Nolan carries flag
Local success scarce in Bettyville
TRAINER PAUL Nolan was left to carry the flag for Wexford once again at the eight-race National Hunt card at Bettyville on Saturday when he secured his eighth win of the season so far in the very first race, on a day where local success was scarce.
The poor weather prior to racing no doubt contributed to quite a small crowd (which bet only €148 on the Tote jackpot) though conditions did improve as the meeting went on.
There was a notable absence of the top flight jockeys as most of the races were confined to qualified and claiming riders, providing some welcome opportunities for the rising crop of youngsters.
There were full fields of runners in most races and the spoils were spread far and wide with winners coming from Clare, Galway, Dublin, Waterford, Meath and Wicklow, and a sprinkling of runners made the long trip from north of the border.
Nolan’s winner came in the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle with Dia Del Sol (10/1 into 8/1 at the off, ridden very well by young Evan Daly.
He led before the last and took advantage of a sketchy jump by runner-up, Galtymore (12/1 into 7s), to win by a length and a quarter. Daly works mainly with Joseph O’Brien but spends a couple of days a week at the Nolan yard.
The nearest we came to a second Wexford winner was in Division 2 of the Menapia Motors Renault handicap hurdle when the consistent Cantkidakidder (3/1f), trained at Davidstown by Noel Dooly and ridden by James O’Sullivan (Camolin), gave his usual game performance up near the front but was caught in the end and had to be content with second.
The combination had won the race last year but this time had to give best to Whoyakodding (7/1), getting his first win in 18 runs by a length and a quarter. He was ridden by Shane Shortall from Ferbane, Co. Offaly, and trained by Garrett Ahern in Cork.
O’Sullivan was also second in the Irish Stallion Farms Handicap Chase on 20/1 outsider, Burning Issues, owned and trained at Tinahely by Philip Rothwell, who was beaten by a fellow Wicklowman, Adam Short from Newtown, on Just a Normal Day (7/2), trained by Daniel John Howard in Clare.
Rothwell did get his first win of the season in the concluding Dan Byrne Memorial Chase (sponsored by the Byrne family) when his reserve, Shanklys Dawn (9/1), not only got into the race but led much of the way to win by two and half lengths under Meath jockey, Conor Maxwell.
There was a shock winner of the Garry Flood Landscaping handicap hurdle in Trenchtown Rock, sent off at 20/1 for Athenry-based Val O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Treacy.
They are entered for Listowel today (Tuesday) and will run if getting in. They held off a determined Littlestickarubarb (12/1) by half a length.
Division 1 of the Menapia Motors race went to Cappacon (5/1jf), trained in Dublin by Oliver |McKiernan and ridden by Barry Browne (Naas), which took it up between the last two and held off Oskar High (8/1), trained in Gort, Co. Galway, by Norman Lee.
The most impressive winner of the day was Biddy The Boss (2/1f) which made all in the three miles M2 Construction mares’ maiden hurdle, ridden by Ger Fox for fellow Meath man, Gavin Cromwell, to win snugly from Harrys Gift (12/1).
Waterford trainer Henry De Bromhead scored a 1-2 in the five-runner Audrey McGrath Memorial Novice Chase (sponsored by Annette Doran) with Gigginstown’s Arcenfete (11/4f) under Brian Hayes leading in Classic Theatre (3/1), ridden by Hugh Morgan from Kilmacow.
That was the last of the ‘summer’ racing at Bettyville this year and the programme concludes with the two-day Wexford Festival meeting on the bank holiday weekend, Sunday and Monday, October 28 and 29.