Pat’s first century
Major milestone for Taghmon jockey
A £20,000 Conditions race at Pontefract in west Yorkshire on a dull Monday afternoon would not usually attract much attention, but the Phil Bull Trophy last week was a very significant event for two people in particular.
Pat McDonald drove out Dominating (6/4) to win for Mark Johnston by three-quarters of a length to reach one hundred winners in a year for the first time in his career. His previous best was 80 winners last year.
It is a great achievement by the 35-years-old Taghmon man who is in the form of his life. He also recently was presented with the award for leading jockey at the Ayr track this season and had his first Group 1 success on Laurens a couple of weeks ago with a masterful ride.
McDonald has been enjoying a very fruitful association with the powerful Mark Johnston yard this season and his win on Dominating was significant for that reason also - this was Johnston’s 4,000th flat winner in Britain and he is third in the all-time list behind Richard Hannon (4,193) and Martin Pipe (4,183) and looks set to claim the number one spot next season.
The show moves on relentlessly and McDonald had four more winners in the week - Beatbox Rhythm (9/2) at Newcastle on Tuesday for another great supporter, Karl Burke; Lynwood Gold (6/1) for Johnston at Newmarket on Wednesday; a great front-running ride on Johnston’s Ventura Knight to pull off a 20/1 shock by a neck at Doncaster on Friday, and that evening at Wolverhampton he won on Story Minister (15/8) for Tom Dascombe.
He rode at Newbury and Wolverhampton on Saturday; closest to a win was edged out by a short head and a nose on Johnston’s Highly Sprung (16/1). Jimmy Quinn (New Ross) pulled off a shock in the last at Wolver on Ebbisham (20/1) for Jim Mackie.
Over jumps, Daryl Jacob (Skidoosh at 22/1 for Ben Pauling) and Tom O’Brien (Psychedelic Rock at 7/1 for Ian Jardine) had winners at Worcester on Wednesday. Jacob rode three at Southwell on Thursday for his new boss, Ben Pauling, and had to wait until the concluding bumper to get his head in front on Hidden Glen (6/4f).
Cheltenham’s first meeting of the season was on Friday and Jacob was just foiled on the highly-fancied Sceau Royal (11/8) in the novice chase by a neck by North Hill Harvey (10/3) for the Skeltons.
Jacob did score at Cheltenham on Saturday on Calett Mad (6/5f) for Nigel Twiston-Davies, making it ten Wexford-ridden winners in Britain last week.
At home in Ireland, Thurles on Thursday was a great meeting for Wexford jumps connections, with doubles for jockey Seán Flanagan and trainer Liz Doyle. The two of them combined to win the opening mares’ beginners’ chase with La Bella Vida (11/4), the third win this year for a horse that cost just €500 at Goresbridge as a foal.
Afterwards Doyle was full of praise for Flanagan’s winning ride. ‘She is a pleasure to train, but that was the most beautiful ride - the jockey won that, nobody else.’ Paul Nolan’s Miss Sassie (6/1) was third under Davy Russell.
Doyle completed her double in the concluding bumper with newcomer, Gran Geste (16/1 in the morning into 13/2 at the off), ridden by Finny Maguire. He cost Doyle €6,000 in France and he may turn out to be a bargain.
Flanagan completed his double in a high-quality hurdle but had to work hard on Noel Meade’s oddson favourite Monksland (8/11) to overhaul Donagh Meyler on Polar Present.
The ten-year-old was returning to hurdles after failing to impress over fences. The Richie Rathtrained Notwhatiam (50/1) was back in third under J.J. Slevin (Caim).
There was a remarkable finish to the 80-95 handicap hurdle. J.J. Slevin seemed to have stolen a winning lead on Joseph O’Brien’s Mac Cennetig (7/1) but he was joined on the line by two closers and was edged out by a nose by Turasoir (9/1), with Marino Marvel (20/1) another nose away in third.
Jonathan Moore (Adamstown), now an established jumps jockey, had his first-ever winner on the flat at Navan on Wednesday in a €12,000 maiden with Art of Security (2/1 jf, in from 15/2 in the morning), for Noel Meade, despite losing ground at the start. He had most of the top flat pilots behind him.
Jim Bolger won the €55,000 listed fillies’ stakes at Dundalk on Friday evening with Goldrush (9/4f) under Kevin Manning.
While Aidan O’ Brien was making history at Doncaster, he also had lots of horses in action at Leopardstown on Saturday and came away with a winning double - Sarrochi (7/2f), giving Michael Hussey his first win of the season a week before it ends, and Flag of Honour (2/1) in the €63,000 Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes, giving Pádraig Beggy his first win since taking the Epsom Derby on Wings of Eagles 146 days earlier.