O'Brien and Moore double up

NAVAN

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore shared two winners at Navan on Saturday. They landed the near six-furlong maiden for two-year-olds with 10/11 favourite Camille Pissarro which looked a fair prospect when getting the better of Fozzy Stack’s New Theory and Joey Sheridan by a length and a half. It’s a fair bet that the winner joins Kyprios on Ballydoyle’s Royal Ascot team. The latter made a winning return to action with a smooth three and a quarter length win over his own stable companion Queenstown in the Listed SBK Vintage Crop Stakes, adding to his win in the same race in 2022.

Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan shared their second winner in the space of 24 hours as Unavoidable narrowly landed the 10-furlong median auction maiden. The 13/2 chance held the challenge of the Barry Fitzgerald-trained Rock Of Ireland, an 11/1 shot, by a head, the pair all of six lengths clear of Jessica Harrington’s Cruden in third place.

The 9/1 chance Ezeliya gave Chris Hayes and Dermot Weld their second success in the space of 24 hours when winning the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes. On her first start since September of last year, she delivered her challenge inside the final furlong and readily got the better of the Paddy Twomey-trained even money favourite Purple Lily and Billy Lee by half a length. Aidan O'Brien’s Everlasting and Ryan Moore were the same distance away in third place.

DOWNPATRICK

Michael Winters and jockey Shane Fitzgerald landed a 40/1 winner as Kilbrin Rocco took the two-mile three-furlong handicap hurdle at Downpatrick on Friday evening. Owned by Jim Curtin, the five-year-old led shortly after jumping the final hurdle and he had a little in hand in beating the Emmet Mullins-trained 6/4 favourite Benjis Benefit by two and a half lengths.

CORK

Wayne Hassett notched up his second winner of the week when partnering Solar Drive to a battling success in the 12-furlong handicap at Cork on Friday afternoon. Trained by Paul Flynn, the 8/1 chance dug deep when challenged inside the final furlong by Johnny Murtagh’s 11/4 favourite Natural Ruler to win by a neck. It was a first success for the Solar Drive Six Syndicate-owned three-year-old which was making his handicap debut.

Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan won the 10-furlong conditions’ race with the 4/1 shot Bremen. Leading through the very early stages of the race and again at the two-furlong pole, the three-year-old won by two lengths at the line from Joseph O'Brien’s 15/8 favourite Stromberg, with the Aidan O'Brien-trained 9/4 chance half a length away in third place.

WEXFORD

A runner-up to the Paul Nolantrained Kiltealy Park with 100/30 co-favourite Grooveykindoflove in the opening maiden hurdle, Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead went a place better to win the threemile rated novice hurdle with the seven-year-old Sam Magee at Wexford on Thursday. Another in the colours of owner Roger Brookhouse, the 6/4 joint-favourite went clear from the second-last hurdle to win by an easy seven lengths from his market leader, the Nolan-trained Givehimthehonour.

Liam Quinlan gained his second success of the week when taking the three-mile handicap hurdle on the Mark Molloy-trained Mossy Fen. In the trainer’s own colours, the 13/2 chance battled well to hold Paul Nolan’s 100/30 shot Tranquil Sea by half a length.

The Declan Queally-trained Doyen Ta Win added to three previous handicap hurdle wins when landing the two-mile three-furlong mares’ beginners' chase. Ridden by Kevin Sexton, the Newbury Syndicate-owned six-year-old was left clear when Willie Mullins’ 1/3 favourite Brandy Love fell at the second-last fence and she romped to a 32-length success over the Gavin Cromwell-trained Soldaro at odds of 15/2.

GOWRAN PARK

At Gowran Park last Wednesday evening, Paddy Twomey landed the seven-furlong maiden for threeyear-olds with the Billy Lee-ridden Sea The Polaris. Rated 83 after three runs, he made all the running and was pushed clear inside the final furlong to win by an easy three and a half lengths from 13/8 chance Thor’s Hammer, which was ridden for Johnny Murtagh by Ben Coen. Wayne Hassett landed a winner when partnering the Joseph O'Brientrained Expressova to take the seven-furlong fillies’ handicap. The 7/2 chance didn’t get the clearest of runs early in the straight, but she finished well to get on top close to the finish and beat Ger Lyons’ Gypsy Woman by three-parts of a length.

Hassett was just denied a double as the Martin Hassett-trained Valleyoftheeagles lost out by a head to the Edward O'Grady-trained Rumi in the concluding 13-furlong handicap. It was a closing 16/1 winner for County Kilkenny apprentice Cian Horgan, the 16th winner of his career.

BELLEWSTOWN

In the Roger Brookhouse colours, 7/2 chance Withabitofluk won the concluding bumper for Henry de Bromhead and jockey John Gleeson at Bellewstown on Wednesday evening. The five-year-old headed the Gavin Cromwell-trained Addragoole at the furlong pole and battled well to score by half a length, to give the trainer his fourth winner of the week.

The Sean Maguire-owned Ma Hoey was a winner for Athea trainer Eoin McCarthy and jockey Gary Noonan. Taking advantage of a blunder at the final hurdle by the Sean Aherne-trained Get It Right at the final hurdle, the 40/1 chance raced to a two-length success over the staying-on Ian Donoghue-trained 2/1 favourite O’Faolains Glory.

Next into the winners’ enclosure was the father and son team of Eric and Conor McNamara who won the three-mile handicap hurdle with Killinure Lass. Owned by the Oyster Boys Partnership, the 25/1 shot came from a little off the pace to lead after the final hurdle and at the line she had a length and three-parts to spare over the Padraig Roche-trained 9/2 chance Milk Market.

TIPPERARY

Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead shared two winners as Tipperary staged their first fixture of 2024 on Tuesday last week. The pair landed the opening race of the track’s season with the Charlie and Nuala Doocey-owned Nas Na Riogh. The well-supported 2/1 favourite made all the running and he came home a three and a quarter-length winner from the Pat Doyle-trained 3/1 chance Brave Fortune.

The 6/4 shot Music Of Tara completed the pair’s double with a fourlength success in the two and a halfmile rated novice chase. On her first run over fences, the Robcour-owned seven-year-old led at the second-last fence and went clear on the run-in to beat Gordon Elliott’s So Des Flos. The Barry Connell-trained Nine Graces was sent off the 11/8 favourite but could only manage to finish last of the five runners.

Nenagh trainer Ray Hackett and Littleton’s Liam Quinlan combined to win the near three-mile handicap chase with Lady Kate. Owned by Eamon Stapleton, the seven-yearold battled well when challenged by the Liz Doyle-trained Fox Le Bel from the final fence to win by half a length at odds of 9/1.

Butlerstown trainer Paul Power provided title-chasing Jack Kennedy with a valuable winner as he sent out Morepowertoya to take the twomile handicap hurdle. A 13/2 chance in the colours of the Going Global Syndicate, the six-year-old also led at the penultimate obstacle and was clear over the final hurdle as he beat the Denise O’Shea-trained 5/2 favourite Tingarran Express by five lengths, a 600th career success for the Dingle jockey.

GOWRAN PARK

Ben Coen landed the nine-furlong median auction maiden for three-year-olds on the Johnny Murtagh-trained Cheeky Wink at Gowran Park on Tuesday week last. Owned in partnership by Barnane Stud and Owen Heffer, the 7/1 chance battled well to see off Gavin Cromwell’s Total Look by half a length.

Billy Lee joined Colin Keane on the ten-winner mark for the fledgling season when riding winners for trainer Willie McCreery and Henry de Bromhead at Gowran Park on Tuesday. He won the opening seven-furlong median auction maiden on the McCreery-trained Buttermere Ridge. The 15/2 chance drifted to his left inside the final furlong and a half but was well on top at the line in beating Natalia Lupini’s Solomon Coop by two and a quarter lengths.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Annexation gave Lee his second winner of the evening when taking the second of the nine-furlong handicaps on the card in the colours of the South Ros Racing Syndicate. The 13/2 chance came from a little off the pace to beat the Michael Mulvany-trained 100/30 favourite Duke Of Leggagh, ridden by Wesley Joyce, by a length and a half.

OTHER RACING NEWS

Set to be crowned Irish champion jumps trainer for the 18th time when the season closes at Punchestown on Saturday, Willie Mullins became the first Irish-based trainer to win the British title in 70 years at Sandown on Saturday. The late Vincent O'Brien won back-to-back British titles in the 1952/53 and 1953/54 seasons, a feat Mullins is now keen to replicate. Wins for I Am Maximus in the Aintree Grand National and for Macdermott in the Scottish Grand National, put Mullins in pole position to make further racing history and his championship success, based on prizemoney, as it is in Ireland, was secured as El Fabiolo finished second to the JP McManusowned Jonbon in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase on the final day of the British season.

Mullins didn’t leave the meeting empty-handed and he landed his latest big handicap chase win with the Danny Mullins-ridden Minella Cocooner in the valuable bet365 Gold Cup, while Impaire Et Passe, ridden by Paul Townend, took the Grade 2 Select Hurdle to cap a terrific season.

UPCOMING FIXTURES

Punchestown – Thursday, May 2 (first race 3.40pm); Punchestown – Friday, May 3 (first race 3.40pm); Punchestown – Saturday, May 4 (first race 2.30pm); Sligo – Sunday, May 5 (first race 1.40pm).