Bowe keeps the local flag flying at Bettyville
THERE WAS a reasonable Wednesday evening crowd at Bettyville for the Wexford races last week, and for the second meeting in a row trainer Colin Bowe from Kiltealy kept the local flag flying in the winners’ enclosure with the impressive Sweet Home Chicago, running in the colours of his wife, Fiona.
Colin, the champion point-topoint trainer for the past three years, said he was expecting a good run after two promising previous outings, and he certainly got that as ‘Chicago’ romped clear by 16 lengths under the excellent Rachael Blackmore at a well-fancied 4/1 in the three-mile Oulart Maiden Hurdle.
It was a significant win for Blackmore who became the first female to win the claiming riders’ title last season with 32 winners. This was her 60th career win and meant she had ridden out her claim and is now a fully-fledged professional.
And she put the icing on the cake in the following Vinegar Hill handicap hurdle over two miles when she completed a double on Camlann (9/2) for her main mentor, Shark Hanlon.
She was one and a quarter lengths ahead of favourite Runyon Rattler (7/2), well ridden by rising young Enniscorthy man, James O’Sullivan, for Tinahely trainer, Philip Rothwell, with Zanjabeel (8/1) third for Davy Russell and Gordon Elliott.
The weather gods seemed to be playing games with the Bettyville faithful, with the heat wave temporarily running out of steam. A cold wind swept across the course, followed by a damp mist that almost blocked out the far side of the track and sent shirt-sleeved and summer bedecked patrons scurrying for cover or back to cars for coats.
It passed on after about an hour and by the time of the concluding bumper at 9 p.m. it felt almost balmy again. The mood of many punters may not have been so sunny though, as a massive gamble was foiled in that race.
Edward O’Grady’s Allardyce was backed into 2/1 favourite from 5/1. Ridden by champion point-topoint jockey, Barry O’Neill from Kiltealy, he came to challenge on the last bend and it seemed victory was assured as he bore down on the long-time leader.
However, debutant Pass Hymn (28/1 in morning into 16/1sp) for Garrett Power from Kilkenny, ridden by Waterford’s Declan Queally, kept on finding under pressure; he gave them a chance by wandering around and drifting right over to the stand rail but was not for catching and held on by a nearly three lengths.
Bryan Cooper had a double for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown operation. There were just five runners in the opening Welcome to Wexford Racecourse novice hurdle but it was a competitive heat and Cooper won it on Morgan (6/4f) for Gordon Elliott, helped by a last hurdle mistake by the strong finishing Special Diamond (2/1) for Henry De Bromhead.
Waterford’s De Bromhead was centrally involved in Cooper’s second winner in the featured €20,000 Floods Ironworks (Clonroche) chase, his two runners fighting out the finish.
His Mullinavat (10/3), ridden by Seán Flanagan (Palace East natïve), seemed set for victory but Cooper came with a rattle from the back on outsider, Archive (16/1), also trained by De Bromhead, to prevail by three-quarters of a length on his first handicap chase and his first run for seven months.
Most impressive winner of the night was Peter Fahey’s (Monasterevin, Co. Kildare) Peregrine Run (11/8) in the Pro Form beginners’ chase, ridden by Roger Loughran. He has already won five races, including a grade 2 hurdle at Cheltenham in November, and he took to the fences with relish. He’s certainly one to watch in future - he could be very good.
Mark Walsh was still with him at the last on Edward O’Grady’s Raconga (7/2) but was outpaced on the run-in, and Alan Lynch was third on De Bromhead’s Our Dougal (11/2) in a good quality race.
Famous Banks trainer, Enda Bolger, brought William Du Berlais (9/1) all the way from his Limerick base, his only runner of the night, but had to accept second for J.P. McManus under Mark Walsh as he was headed on the run-in by Brian O’Connell on Eoin Doyle’s Roevin Star (15/2) who won by three lengths, with Seán Flanagan third on Shay Barry’s Naughty Molly (12/1).
Three lucky punters got €2,100 each for sharing the jackpot.
Friday evening meetings have usually been the most popular with Wexford patrons and there have been fewer of them in recent years for some reason - however, there are two of them in July, on the 7th and 28th.