Brilliant Bowe hits the 350 milestone
Heading for eighth Irish trainers’ title
‘POINT-TO-POINT people are a hardy breed.’
That’s an oft-repeated maxim and it was proved once again over the weekend when all five meetings went ahead despite the horrendous weather conditions.
The regular racecourses have the benefit of some facilities and shelter, while the point-to-point fraternity are usually wide open to the elements, but they show remarkable fortitude.
The meetings at Cragmore in Limerick and the Ward Union at Oldtown, north Dublin, were called off the previous weekend but went ahead on Saturday, and the three scheduled meetings went ahead on Sunday, through one was abandoned for safety reasons after three races.
There was Wexford representation at them all, and once again Colin Bowe was the star turn, winning four-year-old maidens at three different venues and passing the 350 career total, a remarkable achievement.
He is going for his sixth champion trainer title in succession and his eighth since 2010, and has turned his Milestone Stable at Kiltealy into a real point-to-point powerhouse.
There were training wins also for Seán Doyle, Andrew Latta and Mick Goff.
Riding honours were shared by Barry O’Neill, Jamie Codd, Rob James, Jamie Scallan, Shane Fitzgerald and Peter Kavanagh.
I don’t often feature the breeding side of the business, but Arctic
Tack Stud’s Jet Away registered a four-year-old maiden double within an hour at Saturday’s two meetings, the sire’s first and second winners from his first three runners.
The operation is owned by Eoin Banville at Newbawn and managed by Peter Nolan.
Jet Away’s first winner, Supreme Jet, took the first race at Oldtown, and this was quickly followed by Colin Bowe’s four-year-old mare, Brandy Love, which had an impressive eight-length victory at Cragmore against geldings, ridden by Barry O’Neill.
Bowe commented: ‘I knew she was smart as she was showing us a lot at home but that was impressive against the males. She really powered clear late on.’
Bowe and O’Neill were the only Wexford connections to make the long cross-country trip to Askeaton in Limerick, and Brandy Love was Bowe’s only runner.
O’Neill’s only other ride was on BL Swagger for Sam Curling in the Open race, and he was second behind Pat Doyle’s Reigning Supreme.
There was a bigger Wexford contingent at Oldtown in Dublin, and they came away with a couple of winners and a few places from the six races that attracted just 32 runners.
They did miss out on the fouryear-old maiden to Pa King on Supreme Jet – Jamie Codd being second on Denis Murphy’s Guardino, and Jordan Gainford third on Colin Bowe’s Coolvalla.
Rob James scored in the Winner of Two with the Andrew Latta (Ballycarney)-trained Doubleubee (by Yeats), with Jamie Codd third on Jim Dreaper’s Mr. Bercow.
Jamie Scallan (Tomhaggard) had three lengths to spare in the five-year-old plus mares’ maiden on Timeless Beauty, a daughter of Yeats sent out by Seán Doyle, Monbeg.
Scallan and Doyle took second in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with the appropriately named Onagatheringstorm.
The Kildare Hunt raced at Punchestown on Sunday, and Bowe took the opening four-yearold maiden with Bareback Jack (Getaway) under Rob James, well clear of Blumen Glory under Jamie Codd for Denis Murphy, with Harley Dunne third on his own Dancing With Deco, trained by Liam Kenny.
Codd got quick compensation in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on We Will Sort It for Cian
Collins (Meath), from his only rival, Raringtogo.
James had a couple of seconds, on Handy Headon for local Kildare trainer Pat Quinlan in the Farmers’ Hunt Race, just half a length behind hot favourite, Rewritetherules, for Shark Hanlon, ahead of Dunne and Codd.
He was also second on Victorias Peak for Colin Bowe in the older mares’ maiden.
The North Tipperary Hunt raced near Nenagh, and Bowe’s third four-year-old win of the weekend came on Velvet Elvis (Shirocco) to give 19-year-old Peter Kavanagh (Ballindaggin) his second win. Second was Pearse Rogan (Caim) on Cormac Doyle’s Mahler Mission, and third was James Kenny on Bowe’s Doran’s Bridge.
Bowe and Kenny were foiled in the five-year-old race, taking second on Pay The Piper, just a length and a half behind Noel Glynn’s The New McDonald.
The Avondhu Hunt meeting at Knockenard near Fermoy was run in very tough conditions, and racing was abandoned after just three races due to safety issues in the gale.
The-five-year-old geldings’ maiden was won by a distance by a Mick Goff debutant, File Illico (Cokoriko), under Shane Fitzgerald.
Just two finished the four-yearold maiden, and Luke Murphy (Inch) was quite a way behind on Denis Murphy’s What a Time.
Next weekend they race on Saturday at Farmaclaffey in Armagh, and on Sunday the Bray Hunt race at Fairwood in Tinahely while the Duhallow Hunt run at Rockmills, Cork.