Ballinrobe double for Denis Hogan

As I journeyed to Ballinrobe on Tuesday, my mind wandered back to happy bygone days when in the company of friends who are now watching their racing from the grandstand in the sky, the Mayo venue had as much appeal to us as Galway.

We were always on the road early to get in some fishing on Lough Mask near Tourmakeady before heading to the races in the afternoon. The rod and line has long since been put away the and the racecourse has undergone many changes but the people in Mayo are still as welcoming as ever and were still in good voice as the evening drew to a close in spite of the fact that winner finding proved to be difficult with only one favourite obliging.

Denis Hogan was the trainer in form recording a double courtesy of Al Sakb and Generator City.

The Dansili gelding Al Sakb set the ball rolling with a workmanlike success in the two mile and one maiden hurdle. Given a no nonsense ride by Trevor Ryan, Al Sakb, who wearing cheekpieces for the first time, was never too far out of his ground. He jumped to the front four hurdles from home and from there responded well to the urgings of his rider to land the spoils by two and threequarter lengths from Dunbar with the odds on favourite the Abbey a further three and threequarter lengths further back in third place.

A 260,000 guineas yearling, the winner changed hands for a mere 5,500 guineas at the Newmarket horses-in-training sale in October 2016. Although he failed to trouble the judge in a solitary bumper outing and seven over hurdles, the six-year-old showed a good attitude and if reproducing this level of form can be placed to further success.

Hogan was back in the winners enclosure an hour later when Generator City took the extended two mile and five handicap hurdle at the expense of the John Ryan trained Summer Hill.

 

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