HORSE RACING
SATURDAY WAS a good day for Wexford racing people in far off Dubai and in Britain, with the flag being carried by Aidan O’Brien and Pat Dobbs in the Middle East, while Tom O’Brien and Pat McDonald had good wins in Haydock and Musselburgh.
The Meydan Carnival concludes with the richest racing card in the world, with over €30 million on offer. Aidan O’Brien was the main Irish raider and he captured the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby, worth about €2m and run on the dirt.
Ryan Moore had a most impressive 18-length victory with Mendelssohn (13/8f), now set for a shot to be the first European winner of the Kentucky Derby in America in May; that race is also run on the dirt. O’Brien had no luck with his other runners.
Enniscorthy jockey Pat Dobbs has worked his winters in the U.A.E. very successfully for quite a few years for trainer Doug Watson. In the November-March season now ending, he has ridden 30 winners, including 15 at the main Meydan track, which has him in fourth place in the table.
He had three rides on Saturday and his best showing was in the Derby won by his fellow Wexfordman, taking second well back from Mendelssohn on Rayya (7/1), picking up about €350,000 for his owners. Pat can shortly be expected back on the more routine British circuit.
There was a card of £50,000 series finals over the jumps at Haydock on Saturday, and Tom O’Brien from Adamstown had a good day for trainer, Ian Williams.
He won the two and a half mile chase with Ambler Gambler, and he got third with Midtech Valentine (10/1), less than a length back. He was also a clear winner of the concluding £21,000 chase on Zerachief (9/2).
O’Brien had a winner for Stuart Edmunds with Now Mcginty (13/8) at Warwick on Wednesday.
Pat McDonald (Taghmon) just lost out by a neck at Musselburg in the most valuable British flat race of the day, the £100,000 Queens Cup handicap, just failing to reel in the runaway leader on Mark Johnston’s Time to Study (11/4f).
The Taghmon man had a comfortable win for Johnston on Book of Dreams (6/1) in the £30,000 Royal Mile Handicap.
Here at home, the three-day Irish Grand National meeting began at Fairyhouse on Sunday, and the Wexford connections made an early impact.
Seán Flanagan was on board Noel Meade’s Gigginstown winner, Bel Ami De Sivola (7/1), in the €50,000 Boylesports Novice Handicap Chase, from Willie Mullins’ Bon Papa, with Seán Doyle’s (Ballindaggin) Crosshue Boy (20/1) coming a terrific third under Harley Dunne, just two lengths back.
J.J. Slevin once more paired up with first cousin, Joseph O’Brien, to take the opener, a €15,000 maiden hurdle, with Uisce Beatha (4/1), while Jonathan Moore (Adamstown) took second on Tom Gibney’s Global Fert in the €20,000 novice hurdle.
Davidstown trainer Paul Nolan kept up his momentum with another win at Clonmel on Thursday with Rooster Byron (11/4) in a beginners’ chase, ridden by Kevin Sexton, and his Fine Theatre (7/2) was second to a Mullins hot-pot in a chase.