Pillar to post win for Doyle
Trainer tops on home soil
DAY ONE of the Wexford Festival meeting at Bettyville on Sunday attracted a lively bank holiday crowd in lovely conditions and they were treated to some good racing, a few fancied winners and two bouncy castles for the childrren! Trainer Liz Doyle from Kitestown, Crossabeg, kept the Wexford flag flying with a pillar to post victory.
Meeting sponsors were Casey Enterprises from Coolishall in Gorey. James Casey was present to make the presentations and he and his brothers have been heavily involved in the racing game over the years.
There was a second National Hunt meeting in Galway on Sunday but it was interesting that nearly all of the top riders chose to come to Bettyville, including Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Barry Geraghty, Jack Kennedy, Robbie Power, etc. Ironically, Wexford’s Seán Flanagan and J.J. Slevin were engaged in Galway.
Liz Doyle had a great week, following up a double in Thurles on Thursday with an impressive victory on her home track. Without Limites, owned by the Goliath Syndicate, made all in his debut over fences under Donagh Meyler in the Casey Bros. Supporting Their Local Racecourse beginners’ chase and stayed on to the line to win by five lengths at a well-backed 6/5.
‘I’m very relieved. It wasn’t easy making all like that. From day one his jumping has been much better than his technique over hurdles… it was a nice starting point for him today,’ Doyle said.
The feature race was the €25,000 Casey Precast handicap chase. Enda Bolger made the long trip from Limerick with the well-handicapped J.P. McManus-owned My Hometown (13/2 in the morning to 3/1 jf), and Donie McInerney cut out the running.
However, he faded and a second McManus horse, Tesseract (11/2) trained by Joseph O’Brien, was brought from the rear by Barry Geraghty to get on terms at the last and prevailed by a short head in a great duel with Alan Lynch on Henry De Bromhead’s Full Cry (8/1), which also came from the back.
Perennial champion Ruby Walsh had just two rides and he was allowed to go off at 10/3 on the Willie Mullins-trained Court Artist in the four-runner Casey Tarmacadam mares’ hurdle and duly obliged by three lengths with a nicely-timed run.
All the money was for Davy Russell on Gordon Elliott’s Barra (4/9) but he couldn’t match the winner on the run-in.
There was a surprise in the opening Casey Concrete Blocks maiden hurdle when Alan Fleming’s Templemore Dream (16/1) stayed on best under Roger Loughran to see off Barry Geraghty on Noel Meade’s hotshot, Roseriver Has (5/4f), by three parts of a length.
Hardline (5/2f), trained by Gordon Elliott for Michael O’Leary and Gigginstown and ridden by Jack Kennedy, was one of the most impressive winners of the day in the Casey Cattle Slats maiden hurdle, coming in ten lenghts clear of Davy Russell on another Gigginstown horse, Schmidt (8/1 into 4/1).
Another favourite obliged in a tight finish in the three-mile Casey Concrete Gorey handicap hurdle, with No Pressure Pat (11/4) scoring for Cillian Leonard and Pat Fahy from Leighlinbridge by a head from Dromore Land (7/2), ridden by D.J. Hand for Dermot Anthony McLoughlin.
The two fancied horses fought out the finish of the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF mares’ bumper, with favourite Sassy Diva (5/4), under Paul Bannon for Meath trainer Shane Crawley, comfortably beating Best of Dubai (2/1), ridden by bumper specialist Patrick Mullins for Gordon Elliott. Liz Doyle’s Emma’s Dilemma was fourth under Finny Maguire.
Wexford riders J.J. Slevin and Seán Flanagan were on duty in Galway and Slevin picked up a nice winner in a novice chase on Calino D’airy (1/1) for Henry De Bromhead and Gigginstown, with Flanagan third on Noel Meade’s Aint Dunne Yet (4/1).
Flanagan also picked up another third and a couple more second places to make the trip worthwhile.
Day two of the Wexford Festival meeting, and the final meeting of the year at Bettyville, was held yesterday (Monday), including the featured €28,500 listed M.W. Hickey chase. We will carry details next week.