Over 10,000 third-level students were in attendance as Aidan O’Brien added to his early season gains when recording an opening race double at Leopardstown on Wednesday. The champion trainer shared both winners with Wayne Lordan and the pair were quickly off the mark as Savethelastdance made much of the running to take the 10-furlong fillies’ maiden in great style.
The 20/1 chance skipped clear over a furlong from the finish to beat her own stable companion, the Ryan Moore-ridden 7/2 shot Boogie Woogie by two and a quarter lengths. O’Brien was also responsible for a 1-2 in the 10-furlong maiden as Lordan’s mount The Prairie, at odds of 7/2, recorded a two-length success over the Seamie Heffernan-ridden Duke Cador.
Cristal Clere followed on his success at the track on three days previously when winning the 10-furlong handicap for trainer John Nallen and his nephew Sean Bowen. The five-year-old won over eight furlongs at the track on the previous Sunday and followed up under a mandatory 7lbs penalty when getting the better of the Paul Flynn-trained Timourid at odds of 7/4 favourite.
Gavin Ryan got off the mark for the new season when taking the second of the seven-furlong handicaps on the day on Pat Murphy’s Asisaid. Owned by the Tylery Road Syndicate, the 20/1 chance led over a furlong from the finish and held off the Pat Martin-trained Patrick Street by a neck.
Ben Coen rode his first winner of the new season and gave trainer Johnny Murtagh his second success of the term when taking the near eight-furlong three-year-old median auction maiden on Fast Tara at the rearranged Bellewstown fixture on Thursday. A strong 7/4 favourite in the colours of Syndicates Racing, she led passing the two-furlong pole to beat Noel Meade’s Hokusai by a length and three-parts.
Gavin Ryan made it two wins in as many days as he took the three-year-old handicap over the same distance on the Mark Fahey-trained Rhythm King. It was all very easy for the 5/1 shot which again led with two furlong to race before pulling away to win by three and a half lengths from the Fozzy Stack-trained Secret Sauce.
Fethard trainer Liam O’Brien and jockey Ian Power combined to win the two-mile three-furlong handicap hurdle with Mighty Jeremy at Clonmel on Thursday evening. A strong 5/4 favourite on the back of a fine effort at Cork last month, the nine-year-old led approaching the final furlong to win by three and a half lengths from the Niall Hennessy-trained Lilian Bland.
A 1,000 Guineas trial might be on the cards for the Fozzy Stack-trained You Send Me which scored an impressive success in the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden at Cork on Saturday. Ridden by Mark Enright, the well-backed 11/4 chance led a furlong from the finish and impressed when beating the Adrian Murray-trained Beauty Bella by three and a half lengths.
Dual Group 1 winner Tenebrism made a winning return as she scored a cosy success in the Listed Cork Stakes over six-furlongs. Ridden by Ryan Moore for Aidan O’Brien, the four-year-old was sent off the 11/10 favourite and she readily got the better of the Donnacha O’Brien-trained Wodao by a length and three-parts.
Paddy Twomey landed his second winner of the new season with his first two-year-old runner as the Billy Lee-ridden Noche Magica took the five-furlong maiden. A strong 7/4 favourite, he impressed when beating the Kieran Cotter-trained Sturlasson by three and three-parts of a length with Aidan O’Brien’s Alabama three-parts of a length away in third place.
At Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, Harry Swan landed by far his biggest success when taking the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper on the Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead. In the Gigginstown House Stud colours, the strong 5/4 favourite led over a furlong from the finish to beat Shark Hanlon’s Topgun Simmy by four lengths.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Ballinrobe – Friday, April 14 (1st race 4.50pm); Dundalk – Friday, April 14 (1st race 5.10pm); Curragh – Sunday, April 16 (1st race 1.25pm); Tramore – Sunday, April 15 (1st race 2.15pm).
