SWEENEY’S MACHINE DOES THE BUSINESS
Kildinan trainer Jonathan Sweeney won the mares’ maiden hurdle with the 8/1 shot Reine Machine which was ridden by Jamie Codd at Leopardstown on Sunday. The seven-year-old challenged the Gordon Elliott-trained 9/4 chance Hollymount after the final flight and went on to win by half a length in the colours of Elizabeth Ann Higgins.
Fittingly, there was a Dublin-owned winner of the Anton O’Toole Hurdle with 4/7 favourite Whiskey Sour scoring an easy success for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend. Carrying the familiar colours of Luke McMahon, the smart nine-year-old was nicely clear over the final flight to win by 15 lengths from the Oliver McKiernan-trained Gallant John Joe in the race named after the Dublin footballing great who died in 2019.
Jody Townend rode another nice bumper winner for County Wexford’s Liz Doyle as the newcomer Ballybawn Belter impressed with a one and three-parts of a length win in the day’s finale. The pair had combined to win a Thurles bumper 10 days previously and they were on the mark once again as the 13/2 chance saw off Stuart Crawford’s Joshua Des Flos and Gordon Elliott’s odds-on favourite The Four Sixes. It was the winning rider’s 18th winner of the season.
At Wexford on Sunday, Mike O’Connor was in winning form once again as he partnered Kilbarry Chloe to take the opening mares’ maiden hurdle for County Waterford trainer Con O’Keeffe. Bred by the winning trainer, the five-year-old was sent off at odds of 7/2 and held on gamely to win by a neck from the Danny Murphy-trained 250/1 chance Hannah Wells. Another conditional jockey, Eoin Walsh, was in the saddle as 2/1 chance Mount Brown landed the maiden hurdle for Noel Meade and the Mischief Syndicate. The Banteer claimer had an easy time of it on the five-year-old which skipped clear after the final hurdle to win by four and a quarter lengths from the Gordon Elliott-trained Laffite. It was a second winner of the year for Walsh and his 14th of the season. Kinsale’s Robert Tyner took the mares’ beginners’ chase with the Phillip Enright-ridden Nelly’s Money. Owned by Anthony McCarthy, the 2/1 shot headed the Willie Mullins front-runner Manitopark AA after the last to win by a length and a half.
Harry Swan rode his first winner for trainer Gordon Elliott, and his 11th in all, when taking the concluding bumper on Sunday on the newcomer Three Card Brag. The 10/1 chance edged to his right in the closing stages as he held off the Willie Mullins-trained 1/5 favourite Dancing City by half a length but there was no alteration to the judge’s placing following a stewards’ enquiry.
Paul Townend and Willie Mullins recorded their first winner of the week when Belle Metal got the better of her own stable companion Take Tea, both 11/10 joint-favourites, to land the mares’ maiden hurdle at Navan on Saturday. A dual bumper winner last season, the Kenny Alexander-owned fiveyear-old looked to have it all to do between the final two flights but she picked up well after the last to wear down the Mark Walsh-ridden front-runner close to the line and score by a length and a half. County Kilkenny trainer Louise Lyons and conditional jockey Richie Condon won the two-mile six-furlong maiden hurdle with another market leader, the 6/4 favourite Lady Rita. Owned and bred by Ken Kinahan, the six-year-old led before the final flight and stretched right away to beat the Stuart Crawford-trained Pat’s Pick by nine lengths. Condon said, “She won like a good mare. I was happy the whole way around, she travelled beautifully in behind, and up the straight it was just a matter of not getting there too soon. I was very disappointed when I got brought down the last day but obviously today makes up for it.”
Meanwhile, Mike O’Connor recorded his second winner of the week when giving James Nash the first leg of a double. Stepping in to replace the sidelined Gavin Brouder, he partnered My Manekineko to success in the veterans’ handicap chase, the 13-year-old getting the better of the Noel Kelly-trained 10-year-old Hear No Evil by a neck at odds of 12/1 in the trainer’s own colours. Alohamora and Jack Foley completed the Nash in the concluding mares’ handicap chase.
Kilbrin apprentice Daniel King notched up his seventh success when landing the opening claiming race at Dundalk on Friday evening on the Denis Hogan-trained Rocky Dreams. Hogan won the final two races at Clonmel on the previous day and sent out the Varland Syndicate-owned five-year-old to score by an easy three and a half lengths from the John McConnell-trained Fastman. The winner is staying with the Cloughjordan trainer who also claimed the sixth horse home, Cedar Rapids. Billy Lee rode his ninth winner of the Winter Series at the meet when partnering the Ger O’Leary-trained Giuseppe Cassioli to a comfortable success in the seven-furlong handicap. The 13/2 chance was having his first start for the O’Leary yard and led deep inside the final furlong to beat the John Murphy-trained 9/2 chance Acquiescent and Colin Keane by half a length.
Shane Crosse rode his second winner of the Winter Series when having an easy time of it on Joseph O’Brien’s The Grey Wizard in the maiden over the extended 10 furlongs. A strong even money chance, the three-year-old readily got the better of the Dermot Weldtrained Haroya, an uneasy 100/30 chance, by a length and a half under the Cahir jockey.
O’KEEFE CONTINUES REMARKABLE FORM
The country’s busiest jockey Darragh O’Keeffe brought his tally for the season to 52 winners when providing Brian Mortell with his first training success as Three Loud Knocks won the two-mile seven-furlong handicap chase at Clonmel on Thursday. The 10-yearold led after the second last fence and held off the late rally of the Gordon Doyle-trained Lacken Bridge, to win by a neck at odds of 7/1. Mortell commented, “I got the licence in November and this is a dream come true. Life begins at 60, not 40! I’ve four point-topoint winners trained but that’s my first racecourse winner. I had one winner as an owner with Andrew McNamara last year, but this is the first of my own and to have Darragh ride him too is just fantastic. I worked for Andrew donkey years ago and I spent my youth with Francis Flood, another marvellous man. I have been in the outside catering business for the last 40 years. I’m semi-retired and doing this part-time and loving every minute of it.” At the end of the day’s action O’Keeffe had ridden in 552 races, 100 more than the next busiest jockey, Wexford man Sean O’Keeffe.
Conna conditional Mike O’Connor teamed up with County Waterford trainer Joe O’Keeffe to win the mares’ handicap hurdle with 4/1 favourite Little Token. Owned and bred by Helen O’Connor, the seven-year-old had loads in hand as she beat the Pat Fahy-trained Plassey House by two and a quarter lengths. The winning rider commented, “She has been knocking on the door for a long time and is always one of those consistent mares that kept seeming to bump into one. My aunt owns her so it is great for the family and great to get a winner for her. All the mares’ family seemed to go on and breed reasonably good horses so we’d be hopeful with her for the future.”
Denis Hogan trained the final two races on the card and he was in the saddle himself as 11/2 shot Wild Hunt won the three-mile handicap hurdle. The James McAuley-owned five-year-old was nicely clear after the second last flight and came home all of seven lengths clear of the Donie Hassett-trained Emancipator, the 3/1 favourite. Amateur rider John O’Meara was in the saddle as Hogan’s double was completed in the concluding bumper. Again seven lengths was the winning margin as 14/1 chance Chautuaqua made a winning debut, racing clear from the furlong pole to beat the Declan Queally-trained Oakroom Lady in the colours of the Premier Racing Club.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Thurles – Thursday, March 10 (first race 1.50pm); Dundalk – Friday, March 11 (first race 5pm); Gowran Park – Saturday, March 12 (first race 2pm); Navan – Saturday, March 12 (first race 2.15pm); Limerick – Sunday, March 13 (first race 1.55pm); Naas – Sunday, March 13 (first race 1.45pm).