Chosen comes home for Spillane
A winner at Sligo on Sunday saw Mike O’Connor end the week as he had begun it. He combined with Conna trainer Seamus Spillane to win the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with Goulane Chosen. A length was the winning distance as the 100/30 chance, owned and bred by Mary O’Donnell, got the better of the Mark McNiff-trained 3/1 favourite Turkestan to give O’Connor his 11th winner of the season.
Brian Hayes was a winner again at Limerick on Saturday when he partnered the Andrew McNamara-trained Flamingo’s Court to success in the first of the handicap chases. The 10/1 shot came from off the pace under to win by six and a half-lengths from the Jim Dreaper-trained Shopping Around for owner Andrew Heffernan. Henry de Bromhead was among the winners as 1/4 favourite Gin On Lime landed the beginners’ chase without coming off the bridle. Rachael Blackmore made all the running on the five-year-old made all the running for a facile 12-length success over the Joseph O’Brien-trained Star Max. De Bromhead and Blackmore shared a second winner with owners Robcour as Tune The Chello landed the mares’ beginners’ chase in battling fashion. The 11/10 favourite had a length to spare over the Shane Crawley-trained Reine Fee at the line.
A mistake at the final fence ever so slightly reduced the winning distance of Blustery in the afternoon’s finale, the third of the two-mile six-furlong handicap chases. This winner was a little more difficult to find as the Robert Tyner’s charge scored at odds of 40/1 under Phillip Enright. The David Cotter-owned seven-year-old beat the Caroline McCaldin-trained Rubiana by three and three-parts of a length.
Owned and bred by Anthony Mithen, Daisy Peers ran out a most impressive winner of the two-year-old maiden at Navan on Saturday. Fozzy Stack’s charge, a strong 5/2 favourite, came from well off the pace under Joey Sheridan to record a three-length success over the Andy Slattery-trained Special Power. Nathan Crosse landed the threeyear-old maiden over the same near-sixfurlong trip on the Willie McCreery-trained Stag Night. In the trainer’s own colours, the 9/2 chance battled well to get the better of the Henry de Bromhead-trained Wren’s Breath by a neck.
HAYES LANDS CORK FEATURE
Paul Townend rode his first winner for Henry de Bromhead as Gloire D’athon landed the two-mile maiden hurdle at Cork on Friday evening. Deputising for the suspended Rachael Blackmore, the champion jockey brought the 8/13 favourite home a seven-length winner from the Gerard Kelleher-trained Rags Kitten in the Cheveley Park Stud colours. Townend completed a double when winning the mares’ handicap hurdle on the Charles O’Brien-trained Rain In Spain. Owned by the Just An Excuse Syndicate, the 9/1 chance scored by four and a quarter lengths from Peter Fahey’s China Princess.
Doneraile’s John Joe Walsh won the two-mile handicap hurdle with the Ambrose McCurtin-ridden Ricky Bobby. The 14/1 chance is owned by McCurtin’s brother, Raymond and got the better of the Ray Hackett-trained Rock On Seamie by a length and a half. The run of local success continued in the three-mile maiden hurdle which went the way of the James Motherway-trained Heroes Of Renown, the even money favourite. Wearing the Robcour colours, Dylan Robinson steered the seven-year-old to a comfortable three-length success over the Sam Curling-trained Wasdale Park. It was Brian Hayes who landed the evening’s feature, partnering Nibblers Charm to win the two and a half-mile conditions’ hurdle in great style. The Ray Hackett-trained 9/1 chance sealed his success with a brilliant leap at the final hurdle. Owned by Liam Hackett, the eight-year-old won by three and a half lengths from 5/6 favourite Peregrine Run with 13/8 chance Wonder Laish a head away in third place.
At Kilbeggan on Friday evening, Buttevant conditional rider Shane Fitzgerald landed a comfortable success with the Thomas Coughlan-owned Mick Charlie. Trained by Declan Queally, the 8/1 chance won the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle by three and a quarter lengths from Jim Dreaper’s The Declaimer. Darragh O’Keeffe teamed up with Curragh trainer, Padraig Roche to win three-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with the strong 6/4 favourite Walking On Glass. The Doneraile man had the easiest of rides as he brought the six-year-old home a nine and a half-length winner from the John McConnell-trained Go Another One in the colours of the Fivers & Tenners Syndicate.
Curraglass conditional rider Mike O’Connor brought his tally for the season to 10 winners when successful on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bennystiara in the opportunity maiden hurdle at Roscommon last Tuesday week. Owned by the What A Combination Syndicate, the strong 6/4 favourite got the front after the second last hurdle and made the best of her way home to score by five and a half-lengths from the Peter Croketrained Dinero Falso.
OTHER RACING NEWS
Trainers Aidan O’Brien and Ken Condon enjoyed significant success overseas at the weekend. At Belmont Park in New York on Saturday evening, O’Brien landed a Grade 1 double which he shared with Ryan Moore. Bolshoi Ballet paid a timely tribute to Galileo with success in the Belmont Derby, a 92nd top-flight winner for the world champion sire which had died earlier that day. Team Ballydoyle also landed the Belmont Oaks with Santa Barbara which didn’t get the clearest of runs but got up close home for her first success of the season.
Ken Condon notched up his third Group 1 success when winning the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday afternoon with the Charlotte Holmes-owned Laws Of Indices. Bred by Nicky Hartery, the 28/1 chance battled well to hold the Joseph O’Brientrained Thunder Moon by a head. Condon had previously enjoyed top-level success with Romanised in the 2018 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas and the 2019 Jacques le Marois, also at Deauville.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Killarney – Thursday, July 15 (first race 1.40pm); Leopardstown – Thursday, July 15 (first race 4.30pm); Kilbeggan – Friday, July 16 (first race 4.25pm); Killarney – Friday, July 16 (first race 1.40pm); Curragh – Saturday, July 17 (first race 1.10pm); Curragh – Sunday, July 18 (first race 1.35pm); Tipperary – Sunday, July 18 (first race 1.20pm).