Ladbrokes Troytown Goes To Elliott And Sexton
A remarkable gamble was landed in the Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan on Sunday. Kevin Sexton made all the running to win on the Gordon Elliott-trained Balbriggan who had been backed from 20/1 to 4/1 favourite for the €100,000 event. It was a huge day for Elliott who had earlier won the Grade 2 Monksfield Novice Hurdle with the Mark Walsh-ridden Free Expression. Willie Mullins was responsible for three winners on the day. He won the opening 2m maiden hurdle with Milsean who was ridden by Bryan Cooper. All eyes were on Vautour in the beginners’ chase and he didn’t disappoint under Ruby Walsh, winning by eight lengths and looking a certain star of the future. Patrick Mullins partnered Lyrical Theatre to a comfortable success in the Listed bumper to give his father a seventh winner in Ireland in two days. The Stuart Crawford-trained Glenquest landed the 2m handicap hurdle under Barry Geraghty while Danny Benson was seen to good effect when winning the 2m7f handicap hurdle on Norman Cassidy’s Pencilhimin.
Mullins Dominates At His Local Fixture
Willie Mullins enjoyed quite a weekend and he dominated at Gowran Park on Saturday. He sent out four winners in all, supplying both Bryan Cooper and Paul Townend with two winners. Cooper was first off the mark when enjoying an all the way success on Tell Us More in the 2m maiden hurdle. Townend partnered Douvan to a runaway success in the four-year-old maiden hurdle and followed up in the 2m4f chase on the smart Ballycasey. Cooper completed the Mullins four-timer on Don Poli, a second winner of the afternoon for Gigginstown House Stud, in the 2m4f beginners’ chase. Prussian Eagle saw off the Mullins hotpot Buiseness Sivola to win the three-year-old maiden hurdle. Mark Walsh partnered the winner for trainer Charles O’Brien. Love On Top battled well to win the 2m handicap hurdle. Owned by amateur rider Ambrose McCurtin, the winner was ridden by his brother Francis and trained by John Joe Walsh. Phillip Enright guided the Michael McDonagh-trained Black Zero to an eight-length success in the 2m2f handicap chase.
UK Raiders Make their Mark At Dundalk
Trainer Tony Carroll brought two horses to Dundalk on Friday evening and both obliged by very narrow margins. Serenity Spa prevailed by just a head in the 6f handicap under Pat Smullen and Innoko won by an even tighter margin when taking the 12f handicap with Joseph O’Brien in the saddle. His winning distance was a short head and the winning rider was of the opinion that Carroll would further target the County Louth venue. Smullen went on to land the 7f rated race on the Tracey Collins-trained So Sensible. Pat Shanahan sent out Split The Atom to win the 6f nursery handicap with Luke Dempsey the first apprentice of the night to visit the winners’ enclosure. Others were Keith Quinn who partnered Stoichkhov in the 1m handicap and David Fitzpatrick who enjoyed his first winner when taking the second division of the 12f handicap on That’s Ours, trained by James Barcoe. Kevin Manning teamed up with Jim Bolger to win the 1m fillies’ maiden while Gary Carroll partnered John McConnell’s Enzani to success in the 12f maiden.
Home Farm Lands Thurles Listed Event for New Trainer
Home Farm made a winning debut for trainer Henry de Bromhead when winning the Listed John Meagher Memorial Chase at Thurles on Thursday. David Casey’s mount was left clear by the fall of Hidden Cyclone at the final fence and came home a six-length winner from Foildubh. Drumacoo easily brushed aside the opposition to win the 2m6f novice hurdle for Barry Geraghty and Michael Hourigan. Both had earlier combined to win the 2m2f beginners chase with Aerlite Supreme who beat Willie Mullins’ French import As De Ferbet. Trainer Brian Jordan and Andrew Lynch took the mares’ maiden hurdle with Annamatopoeia while Mary Louise Hallahan sent out Deano to win the 2m handicap hurdle under Davy Russell. Kevin Sexton added to his Fairyhouse success when taking the 2m6f handicap hurdle with the Shane Ryder-trained Western Promise. Willie Mullins got on the board when newcomer Bellshill out-battled Attribution to win the bumper under Patrick Mullins.
Noel Meade Enjoys Fairyhouse Double
Noel Meade saddled the first and last race winners at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. Waxies Dargle spent a portion of his morning in the winners’ enclosure promoting the Boylesports Irish Grand National and so he was back on familiar ground shortly after his impressive success under Paul Carberry in the 2m hurdle. Paul’s sister Nina brought Aengus home a two length winner in the bumper and he will be an interesting recruit to the jumping game in time. Not to be out done, Willie Mullins sent out two winners of his own. He won the 2m maiden hurdle with the Bryan Cooper-ridden Outlander and followed up with Shaneshill, under Ruby Walsh, in the 2m4f maiden hurdle. Liz Doyle enjoyed a birthday winner when Broadway Twist took the 2m handicap hurdle under Brian O’Connell. Robbie Power did the steering as Tipped Up Harry scored a comfortable success for trainer Denise Foster in the 2m4f handicap hurdle and over three furlongs further, Triplets Joy and Kevin Sexton battled well to win for Paul Nolan.
Mullins And Walsh Combine For Wexford Treble
The irresistible form of champion trainer Willie Mullins continued at Wexford on Tuesday where he teamed up with Ruby Walsh to record a treble. The pair got their afternoon off to a winning start when Aminabad won the opening maiden hurdle in fine style and quickly followed up with another impressive winner Measureofmydreams. Vroum Vroum Mag really caught the eye when making a successful debut over fences in the 2m3f beginners’ chase to complete the haul. Robbie Moran was the toast of the locals when partnering the Shane Ryder-trained Halls Bridge to victory in the 2m6f handicap chase while Shark Hanlon saddled Boxer Georg to win the 2m6f hunters’ chase under champion amateur rider Patrick Mullins. Conditional rider Shane Crimin gave a confident ride to the Oliver McKiernan-trained Follow The Sign who ran out a six-length winner of the handicap hurdle. Andrew McNamara and County Waterford trainer Robert Murphy struck with the likeable Mrs Mac Veale in the mares hurdle over two miles.
Racing News
Trainer Philip Fenton Banned For Three Years
Having been found guilty on eight charges of possessing banned substances in the District Court, trainer Philip Fenton has been disqualified for three years by the Turf Club. He has been barred from training and will be banned completely from Irish racing from March 1st, 2015.
Boylesports Irish Grand National Receives Sponsorship Boost
The Boylesports Irish Grand National will be the most valuable jumps race in Ireland for the 2014-15 National Hunt season following confirmation of a €25,000 increase in prize-money and an extension of the sponsorship to 2016. The renewal of the €275,000 steeplechase will take place at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, 6th April 2015.
Peter Roe, General Manager at Fairyhouse said, “The extension of our partnership with Boylesports will continue to drive the popularity of the Easter Festival, which has grown so much in recent years. We are proud to host what is now the most valuable jumps race in Ireland. Fairyhouse is the home to so many historic races and legendary winners and we very much look forward to hosting the 2015 Boylesports Irish Grand National.”
HRI Award Nominees Announced
The nominees for the 2014 annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards have been announced, with 25 Irish trainers, jockeys and horses in contention. Ivan Yates will be master of ceremonies for the awards, which take place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Monday December 8th. Awards are presented in seven categories: Flat Racing, National Hunt Racing, Point-to-Point Racing, Horse of the Year, Contribution to Industry, Outstanding Achievement and Racecourse of the Year.
The Contribution to Industry Award will be announced by HRI Chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh. The award is HRI’s recognition of an individual or entity whose overall work and achievements have made a lasting positive impression on racing and breeding in Ireland. Previous winners include Jim Bolger, Moyglare Stud, Dermot Weld, Colm Murray and Michael Kinane. The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award is selected by the general public through a dedicated HRI awards app or through forms available from HRI.
The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award is selected by the general public through a dedicated HRI Awards App.
The HRI Awards App contains profiles of each of the nominees, as well as profiles of those nominated in the National Hunt, Flat, Point-to-Point and Horse of the Year categories, which are decided by ballot of the Irish racing media. The dedicated HRI awards app, which is available for download from iTunes and Google Play, contains information about the awards and each of the nominees, an image gallery, all the latest news and will also provide a live stream of the awards on December 8th.
Everyone who votes using the HRI Awards App will be entered into a draw for the chance to attend the HRI Awards with a friend at Leopardstown on Monday, December 8th.
Download Now
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ogxapps.hri&hl=en
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/horse-racing-ireland-awards/id757228641?mt=8
Upcoming Fixtures
Dundalk – Wednesday 26th November (First Race 6.15)
Thurles – Thursday 27th November (First Race 12.20)
Dundalk – Friday 28th November (First Race 6.10)
Fairyhouse – Saturday 29th November (First Race 12.25)
Fairyhouse – Sunday 30th November (First Race 12.30)
