O’Connor steers 11/2 shot home
Curraglass conditional rider Mike O’Connor teamed up with Mallow’s Eoghan O’Grady to win the mares’ handicap chase with Springfield Lodge at Clonmel on Thursday. The 11/2 shot led over the final fence and went clear to account for Roger McGrath’s Something Sweet by three lengths. The eight-year-old was winning in the colours of the Falcon Four Syndicate.
Sam Curling landed the bumper at Clonmel with the Derek O’Connor-ridden Shantreusse. With the benefit of a previous run at Navan under his belt, the 7/4 joint-favourite stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to score by three and a half-lengths from Donnrua Dream in the Cheltenham Festival-winning silks of Direct Bloodstock.
Conor McNamara was on the mark for Willie Mullins where Cavallino took the opportunity maiden hurdle. The easy-to-back 100/30 chance beat the Eoghan O’Grady-trained Malinas Glory by a length and a half.
Brothers Michael and Paddy Kennedy combined to win the first race of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival when Salt Wind took the Boomerang. ie Maiden Hurdle in convincing fashion at the County Meath venue on Saturday. Owned by Karen O’Driscoll, the 9/4 favourite had loads in hand as he scored by four and a half lengths from the Noel Meade-trained Part Time Farmer for the Innishannon-based trainer.
Lisronagh amateur Liz Lalor teamed up with Noel Meade to win the ladies’ handicap chase. The multiple point-to-point champion lady rider landed the spoils on the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Ificudiwud, which battled well to hold off the Denis Hogan-trained Young Dev and score by a length and a half at odds of 14/1.
Gavin Ryan landed a nice early season prize when partnering the Ado McGuinness-trained Laugh A Minute to win the Listed Sean Barrett Bloodstock Stakes at Cork on Saturday. The six-year-old was a 16/1 chance but made a mockery of those odds as he readily got the better of the Jim Bolger-trained Fiscal Rules by two lengths despite not getting the clearest of runs. Paddy Twomey won the second listed contest on the card with the Team Valor-owned Moll which landed the Noblesse Stakes in convincing fashion. Ridden by Billy Lee, the 6/1 shot headed the front-running Flor De La Luna inside the final furlong to score by a length and a quarter.
Cashel trainer Michael Browne won the five-furlong handicap with Logo Hunter which carries the colours of Mayo man Patrick Moyles. Dylan Browne McMonagle was in the saddle and he got the 15/2 chance home by three-parts of a length from the Jack Davison-trained Mooneista.
Brian Hayes got Willie Mullins onto the scoresheet when landing the mares’ maiden hurdle on 6/4 favourite The West Awaits. Hayes completed his own double when winning the two-mile and three-furlong handicap hurdle on the Colm Murphy-trained Botani. It was Murphy’s first winner in his second stint with a trainer’s licence and the Fiona McKeon-owned 10/1 chance Botani just held off the fast-finishing 2/1 favourite Zoffanien by a short-head.
Wayne Lordan landed the second division of the seven-furlong handicap on the John O’Shea-trained Strategic Fortune. In O’Shea’s own colours, the four-year-old won at odds of 50/1 when getting the better of Johnny Levins’ Muraahin by a length and a quarter.
EASTER SUNDAY
Willie Mullins dominated at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, but the day ended on a low note for the Closutton team as champion jockey Paul Townend was taken for x-rays on his foot following a fall.
The extent of Townend’s injury remains unclear, but he missed his rides at the course on Easter Monday. He did manage a couple of winners before being taken to hospital, landing the opening maiden hurdle on Mullins’ 5/4 favourite El Barra and following up in the Grade 2 Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle on the hugely impressive Echoes In Rain, a 15-length winner at odds of 2/1 joint-favourite from his own stable companion MC Muldoon.
Willie Mullins and Jody McGarvey combined to win the Grade 1 The Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup with Janidil, which led home a 1-2-3 for Closutton. The 12/1 chance easily beat 8/1 shot Franco De Port by four and a quarter lengths with 7/4 favourite Asterion Forlonge, with Patrick Mullins replacing the stricken Townend in the saddle, only third. The champion amateur got his turn in the bumper with 4/7 favourite Dark Raven easily winning to complete a Fairyhouse four-timer on the day for Mullins.
Formerly owned by JP McManus, Josies Orders ran out a shock 100/1 winner for trainer Enda Bolger at Cork on Easter Sunday. Now in the trainer’s own colours, the 13-year-old gave County Kildare amateur rider Phidelma Elvin her second winner and her first over hurdles when taking the three-mile handicap hurdle by two lengths from the David Harvey-trained Minella On Line. Nina Carberry announced her retirement after winning on Josies Orders at the Punchestown Festival in 2018 and the veteran performer was recording his third victory since then and his 11th in all.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Gowran Park – Thursday, April 8 (first race 4pm); Wexford – Friday, April 9 (first race 4.15pm); Dundalk – Saturday, April 10 (first race 1.10pm); Leopardstown – Sunday, April 11 (first race 1.40pm).