Dundalk still a happy hunting ground for Ado
RACING
COUNTY Dublin trainer Ado McGuinness had a very good 2018, including at Dundalk where only the powerhouse stables of Joseph O’Brien and Michael Halford had more successes. Judged on Friday night, when he registered three winners, 2019 is set for more of the same.
His first winner came in the opening race, a five-furlong handicap on a night predominantly sponsored by BetVictor, when Ken’s Sam’s (6/1) registered a first success since April 2017 on what was just her second run for the stable. The winning jockey was Shane Foley.
Winner number two came in the second race, the Ace Casino Kildare Town Claiming Race when Georgian Bay (4/6fav) beat Noel Meade’s Sheisdiesel by a length to record back-to-back successes at the stadium.
Georgian Bay was another winner for Shamrock Thoroughbreds, a syndicate put together by Ado’s assistant, Stephen Thorne. As Ado said about the Tom Madden-ridden winner: “Tom gets on very well with him. We bought him for ten grand last year and he’s won plenty of money. The boys have got good fun out of him.”
Tom went on to complete a double when Calling Time (3/1 fav) won the card’s finale for trainer Jessica Harrington. The winner’s dam, Timeless Call, won four times at Dundalk, including a Listed Race in 2013. Calling Time has now won on two of her three starts at Dundalk so is proving to be a chip off the old block.
The stable*s hat trick was completed when All’s Quiet (7/1) won the €25,000 BetVictor two-mile handicap in the hands of Rory Cleary, “It’s great for Dan Daly, who’s a longstanding patron of mine”, said Ado about a gelding who may run next in an amateur race at Dundalk in March with his son Tadgh on board.
It is rare at Dundalk these days for Joseph O’Brien or Michael Halford to leave Dundalk empty-handed and each of them registered a win on Friday.
Joseph’s success came via Numerian (8/1), ridden by Wayne Lordan, in the mile maiden in the colours of Joseph’s mother, Ann-Marie, while Michael won with La Novia (11/2, Ross Coakley) in the first division of the apprentice handicap. La Novia, who was winning at Dundalk for the second time in her last three runs, is a daughter of Casamento, who Michael trained to win the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in 2010.
The card’s other €25,000 race, also sponsored by BetVictor, went the way of 8/13 favourite, Theobald,who was ridden by Kevin Manning. The Jim Bolger-trained four-year-old colt has now won three times from his five visits to the stadium.
The biggest-priced winner of the night came via a dead heat when 11/1 chance Nisior Donn, trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by Donagh O’Connor, and Victorious Ssecret (4/1 fav), trained by Anthony Mulholland and ridden by Killian Leonard, couldn’t be separated in the second division of the apprentice handicap.
So there were nine winners for the price of eight on the Dundalk card on January 11th, with the headlines, of course, going to Ado McGuinness following his treble.
No doubt Ado will be well represented at Dundalk’s next meeting, which will take place this Friday, with a scheduled start time of 5:30pm (5pm if a race divides).