The Argus

Trainer O’Brien adds to his tally

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FRIDAY’S card was highlighte­d by doubles for Tipperary trainer Denis Hogan and jockey Joe Doyle, Dundalk’s leading trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey Ross Coakley, son of Kildare trainer Denis.

Joseph has had eight winners already this year at Dundalk and is setting a strong pace as he bids to become the calendar-year champion trainer at Dundalk for a third-successive year.

Denis Hogan’s stable had an excellent 2019 and there were two more winners to celebrate at Dundalk on Friday.

Firstly, Tony The Gent (14/1), who races in the colours of James McAuley, put a modest run seven days earlier behind him in getting up close home to land the Irishinjur­edjockeys.com Claiming Race.

Hogan’s and Doyle’s doubles were completed when Narynkol (4/1) put in a remarkable performanc­e to win the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Maiden.

Doyle was content to bide his time on the gelded son of Declaratio­n Of War, who won a Group 3 race at Dundalk in 2012. Weaving his way through the field, the jockey barely had to lift a finger as he put Narynkol’s head in front just before the winning line. The winner, who was racing in blinkers for the first time, would hardly have known he had been in a race.

Joseph O’Brien’s double was instigated in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Race when Crossfireh­urricane (11/8f) justified strong late support before reeling in his opponents with a strong late run to win going away under Mikey Sheehy. The Scott C Heider-owned son of Kitten’s Joy looks smart.

Joseph’s double was completed in the final race, the Crowne Plaza Dundalk Race & Stay Handicap, when San Andreas (10/3) was a very easy winner under Hugh Horgan, a cousin of the trainer who was riding just his second winner.

The winner’s owners, the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, were represente­d on the night by Donal O’Mahony and Eiven Curran, who confirmed that this was a nineteenth winner at Dundalk for the syndicate in just five years of ownership. They had also been successful during the week at Chelmsford with Calidus Mirabilis, who is also a Dundalk winner.

You rarely see such an easy winner of a Dundalk handicap as San Andreas, but No Trouble (5/2fav) matched him with a comfortabl­e success in the second division of the Fundraise At Dundalk Handicap.

Ridden by Ross Coakley, No Trouble lived up to his name in effectivel­y putting the race to bed two furlongs from home. It was the first time that the four-year-old gelded son of No Nay Never had run for trainer Noel Kelly, who has also won at Dundalk recently with Wild Shot, who, like No Trouble, is owned by Cathal McGuckin.

Ross also won the first division of the Fundraise At Dundalk Stadium Handicap on Morph Speed (14/1) for County Clare trainer John Hassett.

The winner, who is owned by John’s wife Kate, was racing beyond 7.5 furlongs for the first time in his career, with John saying: ‘It took me a while to realise what he needed. He has speed - he’s related to a Queen Mary winner - but Ross said recently that he needs a trip, and he was right. He was bought by a good judge in Thomond O’Mara. He’s for sale as I am a trader, really.’

Morph Speed is a half-brother to six winners, including Elletelle, who, as John indicated, won the five-furlong Queen Mary Stakes for trainer Ger Lyons in 2007.

Meath trainer Eddie Lynam had sent out Major Power, who he also owns and was involved in breeding, to win at Dundalk on January 24th and saw the same horse follow up that victory this evening despite having been raised in the ratings. His starting price was 4/1.

It was a battling performanc­e from the five-year-old gelded son of Bated Breath as he had to dig deep under Shane Crosse in the Dundalksta­dium.com Handicap to see off late challenger­s.

Those comments can also be applied to the Fozzy Stack-trained American Lady (5/1), who gained a first career success in landing the Bet On The Best Night Out Maiden under Chris Hayes.

The daughter of top-class sprinter Starspangl­edbanner had shown good juvenile form last year, including when running with credit in Listed Races. She was rated 85 ahead of tonight’s five-furlong contest and beat a 91-rated horse into second – John Hassett’s Healy’s Double – so this was probably yet another very good Dundalk maiden, and we have seen plenty of them during the track’s Winter Series, which began in September.

Dundalk will race again on Friday February 14th – contact the stadium to find out about the Valentine’s Weekend specials that are on offer – with a seven-race card set to start at 5:30pm.

However, once again, because of the demand for racing at Dundalk, the card will probably consist of eight races. If so, the start time will be 5pm.

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