Double ‘Crossed’ at the Curragh
Chris Hayes and Dermot Weld didn’t have to wait long for their first winner of the new Flat season as Radiyka took the opening near six-furlong maiden at Naas on Sunday. The 3/1 chance, in the colours of HH Aga Khan, raced up with the pace and looked a bright prospect as she beat James Barrett’s Furnace Creek by a length.
The Willie Mullins-trained Impulsive Dancer gave amateur rider Jody Townend her fifth success from her last seven rides as he won the concluding bumper at Limerick on Sunday. The winner’s stable companion Mercurey was sent off the 1/4 favourite under Patrick Mullins but could only finish third behind the 100/30 chance, which readily beat Blizzard Of Oz by three lengths. Impulsive Dancer was having his first run for the yard having won a bumper for trainer Richard O’Brien at Naas at the beginning of the year. Mullins said, “I’d imagine Impulsive Dancer will go to Punchestown, possibly for the Champion Bumper, and could continue racing during the summer. I don’t know whether or not I’ll run Mercurey again this season.”
Flan Costello’s Masterstonemason was back in the winners’ enclosure for the first time since September 2017 when taking the opportunity handicap hurdle. Ridden by County Kildare conditional rider Charlie O’Dwyer, the 25/1 chance got up in the final strides to beat the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Gotthenod by a neck.
Nathan was the first of the Crosse brothers to get on the scoresheet for the season at the Curragh on Saturday, when partnering Willie McCreery’s Mogwli to take the concluding six-furlong handicap. The 9/1 chance beat the Shane Crawley-trained Karlsberg, ridden by Ben Coen, by half a length in the colours of the trainer’s wife Amanda.
Shane Crosse teamed up with champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien’s son Joseph to win the concluding median auction race on 11/8 favourite Tosen Lydia which beat the Andy Slattery-trained Smooth Tom by a length and a quarter. The Cahir jockey’s brother Nathan was also a winner at the Curragh a day earlier.
At Dundalk on Friday evening, Joe Doyle was among the winners as the Lee Smyth-trained Spirituoso scored a narrow success in the 10-furlong handicap. The 66/1 chance swooped late to pip the Luke Comer-trained Dr Patrick by a neck to win for the County Down trainer. Gavin Ryan rode his second winner of the year when partnering Maestro Stick to take the seven-furlong handicap for County Meath trainer Keith Clarke. Ryan had a far easier time of things than Doyle had on the 8/1 shot which led at the furlong pole to beat the Gerard Hussey-trained Maccliff by a cosy two and a half-lengths.
Another successful market leader was the Jimmy Mangan-trained Mahler Allstar which scored a five and a half-length win in the maiden hurdle at Cork last Thursday. The Patrick Pyne-owned eight-yearold was sent off at odds of 1/5 favourite and made all the running under Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Sean O’Keeffe, to beat the Gillian Scott-trained Ask The Bookie in convincing fashion. A Grade 3 winner at the track in December, the Sean O’Brien-trained Nell’s Well ran out a good winner of the three-mile handicap hurdle under another Cheltenham Festival winner, Mark McDonagh. The 9/2 chance led before the final hurdle as she beat the Denis Hogan-trained Wild Hunt by a length and a quarter in the colours of owner Patrick Casey. O’Brien commented, “I was apprehensive about running as the ground was a concern. Her best form is with a dig but we walked it and knew it was safe. For a handy sized mare she was giving away plenty of weight. I thought she was impressive and looked a winner from a long way out. Mark gave her a lovely, patient ride.”
Dungarvan trainer Paul Kiely and John Gleeson combined to win the amateur riders’ handicap hurdle with Thedancingfarrier. The 11/1 chance came from well off the pace to beat the Ray Cody-trained Highland Penny by half a length.
1/2 favourite Plains Indian deservedly got off the mark when racing to a 16-length success in the two-mile maiden hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday. A faller when looking a likely winner on his previous visit to the track, the six-year-old made no mistake this year as he recorded a facile win for trainer Andy Slattery and conditional rider
Cian Quirke.
While Doneraile’s Darragh O’Keeffe and Gavin Cromwell combined to take the beginners’ chase at Clonmel on Tuesday week last with 11/4 chance Shantou Lucky. The Lucky Seven Syndicate-owned fiveyear-old made a mistake at the final fence but was always holding the late surge of the Liz Doyle-trained 11/8 favourite Yabo to score by three-parts of a length.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Naas – Thursday, March 31 (first race 2.30pm); Dundalk – Friday, April 1 (first race 5.20pm); Wexford – Friday, April 1 (first race 4.30pm); Leopardstown – Saturday, April 2 (first race 2pm); Cork – Sunday, April 3 (first race 2.05pm); Fairyhouse – Sunday, April 3 (first race 1.45pm).