Chasing double for the Nevilles
TRAINER SEAMUS Neville from Bridgetown had a very good chasing double last week, scoring at Tipperary on Thursday evening and following up at Killarney on Sunday. To make it even better, both were in the colours of his wife.
Their Cahirconree (6/1) broke his maiden tag at the 15th attempt under Brian Hayes in the €15,000 handicap chase at Tipperary. He was not winning out of turn.
‘He’s consistent and had some decent runs but just hit the cross bar a couple of times. Chasing is probably his game and hopefully he’ll pick up a few more along the way,’ was Neville’s comment afterwards.
The Nevilles and Hayes struck again in the €15,000 Beginners’ Chase at Killarney, with Ask Nile staying on well to score by nearly five lengths on his chase debut. It was not unexpected as he was backed in from 28/1 on the morning to an SP of 10/1.
He had won a 17-runner maiden hurdle at Clonmel in February and won a point-to-point at Dromahane under Mark Scallan (Cleariestown) a year ago.
Seamus said afterwards: ‘chasing is his game and is something to go on with. He’ll get a small break now but I’m considering running him at Galway’.
Rathangan trainer Brian Jordan and Murrintown rider Benny Walsh have both been having a good recent run between the flags and on the track, and they combined to get the week off to a bright start at Roscommon on Monday evening when scoring on Richard Eustace’s Annamatopoeia (6/1) in a Beginners’ Chase.
This was her second win from 23 runs on the track, the first being an 18-runner hurdle 30 months ago, though she has been consistent enough. Patience paid off on Monday and she beat the powerful Jessica Harrington/ Robbie Power combination on Rock on the Moor (4/7f) to give her a first chase success from 16 attempts.
Seán Flanagan pulled off a surprise win in the two-mile Beginners’ Chase for Tipp. trainer David Harry Kelly on Patrick’s Park (20/1), making most and snugly beating Gordon Elliott’s Dawerann (5/2jf).
Flanagan was back in the winners’ enclosure at Kilbeggan on Friday night when he scored on Art of Synergy (3/1jf) for his boss, Noel Meade. Liz Doyle’s Emma’s Dilemma (6/1) ran well for the Tintern Ten syndicate to come second in the bumper under Finny Maguire.
Jim Bolger was pipped by a nose with Treaty of Vienna in a €50,000 handicap at the Curragh on Saturday, but he and Seamie Heffernan made amends in the €75,000 Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes with home-bred Turret Rocks (6/1).
Aidan O’Brien had a successful raid on the three-day Chester classic trials meeting, with three big winners and two seconds. He had a one-two-three in the £75,000 Group 3 Chester Vase on Thursday, winning with Venice Beach (5/2f) under Ryan Moore; this was O’Brien’s eighth win in the race and fifth in a row. He also combined with Moore to win the £75,000 Group 3 Huxley Stakes with Deauville (6/4f).
On Friday the won the £75,000 Dee Stakes with Cliffs of Moher (4/5) under Moore, another Derby trial, and the pair were short-headed on the line in the £75,000 Ormonde Stakes with US Army Ranger (2/1).
It may be a sign of battles to come in this season’s big races that Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden pipped Ballydoyle runners in three big races at Chester and Lingfield.