Tiernan savours big day
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 will stay forever in the memory of 20-years-old Tomhaggard jockey Tiernan Power-Roche as he recorded his first-ever winner on the track in a handicap hurdle at Listowel, and it only added to the pleasure that he had someone of the calibre of Barry Geraghty behind him in second place.
It was an all-Wexford success as Trans Wood (7/1), owned by Patrick Farrell, is trained at Knockmullan House, New Ross, by Gordon Doyle. He took it up at the third last but was joined and had to be ridden to assert on the run-in, beating Geraghty on Giveittomestraight (5/1) by two and a quarter lengths.
Power-Roche has been a regular point-to-point rider for Doyle and has had three winners this year. ‘Thankfully Gordon has left me on that mare for a while now and he’s been patient as we were waiting for a bit of better ground. I’m with Gordon a few days a week riding work and schooling...hopefully that’s the first of many winners!’ was his comment.
At the re-fixed Kilbeggan meeting on Tuesday, James O’Sullivan from Camolin had a nice win on Commander Won (14/1) for D.A. McLoughlin from Meath in a maiden hurdle.
Jim Bolger is really hitting his stride now after a slow start and had a double at Gowran Park on Monday afternoon - his Change of Velocity (9/4) beat Aidan O’Brien’s Conclusion in a maiden and his Meagher’s Flag (4/1f) won a handicap. O’Brien won with hot shot Gossamer Wings (4/6) in a fillies’ maiden at Navan on Wednesday.
The ‘big two’ shared two €45,000 listed races at Leopardstown on Thursday evening - O’Brien had first and third in the three-year-old King George V Cup, his Guiseppe Garibaldi (7/4) and Lucius Tiberius (9/2) sandwiching Bolger’s Cimeara (16/1).
Bolger’s Zorion (10/3) won the Glencairn Stakes for Godolphin by a head from O’Brien’s Allegio (7/1).
P.J. McDonald has been having a quiet time but he did score on Racehorse at 7/1 for Hughie Morrison, and he added another for Tom Dascomb at Haydock on Thursday, Quantamental (3/1).
Pat Dobbs won on his only ride at Nottingham on Sunday, on Whitehallo (13/8) for Michael Stoute.
Tom O’Brien won a novice chase at Newtown Abbot on Wolfcatcher (6/1) for Ian Williams on Monday. O’Brien and Daryl Jacob both had wins at Uttoxeter on Wednesday on Lively Article (16/1) and Salix (5/4f) respectively.
Unusually, no Wexford connections made it to the winners’ enclosure in either Britain or Ireland on Saturday.