Nolan back in groove
Three wins in week for local trainer
PAUL NOLAN is one of the most successful Wexford-based trainers since setting up at Toberona, Davidstown, in 1996 with a number of impressive achievements on his record, but it is a fact that his stable has endured a couple of miserable years, with less than 20 winners in the two seasons prior to this one.
Nolan has scored at the highest level at Cheltenham, Leopardstown, Punchestown and Galway. He was affected like most trainers by the economic downturn which heavily culled owners and syndicates, but there have been distinct signs of recovery in recent months, with lots of his horses running well. He has had a good second at the Cheltenham Festival and three home winners in a week.
Discorama (33/1) was his only runner at Cheltenham and was a fast-finishing second of 23 runners behind Blow by Blow in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle on the last day, and he scored next day at the Wexford St. Patrick’s Day meeting with his only runner, Quamino (14/1), as reported last week.
He followed up on Monday at Limerick with Castafiore Park (4/6f) romping home like a hot favourite should, and he won at Navan on Friday with Monotype (7/1) in a thriller.
All those three winners were ridden by Bryan Cooper who has also had a traumatic year or so, and this may well be the start of a partnership that that will propel both jockey and trainer back towards the top of the game.
Cooper gave John Brennan’s Monotype a terrific ride to get him up on the line by a nose in an €18,000 handicap hurdle, and deny Seán Flanagan on Dis Donc (2/1f) for Noel Meade.
Nolan also got second at Navan with the consistent Fitzhenry under Barry Geraghty for J.P. McManus in the €65,000 novice handicap chase, behind Glencairn View (9/2)
Down Royal on bank holiday Monday was a good meeting for the Wexford connections. Seán Doyle’s Crosshue Boy (5/2), owned by Niall Heffernan, scored his third win in twelve days in the €16,000 novice chase, following up on his Wexford win just two days previously, with Harley Dunne on board the last two times. Doyle may aim him at the Aintree and Punchestown festivals now.
Jonathan Moore (Admstown) got his twelfth win of the season on the Tom Gibney-trained Young Paddymc (7/2) in the novice hurdle, and he nearly followed up with a rare win on the flat at Dundalk on Friday evening, going down by just a neck on Noel Meade’s Sheisdiesel (5/2).
Barry O’Neill (Kiltealy) won the hunters’ chase at Down Royal on David Christie’s Eddies Miracle (4/1), with Benny Walsh (Murrintown) third on Peter Maher’s Enniskillen (6/1).
O’Neill got his second track win of the week at Cork on Thursday on Danse Away for local trainer Tom Nagle, which had also won at Clonmel two days earlier.
Seán Flanagan did get his head in front at that Clonmel meeting on Tuesday, after a few seconds, when scoring on Noel Meade’s Minella Fair (9/4) by a massive 62 lengths.
At Thurles on Saturday there was success for trainer Richie Rath from Screen, who sent out Larkfield Lass to win the Bill Dowling Memorial handicap hurdle by two lengths, staying on well under Andrew Lynch. Rath was particularly pleased for owner James Brennan, from the Killanne area, who had been very loyal to him for a few years.
Rath says things are going well for him with 25 horses riding out, including quite a few young horses being readied for the pointto-point fields and for the track in the summer.
In Britain, Tom O’Brien had three winners from just seven rides last week - on Shockingtimes (9/1) at Haydock on Wednesday; Michael’s Mount (1/5f) at Ludlow on Thursday, and on Tiquer (9/1) at Newbury on Saturday - bringing his total to 43 for the season.
Pat Dobbs won on his first ride back at Jebal Ali in the U.A.E. on Friday on Doug Watson’s Just a Penny (11/8f) since he escaped serious injury when brought down on More to Come at Meydan on March 15.
He will be hoping to pick up some good money at the multi-million euros conclusion to the Meydan Carnival next weekend on their World Cup Day.