Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SPIRITED HAYES HITS A DOUBLE
Chris celebrates Gowran milestone
CHRIS HAYES rode his first double at Gowran Park and registered his first success in the famous colours of the Aga Khan yesterday.
Hayes scored on That Is The Spirit, an eighth winner of the season for in-form Richard O’brien, and Michael Halford’s Kalaxana to bring his seasonal tally to 22.
Halford indicated that the daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar will now be aimed at the Naas Oaks Trial on June 27.
Also in double form were Jim Bolger and stable-jockey Kevin manning, who struck with Change Of Velocity in the Ladies Day June 23rd Maiden and Meagher’s Flag in the concluding handicap. And he suggested either, or both could be aimed at the Ulster Derby.
The other notable winner in Gowran Park was Dermot Weld’s debutante Bona Fide, a Frankel filly, which won the opening seven-furlong maiden under Declan Mcdonogh, despite running green.
Meanwhile, in Listowel, Tipperary handler John Ryan bagged the featured John J Galvin Handicap Chase with the Mark Enright-ridden 12/1 shot Draycot Place, which proved too strong for The West’s Awake and Townshend.
And former star hunterchaser On The Fringe returned to winning form when, ridden for the first time by Aine O’connor, the 13-year-old bagged the Join The Listowel Races Supporters Club Hunters Chase for J P Mcmanus and Enda Bolgert.
Elsewhere, Kilbeggan has filled what should have been a blank day with action tonight as it stages the meeting lost on Sunday due to water supply issues.
Joseph O’brien’s Santiago De Cuba should justify odds-on favouritism in the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle, in which he’ll be ridden by champion conditional rider Donie Mcinerney.
Winner and a beaten favourite in his two bumper starts, both in Killarney, Santiago De Cuba finished fifth to subsequent Grade 1 performer Mengli Khan on his hurdling debut at Navan in September and shaped like a future winner when third behind Conron and Daybreak Boy at Punchestown on his recent return to action.
This looks a good opportunity for the Pour Moi gelding, he should deliver.
The featured Bloomfield House Hotel Mares Hurdle might develop into a headto-head between the Willie Mullins-trained Limerick winner Bang Bang Rose and Jessica Harrington’s Holding Pattern.
Preference is for the latter, winner of her maiden in Punchestown last time and, significantly, highly-tried in bumpers following her debut success at Thurles.
Willie and Patrick Mullins are enjoying an impressive strike-rate with their bumper runners and should continue that run with newcomer Mid Day Gun in tonight’s finale.