Young Dev back to winning ways

The Denis Hogan-trained Young Dev registered his first success since his famous “no irons” win at Navan a year ago, when lunging late to take the near three-mile handicap hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday. Mark McDonagh brought the 12/1 chance from well off the pace to beat the Willie Austin-trained Boss Girl by three-parts of a length for owner Liam Mulryan.

Meanwhile, Enda Bolger and JP McManus enjoyed a 1-2 in the cross-country chase where Midnight Maestro edged out Shady Operator. The 9/2 chance, the first of three winners for Mark Walsh and McManus on the day, came from a little off the pace to deny the front-running 5/2 shot by a neck with both horses doing enough to be earn entries for the Cheltenham Festival.

The Rachael Blackmore-ridden Journey With Me easily took the two-mile three-furlong novice hurdle at Naas on Saturday. A 4/11 favourite in the colours of Robcour, the six-year-old led before the final flight to beat the Martin Brassil-trained Choice Of Words by three lengths to maintain his unbeaten record. Winning trainer Henry De Bromhead, who was experiencing his third winner of the week, said, “Obviously further will suit him, I hope. Nothing is set in stone but I’d say, in my head, I’d be going for the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival. That’s two-miles and five-furlongs. We’ll discuss it with connections, today was great and we’ll enjoy that.” Richard O’Brien won the opportunity handicap hurdle at the same venue, with 15/2 chance Sparkling Stars. Ridden by Shane O’Callaghan, the seven-yearold headed the front-running I Don’t Get It after the final flight and raced away to score by three lengths for the Grey Lad Cousins Syndicate.

Billy Lee rode his first winners of the New Year with a double at Dundalk on Friday evening. He was off the mark in the opening two-mile handicap which he won on the Sheila Lavery-trained Annecherie. The Llewelyn Runeckles Partnership-owned 100/30 co-favourite came from off the pace to beat Jake Peter by half a length. Another very much at home on the all-weather track is the Henry de Bromhead-trained Catena Zapata which landed his second course success in the eight-furlong handicap to complete the Lee double. The 7/1 chance picked up well inside the final furlong to pip the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Chavajod by a neck with Lee saying, “I won a maiden on him here and he was highly tried after that, he ran in a Derby trial and a few listed races. From what he was running in compared to now, he was running off a nice mark. Hopefully he can go in again.”

Chris Hayes rode the longest-priced winner of the evening as he easily landed the 12-furlong handicap on Luke Comer’s Bring Us Paradise. The 20/1 chance had loads in hand as he beat the Joe Murray-trained Never Back Down and Wesley Joyce by two and a quarter lengths. The intervention of the stewards was needed to decide the outcome of the eight-furlong conditions’ race with the verdict going in favour of the Mark Enright-ridden Jezebel Queen. Gavin Cromwell’s 5/6 favourite Singsong Lady beat the Ger Lyons’ debutante Jezebel Queen by a nose, but she was adjudged to have caused interference to the runner-up well inside the final furlong and the placings were reversed in favour of the 7/2 chance.

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins were winners at Thurles on Thursday afternoon last, where the champion trainer recorded a double. Mark Walsh partnered Gentleman De Mee to a 34-length success in the beginners’ chase, before Townend had an even easier time of things on Adamantly Chosen, owned by the Watch This Space Syndicate, which is likely to be aimed at races at Fairyhouse and Punchestown after his 27-length victory in the near two-mile maiden hurdle at odds of 30/100 favourite.

Townend helped himself to a second winner as he took the two-mile seven-furlong maiden hurdle on the Dermot Weld-trained Falcon Eight. The 13/8 chance was well on top before the final flight and got the better of the Conor O’Dwyer-trained Rajsalad by a length and three-parts. Weld’s son and assistant trainer Kris said, “He did it well and the ground was probably slower than ideal. He jumped well and hopefully he can improve from that again. He probably needs to get more experience under his belt but it was nice to get that out of the way and to have Paul available to ride him was the cherry on the top. He is a very high-class horse at his best and has run some excellent races in some of those Group staying races on the Flat. We’ll be mixing it between Flat and hurdles during year with him.”

John Ryan saddled two of the four runners in the rated novice hurdle at the Tipperary venue and he landed the main spoils as Liam Quinlan’s mount The Little Yank raced to a nine-length success. Owned by the Bitview Partnership, the 11/4 chance pulled away from the Gordon Elliott-trained 4/7 favourite Ash Tree Meadow between the final two flights for a comfortable victory, a second winner of the season for the Littleton conditional rider.

Townend shared three winners with Mullins at Fairyhouse on last Wednesday week. The pair arrived at the County Meath venue on the back of a big weekend at the Dublin Racing Festival and were quickly into their stride when taking the opening mares’ beginners chase with the Sullivan Bloodstock-owned Dolcita. It was very straight forward for the even money favourite which eased clear before the before the final fence to score by 14 lengths from Carrigeen Lotus. The John McGovern-owned 5/2 chance Tempo Chapter Two gave the champions a second winner as he recorded a four and a quarter-length success in the rated novice hurdle, adding to a bumper success at Tramore in October of last year. Heia booked her place on the enviable Mullins Cheltenham Festival squad when recording a five-length victory in the opening division of the mares’ maiden hurdle. In the Honeysuckle colours of owner Kenny Alexander, the strong 11/10 favourite impressed when beating the Gordon Elliott-trained See A Stride and the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham is next for the five-year-old.

Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore added to their Irish Champion Hurdle success at the Dublin Racing Festival when winning the rated chase with 100/30 chance Full Time Score. In the familiar colours of owner Chris Jones, the well-supported eight-year-old came home a length to the good over the Paul Nolan-trained Discorama.

UPCOMING FIXTURES

Clonmel – Thursday, February 17 (first race 1.20pm); Dundalk – Friday, February 18 (first race 4.25pm); Gowran Park – Saturday, February 19 (first race 1.45pm); Navan – Sunday, February 20 (first race 1.45pm).