Gordon Elliott took the training honours at Limerick on Saturday where he sent out two winners. He won the novice hurdle with Ibsen who dug deep for Jack Kennedy and followed up with Shadow Catcher who was a rather fortunate winner of the beginners’ chase under Kevin Sexton. Aidan O’Brien and his daughter Sarah were back in the winners’ enclosure following the success of Rosshaven Lady in the bumper. The handicap chase went to the recently married Richie Rath who saddled Close Review to win under Mikey Fogarty. The James Nash-trained My Manekineko took the maiden hurdle under David Mullins while the handicap hurdles went to Punch Bag, trained by Brendan Duke and ridden by Andrew Lynch, and Realta Rathcabhain who scored for Dessie McDonogh and Danny Mullins on his first run in 748 days.
Curragh Group 3 Success For Lyons And Keane
An unlucky loser at Navan, the Ger Lyons-trained Ainippe gained ample compensation when taking the Group 3 TRM Ballyogan Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. She just got up to deny Newsletter in a thriller and while Royal Ascot won’t feature in her future plans, connections will find a Group 2 for her in time. The Listed Silver Stakes produced another tight finish with the Dermot Weld-trained Postulation overhauling Parish Hall in the dying strides to win under Pat Smullen. Smullen rode a second winner when Duca Valentinois took the 10f handicap for Johnny Murtagh while Ger Lyons and Colin Keane also shared a second winner when Game Set Dash took the 12f maiden. Jessica Harrington rounded off a good week when the Shane Foley-ridden Rockaway Valley won the 6f maiden for two-year-olds while Eddie Lynam and Billy Lee took the three-year-old maiden over the same distance with the promising Fort Del Oro. The 6f handicap was won in grand style by Bainne who scored for local trainer Michael O’Callaghan and Shane Kelly.
Irish Derby On The Cards For Unbeaten Radanpour
Radanpour stretched his unbeaten record to three when recording an all-the-way success in the Listed King George V Cup at Leopardstown on Friday. Pat Smullen was at his very best on Dermot Weld’s charge who now goes for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh at the end of the month. Aidan O’Brien landed the Listed Saval Beg Stakes with Kingfisher who came from well off the pace to win under Donnacha O’Brien. Michael Halford and Shane Foley took the 7f maiden with the gambled-on Tonkinese while the 1m maiden went to Law Major who was ridden for Jim Bolger by Kevin Manning. Over the same distance, the Tracey Collins-trained Beat The Ballott gave Pat Smullen a second winner when taking the handicap in good style. Mitchelstown trainer Daniel O’Sullivan and Connor King won the apprentice handicap with Long Journey Home while the James Lamb-trained Sang Tiger won the 1m7f handicap under Declan McDonogh.
Carberry In A Class Of His Own At Downpatrick
Paul Carberry gave yet another masterclass at Downpatrick on Friday where he rode three winners. The highlight was his success on Fort Smith, a tricky customer to say the least, in the 2m7f beginners’ chase. Trainer Gordon Elliott had also supplied the veteran rider with the first of his treble as Be Seeing You was the easy winner of the 2m6f handicap hurdle while Navan-based Gavin Cromwell was responsible for another Carberry winner in the shape of Cristy’s Call. Dot Love and Andrew McNamara took the opening 2m6f handicap hurdle with Haddington Road while a bigger priced winner was Bills Official who won the handicap chase at odds of 33/1 for Martin Hassett and his nephew Shane. Jim Dreaper’s El Grande took the hunters’ chase under Noel McParlan while the James Nash-trained Waterville Rock and Katie Walsh won the bumper.
Harrington And Foley On The Mark At Tipperary
The in-form Jessica Harrington was among the winners again at Tipperary on Thursday where the Shane Foley-ridden Barnacle Bill won the 12f auction maiden. An odds-on favourite, he was an easy winner at the line and could be stepping up in trip next time. Punters also got it right in the opening 5f maiden where the Aidan O’Brien-trained Waterloo Bridge won by a head in the hands of Joseph O’Brien. Rory Cleary and Noel Lawlor were on the mark with the well supported Kimbay in the 5f handicap while Daliyan took the 12f handicap for Rodger Sweeney and Kevin Manning. Over hurdles, Copy That was the third successful odds-on favourite of the night when taking the 2m maiden for Edward Harty and Mark Walsh. Steel King was the 10/1 winner of the 2m4f handicap hurdle while Aidan O’Brien and his daughter Sarah sent favourite backers home happy when taking the bumper with even money chance Tesseracht.
David Mullins Lands Punchestown Double
Conditional rider David Mullins took the honours at Punchestown on Wednesday where he rode two winners. He landed the 2m2f rated chase on the Tony Martin-trained Savello and followed up on Lucky Pat, trained by Dot Love, in the 2m handicap hurdle. Kevin Sexton is another going well and he took the 2m6f chase on the Gordon Elliott-trained Make A Track. Brien Kane landed his second winner when As De Pique added to his Down Royal success of last Friday night when taking the 2m6f handicap chase for trainer Gavin Cromwell. Another winning favourite was Sandymount Duke who took the 2m4f maiden hurdle for Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power. John Cullen was in the saddle as Havana Dancer won the 2m mares’ maiden for Bunclody trainer Anthony Black. Aidan O’Brien and his daughter Sarah teamed up to win the bumper with Kilclipseen.
Anthem Alexander On Top At Naas
The brilliantly consistent Anthem Alexander made a winning seasonal reappearance when taking the Group 3 Lacken Stakes at Naas on Monday. Eddie Lynam’s three-year-old comfortably reeled in Aidan O’Brien’s The Happy Prince to score by a length under Pat Smullen and the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot is the probable target. The Railway Stakes at the Curragh is on the agenda for Argentero who ran out the impressive winner of the Listed Rochestown Stakes for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane. Richard Hannon is fast becoming a good supporter of Naas and his Great Page enjoyed a runaway success in the Listed Fillies’ Sprint Stakes under Sean Leavy. The Richard Fahey-trained Heaven’s Guest took the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes in the hands of James Doyle. Ortiga was a more local winner when taking the 7f fillies’ maiden for Edward Lynam and Gary Carroll while Denise Foster and Wayne Lordan combined to take the 1m handicap with Lily’s Rainbow.
Another Listowel Win For Your Busy
Kerry National hero Your Busy was back among the winners at Listowel on Monday when taking the 3m handicap hurdle for James Nash and Ruby Walsh. The 12-year-old was clear before the second last flight and went right away to win from Miley Shah. Horendus Hulabaloo landed quite a punt when winning the 2m3f handicap chase for Mouse Morris and Bryan Cooper while another well-supported winner was Gentle Cloud who won the hunters’ chase for Mallow-based Padraig Higgins and Johnny Barry. William Cronin sent out Notification to win the 2m4f handicap hurdle. The winner was ridden by his amateur rider son and namesake and another amateur on the mark was Declan Queally who rode Big Bad John to win the bumper for Garrett Power. Noel Meade and Paul Carberry took the 2m maiden hurdle with Wes Hardin while Paul Nolan and Mikey Fogarty took the 2m4f handicap hurdle with Emily Sinico.
Racing News
Epsom Oaks Win for O’Brien And Colm O’Donoghue
Aidan O’Brien celebrated his fifth Epsom Oaks success when the Colm O’Donoghue-ridden Qualify swooped late the pip race favourite Legatissimo at odds of 50/1 on Friday. The shock winner was a first British Classic win for O’Donoghue who has two Irish Classics to his name as well as one in France. He has also ridden the winners of the American St Leger and the UAE Derby and is certainly no stranger to the limelight.
Horse Racing Ireland Student Interns Appointed
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has appointed seven interns for the summer season of 2015. Four will work in HRI’s racecourses: Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Navan and Tipperary and three will go to the HRI head office at Ballymany, Kildare, in the Marketing Department, the Racing Department and TOTE Ireland. The seven successful candidates are: Jill O’Brien from East Wall, Dublin, Martin Rice from Downpatrick, Co. Down, Tara Armstrong from Lisburn, Co. Antrim, Christopher Farrell from Maganey, Co. Laois, Michelle Duffy from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, William Kennedy from Dunlavin, Co. Kildare and Alison Harvey from Monkstown, Co. Cork.
This is second year of the HRI Student Internship Programme which was launched in November 2013. Over 140 applications were received from throughout the country with 47 students shortlisted and interviewed. Interns at the four HRI racecourses will be required to assist in many areas of racecourse operations such as marketing, sales, social media, website maintenance and raceday operations. The Intern based in HRI Head Office will spend her placement in the Marketing Department and will assist with the promotion of various racecourse events, media monitoring and digital media. The TOTE and Racing Department Interns will also assist with website maintenance and social media as part of their roles.
Horse Racing Ireland CEO Brian Kavanagh Re-Elected as Vice Chairman of IFHA
During its meeting at the 2015 Pan American Conference, the Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) re-elected for a term of three years, incumbent Chairman Louis Romanet and current Vice-Chairmen Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (Asia), Jim Gagliano (Americas), and Brian Kavanagh (Europe). The term will encompass October 2015 through October 2018. Following the election, Romanet expressed his core objectives for his eighth mandate as Chairman of the Federation. “In an increasingly globalised industry, the IFHA must remain focused on its mission as a conduit of good regulation and practices on international matters,” said Romanet. “With the newly re-elected Vice-Chairmen we will develop an action plan in order to meet the Federation’s goals for the next three years.”
Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Announces Winner of Point-To-Point Mares Award
Paul Martin Pierce has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) Point-To-Point Mares Award. On Wednesday 3rd June 2015, at the end of the 2014/15 point-to-point season, ITM staged a draw for the winner of the €5,000 voucher redeemable on a filly at any of the three store sales in Ireland. In the 2014/15 Irish point-to-point season, handlers who trained a mare to win a point-to-point received a ticket to an end-of-season draw. The more wins a handler received with mares, the more tickets they accumulated in the draw.Wexford-based winning handler Paul Martin Pierce said: “I’m delighted to receive this prize. We focus on training mares because we also breed ourselves. It’s a great initiative by ITM.”
Sarah Gavin, Marketing Executive with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, said: “ITM are delighted to announce that Paul Martin Pierce was randomly selected in the draw. It is great to see breeders opting to run mares in point-to-points. This initiative should further encourage point-to-point handlers to purchase fillies at the store sales. Creating a market place for National Hunt fillies will continue to be a focus for ITM.”
Upcoming Fixtures
Roscommon – Monday 8th June (First Race 5.30)
Roscommon – Tuesday 9th June (First Race 5.40)
Fairyhouse – Wednesday 10th June (First Race 6.00)
Leopardstown – Thursday 11th June (First Race 6.00)
Clonmel – Friday 12th June (First Race 5.35)
Navan – Saturday 13th June (First Race 2.10)
Cork – Sunday 14th June (First Race 2.25)
Downpatrick – Sunday 14th June (First Race 2.40)
