Doyle and Slevin’s fine track success
SEAN THOMAS Doyle from Monbeg, Ballindaggin, is a member of a great racing family more noted in the point-to-point fields, but he and jockey J.J. Slevin (Kiltrea, Caim) combined to score a fine track success with Crosshue Boy in the re-fixed final jumps meeting of the season at Leopardstown on Friday.
He picked up a nice €13,500 for owner, N.J. Heffernan, in this novice chase over two miles and a furlong, a bit on the short side for him.
This latest success was not entirely unexpected as he was backed from 22/1 in the morning to start at 10/1.
The eight-year-old bay seems to favour the heavier going and his last win was at Wexford on St. Patrick’s Day last year under Harley Dunne.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pulled out again quite quickly.
Slevin had him bouncing along in the front rank all the way and he was repelling all challenges at the finish.
He was helped a little when Jessica Harrington’s 2/1 favourite, Thirsty Work, which was threatening, fell at the last, but I think he was going to win it anyway.
Slevin went over to Ayr on Saturday and had a winner for Stuart Crawford in the bumper, Gleno (7/4).
Barry O’Neill had a busy day; he had a winner at the Borris point-to-point and then moved on to Leopardstown for the bumper where he had a great spin on Paul Nolan’s Eagle Roque (12/1), coming a close second to the expensive purchase, Sizing Pottsie (11/4), for Kate and Jessica Harrington.
He then went on for a rare spin on the all-weather at Dundalk on Edward O’Grady’s Sound Money but was well down the field.
Seán O’Keeffe from Taghmon also rode a winner at Borris and also raced in the last at Dundalk, doing well to finish third on Im Waiting (33/1) for Anthony McCann from Monaghan.
Earlier at Dundalk, Aidan O’Brien resumed business in typical style, getting a 1-2-3 in the €75,000 Listed 32Red Patton Stakes, scoring with Breeders Cup winner Mendelssohn (evens) under Ryan Moore.
He may now be headed for the Kentucky Derby in the U.S.A.
On Thursday at Thurles, Seán Flanagan had his 54th first winner of the season but his first since February 18, when he romped home by 25 lengths on Mary Frances (5/1) for Martin Hassett.
In Britain, Pat McDonald resumed after his well-earned month’s break with a winner at Southwell on Tuesday on The Resdev Way (9/2), and he was a close-up second in another on Coiste Bodhar (17/2).
He had another win on Saturday in the last at Wolverhampton on Maratha (2/1) for S.W.C.D. Williams.
Tom O’Brien warmed up for Cheltenham with a win at nearby Warwick on Sunday on Now Mcginty (5/1) in a handicap hurdle for Stuart Edmunds.
Pat Dobbs (Enniscorthy) had another nice winner at Meydan in the U.A.E. on Saturday, collecting almost €100,000 when Kimbear (4/1) scored in a Group 3 over a mile on the dirt.
Events are building towards the World Cup climax at the end of March when about €30m will be at stake.