Murphy trains 150th winner
John and Miriam.
O’Neill had his 14th success of 2017 with trainer Colin Bowe aboard Aunt Eva (Ask-Nelson) in the five-years-old plus mares’ maiden up in Co. Antrim, and took the Winners of Two for regular patron, David Christie, on Eddies Miracle..
Stable jockey Shane Fitzgerald scored on Michael Goff’s The Holy One (Court Cave-Vickate) in the four-year-old maiden, while Gary Murphy (Ballycullane) was second on Ashleigh and Michael Murphy’s (Duncormick) Getaway Bay in the five- and six-years-old geldings’ maiden.
On Sunday, both Jamie Codd (double) and Derek O’Connor (treble) made inroads on the title race at the Galway Blazers meeting at Loughrea, while Barry O’Neill had a frustrating day at Curraheen in Cork with three seconds and no winner. Codd combined with Denis Murphy again to easily win the four-year-old maiden at Loughrea with Moonshine Bay (Milan-Chantoue Royale), from Rob James on Mellow Ben for Donnchadh Doyle. Murphy’s 20 winners so far is his best-ever seasonal tally.
Codd completed his double on Special Prep (Brian Boru-Schindlers Dame) for his brother, William, and British owner Eric Elliott who was over for the Winners of Two race.
One of Derek O’Connor’s three was on The Lion Dancer (Let The Lion Roar-Shesadoll) for John Paul and Marie Brennan (Camolin) in the five- and six-years-old geldings’ maiden, surprising Codd on Jim Dreaper’s Fresh New Dawn. It completed a great weekend for the Brennans as they won at Punchestown with Need to Know the previous day.
There was one Wexford winner at the Muskerry Hunt meeting at Curraheen, Gary Murphy (Ballycullane) getting up by half a length on Kilbricken Storm (Oscar-Kilbricken Leader), giving owner/trainer Richard O’Keeffe (Taghmon) his third win of the season.
O’Neill’s seconds included a head defeat in the older mares’ maiden on Colin Bowe’s Stetsonsnstilettos in a driving finish, and Malachy’s Girl for Donnchadh Doyle in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
At the end of all the action, O’Neill leads the riders’ table on 51, with Codd on 43 and O’Connor on 38. Rob James is now joint fourth with Noel McParlan on 33. Colin Bowe is pulling clear in the trainers’ table with 26, from Denis Murphy on 20 and Donnchadh Doyle on 18.
Muskerry Hunt raced again on Monday in Cork; on Saturday they race at Taylorstown, Newry, and on Sunday at Grennan, Thomastown, in Kilkenny, Athlacca in Limerick, and Watergrasshill in Cork. HISTORY REPEATED itself for the Killinick Hunt branch of the Pony Club at the national hunter trial championships recently.
The club’s Senior team of three made up of Andrea Dempsey, Walter Ronan and Frank Ronan skilfully completed the technically demanding course at Annaharvey, Co. Westmeath, to win a title which the club last won 21 years ago.
To crown a memorable day for the club, the combination of Anna Mai Stafford, Alanah Lacey and Edmond Cleary, also competing in the teams of three section, placed fourth.
Congratulations also to club THE CO. Wexford horseshoe league will begin this Wednesday, May 3, at 7.30 p.m.
The number of teams competing has not been finalised yet, but there will be Division 1 and Division 2 leagues. members Emily Roche and Anna Browne who finished sixth in the Junior pairs, and to Joe Mernagh and Cathal Murphy who also took part.
The club extends its sincere gratitude to all who helped to make such top-class performances possible.
The Thomas Doyle Memorial open doubles will be held in Páirc Mhuire, Ferns, on Sunday, May 7, at 2.30 p.m.
We’d also like to send our best wishes to John Doyle Snr. who recently underwent a hip operation.