the Champion Hurdle.
These were some of the Wexford highlights at Cheltenham 2020, in a week where Jamie Codd secured his tenth Festival winner, Daryl Jacob (Davidstown) also got into the winners’ enclosure, and several other Wexford jockeys performed with distinction (see below).
Rob James is a leading point-to-point rider with more than 200 winners to his name, but he does not often venture onto the track.
He took his chance in the famed Kim Muir Amateur Riders’ Chase on Thursday, a race won four times in recent years by Jamie Codd, to put his name on the roll of honour when giving a brilliant ride to score on Milan Native (backed in from 14/1 to 9/1) for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown.
Rob took it up coming to the second last and he showed his strength when pressed by Kilfilum Cross (8/1), asserting up the famous hill to win by 1.75 lengths.
Regular Wexford rival, and triple pointto-point champion, Barry O’Neill, was fourth on Plan of Attack for Henry De Bromhead.
It was actually Milan Native’s first win over fences, and what better place to do it!
Rob was overjoyed afterwards: ‘I have always dreamed of this and it is unbelievable. The horse took me everywhere and jumped everywhere.
‘Gordon is a genius and I am just grateful to Gigginstown for giving me the ride. I can’t believe it.
‘He was jumping and travelling so well; I held on to him the whole way down the hill until going to the second last.
‘One slap down the neck and he took off; he winged the fence and was gone. He was pricking his ears going to the line and had loads left.’
Trainer Elliott was unstinting in his praise: ‘I am delighted for Rob James, who is a great fella. He is one of the top point-to-point riders and a nice fella too. He gave it a peach of a ride.’
Eddie O’Leary of Gigginstown said they had always liked Milan Native but he gave much of the credit to the rider: ‘He almost never rides on the track, but he’s ridden hundreds of point-to-point winners. He is a very valuable seven pound claimer and he gave the horse a fantastic ride.’
Trainer Paul Nolan went to Cheltenham with a realistic chance of having his first winner for nearly ten years with Latest Exhibition (9/2) in the 19-runner £130,000
Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle just before the Gold Cup on Friday. And there was a £50,000 bonus for the Toberona stable staff riding on it, just to add to the pressure.
Jockey Bryan Cooper and the horse strained every sinew as three of them surged up the hill and crossed the line almost in unison.
Victory went to Monkfish (5/1) for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins as they burst through the other two to get up by an agonising neck from Latest Exhibition, which was just a nose in front of the heavily-backed Fury Road (5/1) and Davy Russell in third.
Paul said he thought they were going to do it until the final few yards and coming through the middle had given the winner that vital bit of extra momentum.
He was very disappointed for the staff back home in the yard to miss out on the big bonus by such a small margin.
It was one of the finishes of the week and while it was disappointing for the Wexford team to go so close, and to miss out on the bonus, they can be immensely proud of the effort made.
Paul says that will be it for the season now and Latest Exhibition will turn to chasing next season.
All going well, he will surely be in contention for more big prizes in future for the Toberona partnership of breeder Jim
Memagh. John Brennan, Coim Browne and Jim Coffey. And the second prize of £27.000 plus might ease the pain Just a little. Nolan had three other runners, and Dis-corama (11/2) got placed at Cheltenham for the third year In a row when coming third of 23 in the Ultima Handicap Chase on day one, just two and a half lengths be-hind The Conditional (15/2), and Kildisart (10/1), ridden by Daryl Jacob. Losing his right-fore shoe during the race did not help, and Paul thought he had run a bit free early In the race. Fitzhenry (7/1) was sixth of 23 in the Kim Muir under Patrick Mullins, nine lengths behind Rob James and Milan Native. having never really been put into the race with a chance, and La Feline (100/1) was midfield in the 22-runner Dawn Run Novice Hurdle. Jonathan Moore had tour rides in the four days and by far the best was the run of Gavin Cromwell's Darver Star (17/2) when coming third in the Champion Hur-dle behind Epatante (2/11) and Sharjah (12/1) for Patrick Mullins. Dwyer Star's reward was a very nice cheque for almost £50,000. Alfa Mb< (14/1) In the Coral Cup and Theatre of War (20/1) in the Boodles Fred Winter Hurdle both ran quite well for Jonathan and Cromwell, finishing seventh in big fields.