O’Keeffe on the mark
Doneraile jockey Darragh O’Keeffe and local trainer Martin Brassil won the auction novice hurdle at Naas on Saturday with You Raised Me Up. On his first start since the Listowel festival, the 9/2 chance got the better of the Henry de Bromhead-trained 7/4 favourite Petibonome by half a length and now heads for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Rachael Blackmore was first into the winners’ enclosure at Naas where she partnered the Henry de Bromhead-trained Hurricane Cliff to win the opening division of the two-mile maiden hurdle. In the colours of the Molesworth Syndicate, the 13/8 shot readily got the better of the Willie Mullins-trained 4/9 favourite Captain Kangaroo to score by two and a half-lengths, the pair all of 23-lengths clear of the third-placed Caught On The Hop.
While Tommy Brett brought the Philip Dempsey-trained Fou Diligence with a late run to win the opportunity handicap hurdle. In the colours of the Red Mans Cave Syndicate, the 7/1 shot got up in the dying strides to win by a neck from the Austin
Leahy-trained Wait Here.
It’s not often that Paul Townend has to wait until the final day of the week for a winner. Out of luck at Naas on Saturday, he made up for it with a double at Punchestown the following afternoon. He won both divisions of the Happy Birthday Sarah Ann Madden Maiden Hurdle on horses trained by Willie Mullins, the eightyear-old Pont Aval taking the opening leg at odds of 9/2 for owner Nigel King, before the Malcolm Denmark-owned Jungle Boogie won the second division at odds of 2/13 favourite by all of 30 lengths.
This year’s Cheltenham Festival might not be on the agenda, but connections have plenty to look forward to with Shady Operator which won the PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase at Punchestown on Sunday. Trained by Enda Bolger, the eightyear-old was a first winner over the banks’ course for top amateur Derek O’Connor who had little difficulty in the getting the even money favourite home a two and a half-length winner from the Peter Mahertrained Blast Of Koeman. Bolger said of the JP McManus-owned winner, “We’ll see how he is after this. I don’t if he’ll be good enough to go to Cheltenham. He could be a horse for here but we’ll see when we get him home and talk to the boss man.”
Meanwhile, Thomond O’Mara and Tom Madden combined for the longest-priced winner at Dundalk on Friday evening when taking the eight-furlong handicap with Well Suited. The Naas jockey got the 22/1 chance home by half a length from the Edward Lynam-trained Major Power for owner Bart Murphy.
GRADE 3 SUCCESS FOR SWEENEY
Kildinan trainer Jonathan Sweeney recorded his third Grade 3 success recently when the JP McManus-owned Roseys Hollow took the Race Displays Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Monday week last. Ridden by Mark Walsh, the 17/2 chance impressed with a two-length win over 11/10 favourite Royal Kahala. Afterwards, Sweeney commented, “She did that nicely and it’s great how she stepped up today. She has beaten a strong field and today was the plan after her win last time.
This is the third mare I have run in a Grade 3 and they have all won.” Sweeney had previously won at the same level with Barnahash Rose at Limerick in 2016 and with Minutes to midnight at Punchestown the following year.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Clonmel – Thursday, February 18 (first race 1.45pm); Limerick – Friday, February 19 (first race 2.35pm); Dundalk – Friday, February 19 (first race 4.30pm); Gowran Park – Saturday, February 20 (first race 1.55pm); Navan – Sunday, February 21 (first race 2.05pm).