Young Byrne is making his mark
IT WAS a week where the racing scene was dominated by the weather, with the game largely depending on a diet of all-weather action.
The first jumps action in Ireland was not until Saturday at Gowran Park, and it was a surprise to many that it actually happened in pretty awful conditions.
They did run on the all-weather at Dundalk on Friday night, and a 20-year-old seven pounds claimer, Willie Byrne from Piercestown, had his second winner of the year and his fourth of the season. It was his tenth success since first scoring for Jim Bolger in July of 2017 on Maincin at Navan.
He works for Bolger who has been his main supporter, having joined him on the recommendation of Liz Doyle, but he is now starting to get more ‘outside’ rides, with Tony Mullins and Willie Martin from Clonhaston, Enniscorthy, both giving him good backing.
This one was for Mullins and it took a great ride from Byrne to get home on China Storm (13/8f) by a head and a head in a driving finish. He made the early running but was actually caught by two in the final furlong, with Byrne saying he idled when in front.
He regained the lead close to the line, seeing off Declan McDonagh, one of the strongest riders on the Irish circuit.
Willie comes from Esmonde Drive in Piercestown and is son of Marguerite and John. His hard work is starting to pay off and I’ll be watching his progress with interest.
The going was predictably heavy on Saturday for an important card at Gowran.
Jamie Codd rushed to the Kilkenny venue after a couple of rides in the Ward Union pointto-point in north Dublin, and the dash was worthwhile as he was a hugely impressive winner of the bumper by 21 lengths on the mare, Queens Brook (11/10f), for Gordon Elliott. The trainer will aim her at Aintree, Fairyhouse and Punchestown rather than Cheltenham.
Seán Flanagan is, of course, still on the sidelines with the jaw injury he suffered last Saturday week, and Jonathan Moore has also been nursing an injury.
P.J. McDonald is getting back into stride on the flat in Britain and had three winners in the week – a short-priced double at Chelmsford on Thursaday with Solar Heights (4/5) and Lucky Dream (1/1), and he won at Newcastle on Saturday on Salsada (2/1).