Some good news for Bettyville
RACING CONCLUDED for the year at Bettyville on Bank Holiday Monday, and Managing Director, Michael Murphy, was happy that the Wexford track had come through a testing campaign in pretty good shape and he had some good news for next year.
Horse Racing Ireland has come up with a grant for Bettyville which will see improvements carried out in the stables and other background areas, and also to the bar and catering facilities in the rather spartan buildings alongside the betting and parade rings.
Murphy hopes this work will be completed for the two-day October Festival meeting next year. He said they were pleased to begin upgrading the facilities now that the track itself had reached a very high standard which has drawn approval from trainers and riders.
‘We now have a very good, galloping track, safer for riders and horses, which is attracting better quality horses from many of the top yards. It is expected that the limit on runners in each race will be raised to 16 from 14 next season.’
Murphy did concede that the weather had caused real problems during the year: the April meeting was lost due to rain; this was followed by drought in the summer, and yet the popular ladies’ meeting was hit by torrential rain showers on the night.
He revealed they had to sink a second well at the course to keep the ground watered and safe for the June, July and September meetings, and he estimated they had spread over 6.5 million gallons on the track in that period.
He was thankful to the racing public in Wexford for their support during the year, with attendances holding up quite well. He encouraged people to think of joining the Supporters’ Club, with the annual season ticket offering great value, and a potential Christmas present (see www.wexfordraces.ie).
He was looking forward to welcoming them all back to Bettyville on St. Patrick’s Day next year.
On the racing scene last week, Paul Nolan and Bryan Cooper won a beginners’ chase on Quamino (7/1) at Fairyhouse on Monday, and they combined to win again at Naas on Saturday with Discorama (8/1).
J.J. Slevin nearly pulled off a 50/1 shock at Thurles on Thursday on Tilly’s Delight, trained by Ger Murphy in Killenagh for well-known car dealer, Pat Doyle, coming second in a maiden hurdle, beaten just half a length.
Slevin did win a maiden hurdle on Los Alamos (10/3) for his cousin, Joseph O’Brien, and they won at Navan on Sunday in the Beginners’ Chase on Us and Them (5/1).
Tom O’Brien had a good week over the jumps in Britain, with five winners. He had a big-priced double at Warwick on Friday, Master Work (14/1) for Philip Hobbs and Jarlath (5/1) for Seamus Mullins.
He won on War Sound (11/2) for Hobbs at Aintree on Saturday, and at Sandown on Sunday he had a nice double for Colin Tizzard – Eldorado Allen (4/1) and Elegant Escape (10/3) in a £30,000 listed Chase
P.J. McDonald was back from his ride on Havana Grey in the Breeders’ Cup in America but had to wait until Wednesday at Nottingham to get a winner on Cape Islay (11/4) for Mark Johnston. He picked up another at Doncaster on Saturday, Edgewood (5/1) by a neck.
Aidan O’Brien had bad luck at the Melbourne Cup in Australia, his Cliffs of Moher fatally breaking down in the race under Ryan Moore, a miserable end to a frustrating year for the top jock. O’Brien’s Rostropovich ran well to finish fifth.