O’Connor’s good form continues
Martin Hassett notched up his second winner of the week as Valleyoftheeagles took the maiden hurdle at Killarney on Sunday. Sean Flanagan worked hard for his success on the 4/1 shot which led in the final strides to win by half a length from the Paul Nolan-trained Chiefs Kingdom, with Gordon Elliott’s 9/4 favourite Ideal De Ciergues back in third place. It was Hassett’s third winner from his last four runners.
Only hours after taking the Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park in Nashville on the Willie Mullins-trained Scaramanga, Paul Townend rode back-to-back winners in Killarney. Townend was home in plenty of time to partner two of three Mullins-trained winners. He was on board Saldier which won the near three-mile novice chase at odds of 7/4 favourite by just a nose from the Gordon Elliott-trained Vina Ardanza and he followed up as 6/5 favourite Hauturiere recorded a 10-length win over her own stable companion Eabha Grace in the two and a half-mile mares’ beginners’ chase.
The Sean O’Keeffe-ridden Pont Aval completed the champion trainer’s treble as she won the Tote Killarney National Handicap Chase by seven lengths from the Henry de Bromhead-trained Gateau De Mile at odds of 16/1. Denis O’Regan gave Navan-based trainer Cian Collins one of the biggest wins of his career when landing the Listed Oyster Tavern Handicap Hurdle on Mighty Tom. Owned and bred by Noel Collins, the 9/2 chance came from the back of the field to lead at the second-last hurdle and he pulled away for a 10-length win over from the Terence O’Brien-trained 11/4 favourite Magnor Glory which was ridden by Mike O’Connor. The winner now heads for the Guinness Galway Hurdle. The final winner at Killarney went the way of Mallow trainer Paul O’Flynn when sent out Big Dispute to take the bumper. Ridden by Finny Maguire, the Con McSweeney-owned fouryear-old led before halfway and ran out a one and three-parts of a length winner from the Noel Kelly-trained Wrecking Ballbilly at odds of 14/1.
NAVAN
Fozzy Stack landed his second winner of the week as the Mark Enright-ridden Parting Glass won the five-furlong maiden at Navan on Saturday. The 9/4 favourite, owned by the trainer’s mother Liz, was always up with the pace and he led inside the final furlong to beat 5/2 chance Daisy Jones, trained on the Curragh by Takashi Kodama, by a length and a half. Ben Coen was a winner again as he took the five-furlong handicap with the DWPJ Investments-owned Jon Riggens. The Edward Lynam-trained 5/1 chance led in the final strides to beat the James McAuley-trained Tawaazon by a head, with the Sarah Lynamtrained Screen Siren a length and a half away in third place. Aidan O’Brien and Seamie Heffernan combined to win the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes with Peking Opera, the 5/2 favourite. On his first start since winning at Leopardstown in October, the three-year-old was held up at the back of the six-runner field and came through to lead well inside the final furlong to score by half a length from the Joseph O’Brien-trained Etna Rosso.
Carrick-on-Suir trainer Kevin Coleman and Mpumelelo Mjoka took the 13-furlong handicap with the 11/1 chance Red Vermillion. It was all very easy for the eight-yearold which went to the front over a furlong from the finish to win by three lengths from the John Flavin-trained Doyouthinkso. It was a second winner in Ireland for the South African apprentice.
KILBEGGAN
The good run of form being enjoyed by conditional Mike O’Connor continued at Kilbeggan on Friday evening where he won the three-mile handicap hurdle on the Declan Queally-trained Desert Heather. The 12/1 chance got up in the final stride to pip the Martin Brassil-trained Desertmore House by a head in the colours of owner/ breeder Harry Gettings. It was a fourth win in less than two weeks for the Curraglass jockey.
Trainer Andy Slattery combined with conditional jockey Philip Donovan to win the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle with Killeemore Lad. The result was a great one for the bookmakers as the Lumper Lane Syndicate-owned 66/1 chance led after jumping the final hurdle to win by two and three-parts of a length from the Paul Fahey-trained Rocket Spirit, a 200/1 shot. The Mouse Morris-trained Get My Drift overhauled Choice Of Words after the final fence to take the two-mile three-furlong beginners’ chase for owner JP McManus. The 3/1 chance scored by half a length under Simon Torrens.
A runner-up with Starman in the opening maiden hurdle, Declan Queally went a place better to land the three-mile handicap hurdle with Desert Heather. Ridden by Mike O’Connor, the 12/1 chance got up in the final stride to pip the Martin Brassiltrained Desertmore House by a head in the colours of owner/breeder Harry Gettings. The seven-year-old was adding to last month’s success at the track.
CLONMEL
Charles Byrnes and his son Philip were among the winners at Clonmel on Thursday where Evesham Road won the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle in convincing fashion. Owned by John Lane, the well-supported 5/1 chance looked well in control when he took up the running before the second-last hurdle and he had plenty in hand in beating the Matthew Smith-trained Napper Tandy by a length and a half. Athea’s Eoin McCarthy and Newcastle West conditional Gary Noonan were next into the winners’ enclosure as Rathnaleen Kal took the opening division of the handicap hurdle over the same distance. The John Moylan-owned 9/1 chance led at the second-last hurdle and held off the late rally of Gavin Cromwell’s Reflectionist to score by half a length.
Rachael Blackmore shared two winners with Henry de Bromhead at the meet. The pair landed the two-mile rated novice hurdle with the Robcour-owned Gentleman Joe, which was well on top at the line as he beat Gordon Elliott’s Stuzzikini by two and a quarter lengths at odds of 5/2. An 11/5 favourite, Lucky Zebo scored an easier success in the two-mile three-furlong handicap hurdle. The six-year-old skipped a few lengths clear after the second-last hurdle and scored a cosy three and a half-length win from the James Fahey-trained Dancing Jeremy.
Brian Hayes landed his first winner since his big Punchestown festival success on Impervious when partnering the Martin Hassett-trained Battle Of Ridgeway to take the second division of the twomile three-furlong handicap hurdle. Hayes brough the five-year-old from well off the pace to win by a length and three-parts from David O’Brien’s Roman Parish in the colours of Deirdre Hassett.
GOWRAN PARK
Ben Coen made a flying start to the week as he landed the opening two races at Gowran Park on Wednesday. He shared both winners with trainer Johnny Murtagh and the pair were on the mark with the JP Murtagh Racing-owned Lady Onyx in the seven-furlong median auction maiden for three-year-olds. An 8/1 chance on her racecourse debut, she tracked the leaders before leading early inside the final furlong to beat Jessica Harrington’s Neowise by a length and a half. A length and a quarter was the winning distance as Cadeau Belle took the fillies’ maiden over the same distance in the colours of Johnny’s wife, Orla. The 4/1 shot, another having her first start, was too strong for the Jim Bolger-trained 5/2 favourite Finsceal Go Deo from over a furlong from home. Fozzy Stack and Joey Sheridan easily won the claiming race with the Mick Begley-owned Secret Sauce. A strong 6/5 favourite, he was well in control from the furlong pole and ran out a three and three-parts of a length winner from the Sheila Lavery-trained Miss Langmore. There were no claims made for any of the runners.
Mark Enright continued his bright start to the new Flat season when partnering
A Shin Undine to win the opening division of the nine-furlong handicap. While it was a first success of the term for trainer Denise Foster, Enright brought his tally to five winners as the Never Give Up Syndicate-owned 15/2 chance dug deep to get the better of a sustained duel with Harry Rogers’ Narlita by a nose.
Joey Sheridan won the concluding 14-furlong handicap on the Ray Hackett-trained Sequoiaspirit. In the Nenagh trainer’s own colours, the 16/1 chance ran out the easiest winner of the meeting as he got the better of the Harry Rogers-trained Bolero by an easy three and three-parts of a length. Runners-up with Khafaaq in the preceding race, Andy Slattery and his son Andrew won the nine-furlong handicap for three-year-olds with Ranko Express. Owned and bred by Dr Ronan Tynan, the 8/1 shot led inside the final furlong and looked to have a nice bit in hand at the line in beating Joe Murphy’s Water Mint by a length and three-parts.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Tipperary – Thursday, May 18 (first race 5.30pm); Downpatrick – Friday, May 19 (first race 4.55pm); Leopardstown – Friday, May 19 (first race 5.10pm); Wexford – Saturday, May 20 (first race 1.40pm); Naas – Sunday, May 21 (first race 1.45pm); Punchestown - Tuesday, May 23 (first race 1.45pm).