Double for O’Keeffe
IT WAS a relatively quiet week for the Wexford connections, with the highlight being the winning double for Taghmon rider, Seán O’Keeffe, and big hunter chase success for point-to-point star, Rob James. Trainers Liz Doyle and Paul Nolan also maintained momentum.
The James win at Clonmel on Thursday was in a very competitive Hunter Chase aboard the David Christie-trained favourite, Some Man (6/4), coming in well clear. Seán Flanagan was third in a 16-runner mares’ maiden hurdle on 66/1 shot, Gills Pet, and Liz Doyle’s Farmix (28/1) was second in a maiden hurdle under Donagh Meyler.
Doyle went one better the next day when recording her tenth win of the season with Ahgetawayoutadat (7/1) in a handicap hurdle, giving Seán O’Keeffe winner 18 of a season where he has lost quite a bit of time to injury.
O’Keeffe added to his tally in the easiest style in the first at Punchestown on Sunday when romping to a 29-length success in a beginners’ chase for Cork trainer Seán Aherne on Chosen Hour (11/2).
Paul Nolan made it a second Wexford win on the card with My Club Colours (9/1) for the Gaels Racing Club, Philip Enright steering him home by four lengths in a handicap hurdle.
At Fairyhouse on Saturday, Seán Flanagan was second on Strange Notions (5/2) for Charles Byrnes in the maiden hurdle behind the Mullins-Townend hotpot, Jazzaway (9/10f). Flanagan had to survive being quite badly hampered at the last when leading.
Seán O’Keeffe was on a Gordon Elliott favourite in the €18k threemile handicap hurdle but was well beaten into second on Thunder Down Under (5/2) by Alohamora (5/1) for James Nash.
Meanwhile, Barry O’Neill was a well beaten third on Elliott’s I A
Connect (5/4) in the bumper.
Daryl Jacob got back in action on a winning note after a month’s injury absence with a single ride at Ludlow on Wednesday aboard Dragon D’Estruval (3/1) for Nicky Henderson, and he began the big meeting at Kempton Saturday with a win on Goa Lil (12/1) for Nigel Twiston-Davies.
However, he will have been disappointed with the run of last year’s winner, the Henderson-trained Top Notch (11/10f), in the featured £60k Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase in which he could only finish third of five, well behind front running Bryony Frost on Frodon (5/4).
Tom O’Brien had a comfortable winner at that Ludlow meeting on Miss Austen (3/1) for Hughie Morrison,
THE FAMED Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park is one of the major highlights of the racing year in the south-east, and the Kilkenny track will be thronged on Thursday, January 23, for the 66th edition of the race.
The €100,000 feature is due off at 3 p.m., and it is a race that has provided pointers to the Aintree Grand National and other big races, with National winners including Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde.
Other previous winners have been the legendary Arkle (1964) and Flyingbolt (1966), and Wexford’s Michael Hickey won it twice with Bob Treacy in 1999 and 2001.
Willie Mullins won it for the seventh time last year with Invitation Only, giving Ruby Walsh his second and final win before retirement.
but made little impression with his three rides at Kempton.
Taghmon flat jockey P.J. McDonald did not make his expected return last week. He has been out of the saddle since December 20 and has no booked rides in the pipeline.
In the U.A.E., the Meydan Carnival is back in Dubai and Pat Dobbs (Enniscorthy) had a good payday on Thursday when picking up a cool £158,000 when getting Kimbear (4/1) home by two short heads in a thrilling Group 2 one-miler for Doug Watson, in a race featuring many top riders, including Jim Crowley, Christophe Soumillon, Tadhg O’Shea and Mickael Barzalona.
Irish point-to-point graduates made a clean sweep of the placings in the Grade 2 Novices Hurdle at Warwick on Saturday, with victory going to former Donnchadh Doyle inmate at Monbeg, Mossy Fen (7/2 from 11/2 in the morning), for Sam and Nigel Twiston-Davies.
This one had been bought for £60k at the Tattersalls April sale after a point-to-point maiden success for Doyle last April at Loughbrickland, Co. Down.
He had purchased him for £30k nine months earlier.
Mossy Fen has won three of his four hurdle races since going to England.
There are six other races on the day, most notably the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.
This staying hurdle was won in the past two years by Presenting Percy, favourite for last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. As I write, it is not known if he will go for the hat-trick.
Gowran Park is making it a real festive occasion with live music for everyone to enjoy before, during and after racing, plus lots of dining options.
Gates open at 11 a.m. with the first race off at 12.45. Tickets on the day will be €25 (concessions €20). Group discounts are available in advance by contacting Gowran Park on 056-7726225. Prices are reduced for tickets bought online at GowranPark. ie, which can printed off or scanned on the phone.