Henry de Bromhead recorded a double at Downpatrick on Sunday where Mike O'Connor rode the second of his winners.
The Conor Brassil-ridden 20/1 shot All In Montmartre set the ball rolling as he took the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle, before O'Connor stepped up to score by nine lengths on Cottie in the mares’ handicap hurdle over the same distance.
She led at the second hurdle and was never headed as she beat Gordon Elliott’s Royal Eagle in great style at odds of 14/1.
Daniel King was another to enjoy an easy success as he won the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle on the Ray Hackett-trained Rock On Seamie. The 5/1 chance went clear over the final hurdle to beat another Elliott runner, 5/2 favourite By Your Side, by four and three-parts of a length.
Ray Hackett’s 5/4 favourite Sequoiaspirit was beaten into second place by the Noel Meade-trained Charlie Luciano in the rated novice hurdle 35 minutes later.
Philip Fenton and Gortnahoe conditional jockey Niall Moore with Mister Twist scored a comfortable win in the opening opportunity maiden hurdle. Owned and bred by Bertie Mannion, the well-supported 5/4 favourite led after the third-last hurdle and ran out a three and a quarter length scorer from the Paul Fahey-trained Dylan’s Day.
GOWRAN PARK
On Father’s Day, Andrew Slattery shared a winner with his dad Andy as newcomer Jolt took the opening seven-furlong maiden for two-year-olds at Gowran Park on Sunday. Owned by Rachael and David Halley, the 22/1 chance looked to have a good deal in hand as he beat Aidan O'Brien’s Air commander by a length and half.
The Fog Horn, owned, bred and trained by Ballinalard’s Seamus O’Donnell landed the three-year-old handicap over the same distance. Wayne Lordan (a late replacement for the absent Sean Bowen) partnered the 12/1 shot which backed up a big run at Fairyhouse to record a three-length win over the Edward Lynam-trained Gosford which was ridden by Ben Coen.
DOWNPATRICK – SATURDAY
The Declan Queally-trained Bal Kauto completed a hat-trick of wins when running away with the two-mile three-furlong handicap chase at Downpatrick on Saturday. In the colours of the Man About Dog Syndicate, the six-year-old added to a win over hurdles at Limerick in May and a victory over fences at Clonmel earlier this month, when recording a nine-length success over the Neill McCluskey-trained Monoxide at odds of 6/5 favourite.
Shane Fitzgerald has been in the saddle for each of the wins.
Trainer Sam Curling and Adam Ryan combined to win the amateur riders’ handicap hurdle over two mile and five furlongs with Susie Miller. The 6/1 chance enjoyed a great run along the rail after jumping the final flight and she had a length and a quarter to spare over the Philip Rothwell-trained Beechroad Winnie at the line, an eighth racecourse winner for Ryan.
Shane Broderick won the opportunity beginners’ chase over a trip close to three miles with the Raymond Loughnane-owned Sphagnum. Twice a winner over hurdles, the six-year-old was having his first start over fences and he romped to a 10-length win under Dillon Maxwell at odds of 7/1.
CORK
The Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan partnership landed a very well-supported winner as the two-year-old Mysteries took the opening six-furlong maiden at Cork on Friday evening. An 8/11 favourite, she raced close to the pace and led well inside the final furlong to win by a comfortable one and three-parts of a length from Gavin Cromwell’s 11/1 chance Clarita.
Wayne Lordan shared two winners with trainer Natalia Lupini. The pair landed the five-furlong handicap with the Craig Bryson-owned Running Cool which scored a one and three-parts of a length win over trainer John Grogan’s Mount Ruapehu at odds of 6/1.
Talia, a 10/1 chance, completed the double as she took the second division of the seven-furlong handicap. Three lengths was the winning distance this time as she beat the Craig O’Neill-trained Sondheim by the widest margin of the night.
Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee shared a big winner where the five-year-old Rosscarbery landed the Group 3 Darley Munster Oaks in convincing fashion. She pipped Yaxeni by a neck to win the race last year and this time she recorded a more comfortable success in beating the Dermot Weld-trained three-year-old Azazat by half a length at odds of 2/1 favourite.
Lee also combined with County Meath trainer Pat Martin to win the opening division of the seven-furlong handicap with the Zoom Buddies Syndicate-owned Chica Power. The 14/1 chance got up in the closing stages to beat the Kevin Coleman-trained Swiss Army Officer by half a length.
FAIRYHOUSE
At Fairyhouse on Friday, the Sean Bowen-ridden Out On Friday followed up on his success over the same course and distance seven days previously, when winning the 12-furlong handicap.
The Philip Byrne-trained seven-year-old defied a 14lbs hike in the ratings, outbattling Shane Ryder’s No Hassle to win by a head in the colours of his owner/breeder Anthony Deegan.
LEOPARDSTOWN
Paddy Twomey set jockey Billy Lee up for a double as his Bella Blue Eyes put up a determined display to win the opening seven-furlong fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown on Thursday last. Lee made all the running on the Edward Walsh-owned 11/4 chance and the pair comfortably held the late run of Jessica Harrington’s 11/8 favourite Eternal Silence, ridden by Chris Hayes, to win by half a length.
Lee landed his second success on the Willie McCreery-trained Ocean Jewel which clearly benefitted the step up in distance in the Group 3 TRI Equestrian Ballycorus Stakes over seven furlongs. The 16/1 chance got home by a length and a quarter from Ado McGuinness’ Real Appeal, an improvement on her previous start when third in the six-furlong Goffs Lacken Stakes at Naas.
LIMERICK
Charles Byrnes supplied the longest-priced winner at Limerick on Wednesday where 3/1 favourite Miss Abby Jools landed the concluding eight-furlong handicap. The Steven Heaphy-owned four-year-old became the sixth winning favourite at the meeting, from seven races, when scoring a two and a quarter-length win over the Gavin Cromwell-trained Breezy Zoff to give County Meath apprentice Adam Caffrey a double on the night.
Caffrey had taken the opening 11-furlong claiming race on the Ado McGuinness-trained 9/4 favourite Magnetic North.
Other Racing News
Jody Townend made a successful trip across the Irish Sea on Saturday as she landed the Queen Mother's Cup Handicap at York, a winner on her first ride in a Flat race in Britain. The champion amateur lady rider landed the day’s opener at the track on 11/4 favourite Kihavah for Kildare native Adrian Keatley, who now trains in Yorkshire.
Curiously, Townend received her own body weight in champagne as a gift for winning the race!
Upcoming Fixtures
Leopardstown – Thursday, June 22 (first race 5.10pm); Down Royal – Friday, June 23 (first race 4.50pm); Limerick – Friday, June 23 (first race 5.08pm); Limerick – Saturday, June 24 (first race 5.23pm); Down Royal – Saturday, June 24 (first race 2pm).
