Is win in Kilkenny a good omen?
AT GOWRAN Park Kilkenny Hurlers’ Race Day on Saturday, Colin Bowe had his second winner of the week, following on from his success with Sweet Home Chicago at Wexford on Wednesday night – J.J. Slevin (Kiltrea, Caim) rode a strong finish on Sharlanda (8/1) for Thomas Hughes to hold Touch of Gold (7/1) under Paddy Kennedy by a neck.
Formerly trained by now retired Colm Murphy at Killenagh, this was the horse’s first run for Bowe and it was a good training performance as he had been off the track for ten months.
Slevin had earlier finished third in the opening maiden hurdle on Seán Thomas Doyle’s Gracemount (15/2), less than three lengths behind winner, Brogine (8/1).
Jonathan Moore was second for Elle Marie Holden’s on Sir Jack Yeats (5/1) in the featured €26,000 handicap hurdle.
This race day was a special promotion by Kilkenny G.A.A. Board under the banner of Kilkenny Hurlers Raceday and it was a big success. Former hurlers of the year from Noreside were on hand to take part in the presentation ceremonies; all eight races were sponsored and the bulky programme included no less than 80 pages of colour adverts. The recent defeat by Wexford certainly does not seem to have dented support for the Cats.
There was a very good turn-out for a Saturday afternoon fixture, boosted by the fine weather and the annual ladies’ day competition which attracted over 180 entries. All round, the day represented a very good promotion and despite the firm going prompting quite a few withdrawals, I was impressed with my Gowran outing.
They raced on the flat at Gowran on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien carried on from Royal Ascot with a double with Rostropovich (5/6) under Seamie Heffernan and Spanish Steps (11/10) under son Donncha in a pair of maidens.
At Down Royal on Friday evening, Seán Flanagan steered odds-on favourite, Rashaan (8/13), to a snug win for Colin Kidd in the €17,500 Mount Charles Hurdle, while Jonathan Moore was just pipped by a head on Noel Meade’s Net D’Ecosse (6/1) in the featured €25,000 chase, going down to Robbie Power on Jessica Harrington’s Sandymount Duke.
Jamie Codd had a rare enough spin over hurdles on Mountain Rock (15/8f) for Adrian Keatley, going down by less than a length to Davy Russell on Gordon Elliott’s Knockmaole Boy (9/2).
There was a good run by Paul Nolan’s At Rainbow’s End (12/1) under Dylan Robinson to finish second in the Beginners’ Chase to Colla Pier (a drifting 6/1) under Robbie Dunne.
On the flat at Down Royal on Saturday, Jim Bolger picked up the biggest home race of the week when winning the €100,000 Magners Ulster Derby with Clongowes (3/1f) under Ronan Whelan for Godolphin. This was Bolger’s third win in the race in the last four years.
At Leopardstown on Thursday night, Bolger kept up his good run with a very nice double with two home breds, New Direction (4/1) in the €18,000 Manguard handicap and Theobald (11/10f) in the €17,500 Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden.
In the coming week they race at Ballinrobe (Tuesday), Naas (Wednesday), Tipperary (Thursday), and then the Curragh Dubai Derby Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.