Seán takes chance

Flanagan’s strong replacement ride

THE BIGGEST Wexford win of the week in Ireland came at Punchestown on Sunday when Seán Flanagan made great use of a chance ride to score an all-theway success on Gigginstown’s Felix Desjy (11/4) in the featured €44,500 Grade 2 Moscow Flyer novice hurdle.

Flanagan got the ride after Davy Russell was stood down after a fall in the first race, and he led from flag fall in a very well-paced ride to score by five lengths from Robbie Power on Jetez.

Despite all his success, this was Gordon Elliott’s first time to win this race.

This was some compensation for Flanagan who was a bit unlucky on Noel Meade’s Getaway Kid (9/2) in the €20k novice chase at Fairyhouse the previous day, as they parted company at the last fence when leading by a length.

J.J. Slevin kept the Wexford flag flying in the John Lynch memorial beginners’ chase with a big-priced two-length win for Joseph O’Brien and J.P. McManus on Uisce Beatha (12/1) with a nicely-timed ride.

Barry O’Neill, point-to-point champion rider for the past two years, scored his third win on the track in recent weeks when taking the maiden Hunters’ Chase at Clonmel on Thursday on Sidetracked (5/2f), giving trainer Gearóid O’Loughlin from Dunshaughlin his first track winner.

I don’t often feature owners in this column, but Wexford pair, Paul and Paula Doyle, had a big day at Naas on Sunday week when their Aliym (20/1) pulled off a shock in the two-mile bumper for trainer David Harry Kelly from Tipperary.

Paul comes from Assagart, Foulksmills, and Paula is daughter of John and Nan Kehoe, Tuskar View, Wexford. John, often known as The Busman because of his long association with Fleetline Coaches, has been in horses all his life and has enjoyed quite a few winners, but he says nothing has given him greater pleasure than this success for Paula and Paul with their first horse.

John was involved in the purchase of the Dermot Weld cast-off in the 2017 sales. Bred by the Aga Khan’s studs, he did not set the world alight on the flat. However, he is a well-bred son of Zoffany and there should be lots of improvement in him.

He got a great ride from seven-pound claimer Paul Cawley who was having his fifth win on the track.

He beat off the big guns by a short head, with the Joseph O’Brien-trained and Derek O’Connor-ridden Top Moon (11/8f) unable to haul him in.

‘It was wonderful to see Paul and Paula leading him in in their own colours, a great occasion enjoyed by the whole family,’ said a delighted and proud John. ‘Hopefully, with a bit of luck, we may have a few more exciting days with him.’

It was a quiet enough week on the jumps scene in Britain, the biggest success being the impressive win of Daryl Jacob on the Nicky Henderson-trained Top Notch (6/4) in the televised £40,000 listed chase at Kempton on Saturday.

Tom O’Brien got in on the act in the concluding handicap hurdle on the Philip Hobbs-trained Oakley (9/2), and had won at Leicester on Thursday on Hobbs’ New Millennium (5/1) in a novices’ handicap chase.

After taking a deserved break, P.J. McDonald set out on the long road towards his third successive one hundred flat winners in a season with five successes in the week.

At Kempton on Wednesday he had an 110/1 double in two tight finishes, on My Brother Mike (16/1) and on well-backed Keystroke (11/2 from 10/1), beating Ryan Moore on Jeremy Noseda’s Cenotaph (8/11).

McDonald came back down to London from North Yorkshire to Chelmsford the next day and scored for one of his neighbours and main mentors, Mark Johnston, with Themexwecan (4/1), and almost made it a double when going down by a neck on Enthaar (7/2).

He had another nice double at Newcastle on Saturday on hot favourite Tough Remedy (10/11) for Keith Dalgleish and Portledge (7/2) for Jim Bethell.

He almost made it a treble on 25/1 outsider, Plumette, being half a length second to 4/7 favourite, Kareena Kapoor, under Joe Fanning.