WEEK 50 – DECEMBER 9th-15th, 2013

Six winners to report on this week from area locals in the UK. Jonjo O’Neill reached a century of winners for the 2013-14 jumps season, with a grade 2 hurdle win, with More Of That. Brian Harding rode a winner that his family bred, while Richie McLernon and Liam Keniry also added to their win tally.

O’NEILL WILL TAKE MORE OF THAT

Castletownroche native and trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, brought up a century of winners for the 2013-14 season, taking three races at Cheltenham’s two day meeting last week. His most notable winner came with More Of That (11/4), in the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle over 2m4f, on December 14th last.

Ridden by Tony McCoy, this five year old son of Beneficial was trying to keep his unbeaten record over hurdles intact. With only four runners going to post, this was always going to be a tactical affair. With the Paul Nicholls trained Salubrious (3/1) and Daryl Jacobs taking them along at a steady early pace, More Of That and McCoy were content to sit and stalk the leader in third place. Challenged at the sixth flight by Gemix (3/1), Jacobs decided to inject some pace into the race and he duly kicked his mount into a six length lead. Trying to get his rivals off the bridle, Jacobs looked to hold all the aces going to the second last. A sloppy jump by More Of That over that obstacle cost him vital momentum at a crucial stage, but McCoy sat quiet and slowly gathered in the leader going to the last obstacle.

With Gemix and Glens Melody now beat, More Of That was produced to challenge Salubrious over the final flight. Landing together over the last, McCoy still looked as if he had plenty of horse under him. Taking a slight lead half way up the Cheltenham hill, McCoy just coaxed More Of That ahead inside the final 150yds, to win going away by a cosy looking two and a quarter lengths.

Having won this race back in 2006 with Black Jack Ketchum, O’Neill will be anxious to take his time with this youngster, who could potentially be grade 1 class on this evidence. With talk of the World Hurdle been muted around the media, time is on his side and chasing looks more his game long term. Owner JP McManus has already got a good candidate for the World Hurdle in At Fishers Cross and maybe More Of That would only be considered for that race if an issue occurs with that horse.

Jonjo O’Neill, winning trainer, went onto say, “We’ve just been trying to get experience into the horse and as I thought this wouldn’t have a big field, it looked a nice option. He’ll make a lovely chaser and I hadn’t even thought of the World Hurdle. We won’t rush him, but the Cleeve Hurdle could be the plan next.”

O’Neill’s second Cheltenham winner came with Eastlake, a full brother to More Of That, who took the Class 2 Jenny Mould Memorial Handicap Chase over 2m, on December 14 last.

Ridden by Tony McCoy, this seven year old son of Beneficial was recording his tenth win in all and seventh from just 16 starts over fences. Winning here off his highest rating of 140, Eastlake was sighted travelling well up the inside of runners going to the third last. A mistake at that obstacle put him on the back foot, but soon back in the race, McCoy produced his mount at the perfect time over the last fence. Hitting the front up the long run-in, Eastlake responded well to McCoy’s urgings and duly won with a little bit in hand, by one length.

As stated before in this column, Eastlake must go down as one of the most consistent and admirable horses in training and is a credit to all concerned with him. He will undoubtedly be tried in graded chases sooner rather than later.

Jonjo O’Neill, winning trainer, went onto say, “He needs a good gallop. They didn’t go mad early, he hit a bit of a flat spot and then rallied well at the end. I had thought about going for the Grand Sefton, but Tony said he wouldn’t get the trip. He’s a two-miler really.”

O’Neill’s third and final winner at Cheltenham came with the evergreen ten year old, Sunnyhillboy (10/1), in a class 2 handicap hurdle over 3m, on December 13th last. Recording his first win since the Kim Muir Chase back at Cheltenham in March 2012, Sunnyhillboy showed he still has a great appetite for the game by beating Return Spring (7/1) by three-quarters of a length, in this well contested handicap. He will undoubtedly be aimed at the Aintree Grand National again in 2014, a race in which he was agonizingly beaten by a nose back in 2012.

HARDING GIVES JACK A MASTERCLASS

Castletownroche native and jump jockey, Brian Harding, continues to ride at the top of his game. He recorded another winner aboard the Dianne Sayer trained Jack Albert (15/2), in a class 4 novice handicap hurdle over 2m4f, at Musselburgh, on December 9th last.

Wearing first time blinkers and reverting to hurdling after three chase starts, this six year old Cloudings gelding, looked anything but straightforward, through this eight runner contest.

Leading early to the third flight, Jack Albert was joined and passed by Brunello (11/2), off what looked a good pace. Keeping close tags on the leader, Harding found himself outpaced and in third position going to the third last, after Irish challenger Solidago passed him and took on Brunello for the lead. With Solidago (11/1) and Brunello now kicking on, a duel between that pair seemed the most likely outcome. But Harding started to get a response from Jack Albert and he joined his two rivals over the second last. With three in unison jumping the last, Solidago was the first to crack and a battle ensued up the long run-in between Brunello and Jack Albert. Harding got busy and his mount responded when it mattered most, duly staying on too strongly for Brunello, to win going away by two and a quarter lengths.

Recording his first win on this, his eleventh start, Jack Albert seems to have benefited from the fitting of blinkers. Not looking an easy ride, Harding gave a master-class from the saddle here and the added bonus was this horse was also bred by his sister, Marie Harding back in Castletownroche.

Dianne Sayer, winning trainer, went onto say, “I was very disappointed with Jack Albert last time, so we decided to bring him back over hurdles, put the blinkers on and try and make the running. Going right-handed also seemed to help him, as he was hanging left last time out.”

McLERNON DOES A SEASIDE SHUFFLE

Liscarroll native and jump jockey, Richie McLernon, was back in the winners circle aboard the Sophie Leech trained Seaside Shuffle (6/1), in a class 5 handicap hurdle over 2m1f, at Taunton on December 12th last.

Recording his first win in England and third in all, this eight year old gelded son of Wizard King, got his desired ground conditions, in this 14-runner contest. Dropped out in rear, off what looked a strong pace, McLernon bided his time to the outside of runners and taking closer order going out on the final circuit, looked to be travelling better than most turning into the home straight. With the pacesetters now feeling the pain of their early exertions, McLernon sat in third motionless as Spinning Waters (6/1) hit the front jumping the second last. Joining that rival upsides over the last, Seaside Shuffle knuckled down and under a full drive from McLernon, showed a great attitude to win all out at the line by a neck.

Winning here off a mark of 87, having been 102 on his UK hurdling debut back in June, Seaside Shuffle looks a well handicapped horse. All his good form seems to be on a faster surface and he has some scope for a follow up win while the ground remains dry. With obvious physical issues, Sophie Leech will have to play things by ear with this fellow.

Richie McLernon, speaking to The Avondhu, went onto say, “It was nice to get a win out of him. This race suited him as they went a strong gallop and he stuck his neck out when he needed too.”

KENIRY THE NOT SO YOUNG MASTER

Killeagh native and flat jockey, Liam Keniry, rode an extraordinary race when winning aboard the Neil Mulholland trained The Young Master (8/1), in a class 6 handicap over 2m at Southwell, on December 13th last.

Ridden handy in third for the first half of this nine-runner contest, Keniry chased down the early leader Sings Poet (33/1), who fell in a hole fully six furlongs out. Hitting the front under a ride he was joined quickly by hot favourite Neighbourhood (10/11f) and Joey Haynes, who travelled so strongly, he cruised past The Young Master as if he was standing still.

Going fully eight lengths clear turning into the home straight, Neighbourhood seemed to have this race sewn up. But Keniry kept rowing away at The Young Master and low and behold entering the final furlong, the distress signals were out on Neighbourhood. Tiring badly inside the last 100yds, Neighbourhood stopped to a walk and Keniry mowed him down for an unlikely win by a neck at the line.

The Young Master was returning to flat racing after nearly 600 days and is better known as a hurdler these days, winning at Fontwell in mid November. He could be considered unlucky not to have added to that win, when falling at the second last, holding every chance at Exeter last time out. But with a flat rating of just 46, it would be no surprise to see connections mix it up under both codes in the coming months.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

This is our last column until the New Year, I would like to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a happy New Year. I would also like to thank all of those jockeys, trainers and owners who contributed to this column in 2013 and wish them even more success in 2014. It’s staggering to consider that Avondhu locals had 500 winners between them in 2013 in the UK.

2013 totals up to and including Monday, 16th Dec – Jonjo O’Neill 136; David O’Meara 136; Martin Lane 56; Liam Keniry 57; Richie McLernon 34; Brian Harding 27; Ed Vaughan 18; Barry Keniry 14; Maurice Linehan 9; Conor Ring 11 and Ronnie O’Leary 2. Total 500.