Flanagan’s dramatic birthday return
as she is probably too small to jump a fence.’
Jonathan Moore came close in the opening maiden hurdle on the favourite, Bentham (5/6) for Gavin Cromwell, but could not get the better of Mark Walsh on Joseph O’Brien’s Filon D’Oudaries (4/1).
Jamie Codd made a winning return in the fillies’ bumper on Derrinlaur Bill (5/1), beating Patrick Mullins on his dad’s Negroni (13/8) by a length, but had to settle for second in the last on Gordon Elliott’s Jawbox (11/10f), behind David Roche on Henry De Bromhead’s Train Hill (9/1).
At Roscommon on Wednesday, Bowe had a second winner at successive meetings and Paul Nolan got off the mark with his first runner since the re-start.
Bowe’s double came up with his wife Fiona’s Sweet Home Chicago (18/1), romping home by seven and a half lengths under Taghmon rider, Seán O’Keeffe, in the three-mile handicap hurdle.
This time Bowe said: ‘We knew he was fit and I was surprised he won so easy. He has been a marvellous horse (this was the eleven-year-old’s fourth win), we’ll see what the handicapper does and we’ll look for something at Galway.’
Nolan and jockey Brian Cooper reverted to hurdles with Cheltenham chase runner, Quamino (2/1), and had four lengths to spare in an extended two and a half miles.
Well backed and carrying a lot less than he would over fences, Bryan Cooper made most of the running for a comfortable win.
Nolan has a big target for his winner: ‘He is rated 137 over fences and his next run will be in Galway.
‘Hopefully he will get into the Plate (July 29)… he’ll run if he does get in.’
There were no Wexford winners at Tipperary on Friday despite a few good runs at big prices.
Paul Nolan had a couple of seconds with Whitango (10/1) and Lebowski (22/1); Seán Flanagan was third on Colin Bowe’s Gallopongray (10/1) and second on Elegant Dan (12/1) for Donie O’Brien, while J.J. Slevin was second on John Halley’s Desert Island (16/1).