WEEK 20 13th-19th MAY 2013

Seven winners to report on this week from locals in the UK. Two of those winners coming on the same afternoon at York’s prestigious Dante meeting. Two others from a promising young conditional jump jockey from Charleville.

O’NEILL LOOKS WELL SHARP AT YORK

Castletownroche trainer Jonjo O’Neill recorded a brace of winners last week, the most notable of which was Well Sharp (16/1) for owner and patron J.P. McManus, at York’s prestigious Dante meeting.

Not unfamiliar with a good flat horse, having trained Royal Ascot winners in the past, O’Neill must have been pleasantly surprised by this victory. Running in a competitive looking Class 3 Handicap over 2m, Well Sharp ridden by Fran Berry, was given a patient ride in rear. Ridden to challenge down the outside fully five furlongs from home, Well Sharp readily picked off his fourteen rivals and won easily by six lengths at the line.

Having his first run beyond 1m4f on the flat, but with proven stamina from two hurdle wins over 2m4f plus, this son of Selkirk was 5Lb lower than when finishing third to Brown Panther in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in 2011.

Such was the ease of this win you would have to say given the evidence that Well Sharp could be considered a cup horse if upped again in distance to 2m4f. A race like the Ascot Stakes comes to mind straight away and connections now have a decision to make for this good dual purpose gelding. Winning his fifth race from fourteen starts there should be plenty more to come in the future.

O’Neill’s second winner came courtesy of last week’s Newton Abbot winner Church Field (1/2f). Turned out quickly on the back of that win in a Class 4 handicap hurdle over 2m at Ludlow, Church Field again in the colours of J.P. McManus, gave Tony McCoy his first win on his first ride back from a serious rib injury.

Sent to post a warm favourite, McCoy was always in a prominent position going well and leading approaching the third last, he just had to shake up his mount for a smooth looking five length win from Eightfold (16/1) back in second.

Carrying a 7Lb penalty off a mark of 95 here, Church Field may have more in the locker and could progress further again. But the handicapper will now have his say and life will be a lot tougher for this 5 year old son of Heron Island.

O’MEARA’S SMOOTH AND DOES ALL THE TALKIN’

Fermoy trainer David O’Meara kept the winners flowing last week, adding another three to his already impressive season’s haul. His Nawton yard also got on the scoresheet at York’s Dante meeting, with the Middleham Park owned Smoothtalkinrascal (5/2) in a Class 2 conditions event over 5f. Ridden by Danny Tudhope, this three year old son of Kodiac was sent off second favourite in a field reduced to five, after three fancied contenders came out due to softening ground conditions.

Facing two rivals who beat him last time out in Polski Max (5/4f) and Lucky Beggar (11/4), Tudhope was all too aware of not getting to the front too soon on Smoothtalkinrascal.

Held up in rear and travelling well to the two furlong marker, Tudhope made his move well over one furlong out. Staying on strongly for pressure and with his mount responding to every call, Tudhope got there where it mattered on the line to win by a nose from the gallant Lucky Beggar back in second. A tense wait for the photo finish result didn’t do this writer’s nerves much good. But all was well in the end and jockey Danny Tudhope should be given a huge pat on the back for a great ride.

O’Meara went on to say, “It was a great ride by Danny. He might come back for the Reg Griffin race.”

Smoothtalkinrascal also has the option of the Epsom Dash over 5f on 1st June where he is entered and already quoted at 14/1.

O’Meara’s other two winners came on the same Beverley card. As suggested in this column last week, Toto Skyllachy (5/2f) would be hard to beat if turned out again quickly under a penalty. And so it proved with this admirable eight year old son of Kyllachy taking a Class 4 handicap over 1m under Danny Tudhope to follow up his win the previous week at the same course.

They went a good gallop with fast underfoot conditions in this contest. Tracking the leading pair to two out, Tudhope switched his mount left to challenge just over one furlong out. Keeping on strongly Toto Skyllachy led near the finish to record a half a length win at the line from Fort Belvedere (13/2) back in second.

Winning off his highest ever handicap mark of 91 here it’s not inconceivable that Toto Skyllachy will be rated 100 on reassessment this week. This of course will make life a lot tougher in handicaps and O’Meara may give him a crack at a listed contest in the near future. This was the gelding’s eighth win in all.

O’Meara’s third winner came in a low grade Class 6 Seller over 5f with Auntie Mildred (10/1) on the same Beverley card. Ridden by Godolphin stable jockey Silvestre De Sousa, this three year old daughter of Elnadim was recording her first win on this, her fourth start. Dropped back to 5f after 3 runs in maiden company she won by three quarters of a length from Salvatore Fury (3/1).

Rated only 38 going into this race, Auntie Mildred showed improved form at this distance and may be capable of following up in a similar contest or in future low grade handicaps. There were no bids for her after this win in the post race auction and she returned home to O’Meara’s Yorkshire base.

RING CAPTAIN’S IT WITH PAULIE

Charleville conditional jump jockey Conor Ring is starting to draw some good attention on himself. And rightly so as he rode two winners from two rides last week to kick-start his 2013-14 jump season.

Riding Captain Paulie (7/2) for his boss, Evan Williams in a Class 4 handicap chase over 2m at Uttoxeter, Ring was seen at his best with a mature ride. Dropped a few pounds after pulling up at Chepstow over 2m4f last time out, Captain Paulie travelled strongly through this race. Joining the leaders four fences from home he led at the last and after idling in front was made to work much harder than seem likely for a three quarters of a length win, from Accessallareas (9/4) back in second.

Recording his fourth win in all and first over fences, this ten year old Labib gelding, a former dual winner at Cork, looks well at home over the minimum trip of 2m. In fact all his wins have now come at this distance.

Rhiannon Burchell representing the Evan Williams yard went on to say, “Captain Paulie seems to handle most types of ground and everything fell right for him on this occasion.”

Ring’s second winner came aboard Dantari (5/2), again for Evan Williams in a Class 5 Conditional jockeys selling hurdle over 2m at Ludlow.

With cheek-pieces back on and a first time tongue tie fitted, this former good class hurdler was having his first run since last October. With only four other rivals to contend with, Ring jumped off in front and having been passed by the runner-up Descaro (2/1j) at the third last, his mount kept finding for pressure and duly got back in front close home to just get the verdict on the line by a head.

This was Dantari’s first win since October 2009 and fourth in all. Formerly rated 132 at his peak over hurdles, he could follow up back in similar company. His handicap mark is very workable at 110, the lowest it’s been since his handicap debut back in 2009. An entry at Wetherby this Thursday in a Selling Hurdle could be his for the taking.

Will Williams, son of Dantari’s trainer, Evan Williams went on to say, “He has always been a battler and showed how brave he is there. The break he had has obviously worked the trick and freshened him up.”