Local jockeys win ten races
Flanagan, Codd lead way
SEAN FLANAGAN and Jamie Codd had three winners in the week, Jordan Gainford added two, and J.J. Slevin and Seán O’Keeffe also scored, making it a healthy ten for the Wexford riders from Monday to Sunday.
Gainford has had a remarkable start to his career as a professional jockey, with three wins in his first week, with two of them coming in at 25/1.
At Fairyhouse on Monday he won on Mt. Leinster Gold (5/2f), trained by Colin Bowe in Kiltealy and owned by Anthony Kearns, the well-known tenor.
He was following on from his 25/1 winning debut as a Conditional rider at Navan the previous day on Gordon Elliott’s Fierami.
Gainford made all the running on Mt. Leinster Gold, a sevenyear-old daughter of Goldwell, making her track debut after four point-to-point runs and three wins under Barry O’Neill. The horse was bred by another of the famous Irish tenors, Ronan Tynan, and won by a comfortable five lengths.
The Paul Nolan-trained Western Zara (9/2) was second on her track debut in Division 2 of the mares’ maiden hurdle, ridden by Seán O’Keeffe. At the end she could not match Enda Bolger’s hot favourite, Norwigi (4/9f).
Seán Flanagan and Jamie Codd had just two rides each at Thurles on Thursday and they won all four in impressive style. Flanagan’s were both for David O’Brien of Piltown, Kilkenny, and the Fastey For Fun Syndicate, giving the trainer his first track double.
Minx Tiara (1/1f) was a runaway 14 lengths winner of a €20,000 novice chase. In an all-Wexford finish, Richie Rath’s (Screen) Imitation Game was second at 50/1, and third was Colin Bowe’s Cushinstown Finest (11/8), with Jordan Gainford tasting his first defeat in his third ride as a professional.
Flanagan and Kelly doubled up in a €21,000 handicap chase with Cusp of Carabelli (9/2) and this was harder work, beating Rocky’s Silver (18/1) and Conor Orr by half a length.
Jamie Codd had a first and last race double. He scored in the opening Hunters’ Chase on Jury Duty (11/2) for Gordon Elliott and that one may be Cheltenham bound.
Barry O’Neill was putting it up to the winner on favourite Winged Leader (3/1) until David Christie’s charge came down at the last, though Codd felt he still had a bit up his sleeve at that stage.
He was involved in another tight call in the bumper as he got up in the dying strides on Michael Grassick’s Mollys Glory (6/4f) to deny Tom Hamilton on Premier Queen (40/1) by a head.
Liz Doyle’s Silk Worm (7/2) got second in the ladies’ handicap hurdle under Jody Townend, five and a half lengths behind the favourite, Fighting Fit (6/5) under Aine O’Connor.
It was back to Fairyhouse on Saturday and a third win for Flanagan, and another for both Gainford and Seán O’Keeffe. Gainford’s win came in the bumper on the Stuart Crawford-trained debutant, O’Toole, at 25/1.
It was a chance ride for the Caim man as the trainer’s brother, Ben, was due to be in the saddle but there was a problem with his Covid-19 documentation.
The horse had been prepared to go pointing but that was ruled out by the lockdown. He romped home by 15 lengths from James O’Sullivan on Little Big Rocky at a massive 250/1.
Seán Flanagan scored on the well-backed Macgiloney (3/1) for Denis Hogan in the novice chase, and Seán O’Keeffe won for Tom Mullins on Breakeven (5/2) in a maiden hurdle, adding to previous successes in two points and a bumper. Second just over two lengths back was Stranger Danger (7/1), ridden by Gainford for Gordon Elliott.
On a strong card at Naas on Sunday, the Wexford flag was kept flying by J.J. Slevin and Jamie Codd.
Slevin scored in the €40k Paddy Power Podcast novice chase as he romped in by ten lengths on Joseph O’Brien’s Home By The Lee (5/1), having taken it up at the second last.
Codd scored yet another bumper win for Elliott with a strong finish on Gerri Colombe (1/2), over three lengths ahead of Walter Grey for Danny Hand.
Seán Flanagan was a well-beaten second on Daly Tiger (7/4) behind the impressive Cilaos Emery (1/2) for Townend and Mullins, and Jordan Gainford kept up his good form when finishing third of 20 in a two-mile handicap hurdle on Gordon Elliott’s Presenting Dylan (14/1).
On the flat, Donagh O’Connor (New Ross) had just one ride at Dundalk on Friday evening and came second of 13 on David Marnane’s Jered Maddox (13/2) behind Togoville.
In Britain, it was a quiet week for the Wexford riders. Daryl Jacob had just four rides and had a winner at Hereford on Sunday on Raffles Gitane (5/4f) for Harry Whittington. Tom O’Brien is going through a very lean spell with no winner in 46 rides over the last 36 days.
On the flat, P.J. McDonald had a double at Newcastle on Tuesday on Ghost Rider (8/13) for Mark Johnston and Snash (8/1) for Charlie Hills, before a frustrating run of three seconds at Lingfield on Saturday.