The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Zena comes up short to Gigantor in Irish Cup final
LEADING owner Paul Horig was back in the winner’s enclosure at Limerick racecourse on Sunday as Gigantor (NewInn Wonder/ Laurina) proved best in a testing renewal of the Irish Cup. Horig, who jointly owns the winner with Bridget Byrne – wife of the late Patsy from Duagh –, had previously tasted success two season’s ago when Berlin Station landed the spoils, while for trainer Michael Murphy the victory completed a hat trick of wins in the blue riband event having also scored with Foot Solution in 2016.
Whilst Gigantor was the hero at the season ending event, the efforts of a gallant runner-up Ballymac Zena will be remembered for a long time to come. Last season’s Oaks heroine lit up the stretch through the opening two days of the event but she was hard worked following the opening turn of her third round victory and her chances of mounting a serious challenge on finals day appeared to have been extinguished.
She was back to her brilliant best on her return and upset the odds to devastating effect in the penultimate round when holding off a late challenge from hot favourite Aristotle to book the white collar for the deciding course.
Liam Dowling’s runner was again quick to find her feet in the final but Gigantor matched his rival for early toe and held a slight advantage passing the midpoint. Zena dug deep but she just couldn’t get on terms and through the final yards the winner skipped clear to take the flag by two lengths.
Boherlode Bomber (Blades Of Hope/ Mulcahys Peak) ran out an impressive winner of the Irish Purse for local owner’s The Boherlode Syndicate and trainer John Bennett. Early pace proved decisive in the final and it came in spades from the winner who took a flyer from slips to lead Coole Yeats through every yard of the contest. Whilst the latter did reduce the deficit late on, the result was never in doubt and Boherlode Bomber was full value for his length and a half success.
The Bill Chawke Irish Purse was won by Cut The Turf (Ballymac Best/ Tilly The Tank) which was nominated by Michael Spillane from Fossa. Trained in Kilkenny by Tom Lennon, the winner was a hot favourite going to slips for the final against the Patrick O’Connor trained Pasatiempo. The latter had put in a huge effort en route to the final but it proved one course too many as Cut The Turf quickly dictated the pace and ran out a resounding winner.
Leading horse trainer Sir Mark Prescott took the silverware in the Patsy Byrne Select All Age Bitch Stake when Mon Petit (NewInn Wonder/ Shalefieldwillow) upset the odds in the final course of the event against the Paudie Lyons trained Zauberflute. The winner took full advantage of sporting the white collar and showed her rival a clean pair of heels leaving slips.
Zauberflute, to her credit, put in a huge effort passing halfway however the closest she got to her rival was the length which separated the pair at the opening turn.
Finally, Carlow representative Sevenforseven (Broadstone Bono/ Swift Cigarette) took the honours in the Kyle Invitational Working Members Stake for Paul O’Dwyer. The winner was led to halfway in the final against Fox Country but finished with a flourish on top of the stretch to score by six lengths.