Tipperary Racing Scene
The great run of form being enjoyed by both trainer Tim Doyle and rookie apprentice Wayne Hassett continued at Galway on Bank Holiday Monday where Kinda Tiny landed the seven-furlong handicap.
Owned and bred by the trainer’s wife Claire, the three-year-old was sent off co-favourite and she led close to the finish to beat the Mark Fahey-trained Clear Quartz by three-parts of a length to give the Burnchurch apprentice, his sixteenth success of the season.
Aidan O'Brien got the afternoon off to a winning start as Everlasting took the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden under Seamie Heffernan. She made much of the running to score by a length and three-parts from Kisiyra, ridden for Johnny Murtagh by Ben Coen.
Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll won the 12-furlong handicap with the Gerard Kervick-owned Immutable. The consistent three-year-old defied to weight to gain his second success of the season and his third overall with a one-length victory at odds over Harry Rogers’ favourite Narlita.
Local trainer Padraig Roche gave high-flying apprentice Wayne Hassett his seventeenth winner of the season as Thiscommonknowledge ran away with the eight-furlong nursey handicap at the Curragh on Tuesday. In the colours of the All Rogues Have Friends Syndicates, the 100/30 chance led inside the final furlong to beat the Jessica Harrington-trained Mo Ghille Mar by four lengths.
Seamie Heffernan won the opening six-furlong maiden for two-year-olds at the Curragh on Tuesday on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Samuel Colt. Leading at the furlong-pole, the 5/2 chance eased clear to score by four and a half lengths from the Fozzy Stack-trained Eclipse Emerald.
It was far tighter in the 10-furlong handicap where Tim Doyle’s Alfalfa, the Wayne Hassett-ridden favourite, got the better of the Johnny Murtagh-trained Kermiya and Ben Coen by a neck. However, the placings were reversed after a stewards’ enquiry after it was found that the first past the post had carried the locally-trained runner to her left inside the final furlong.
At Dundalk on Wednesday, Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan shared yet another winner. Heffernan completed a double on the day with success on joint-favourite Greenfinch in the seven-furlong maiden. The veteran jockey had earlier won the claiming race on the Eric McNamara-trained Brains.
Apprentice Sean Bowen took the second division of the seven-furlong handicap on the Philip Byrne-trained El Bello. In the colours of the Premier Racing Club, the four-year-old headed the James McAuley-trained Pulse Of Shanghai inside the final furlong to win by half a length.
Trainer Martin Hassett won the opening beginners’ chase with Battle Of Ridgeway at Thurles on Thursday. Ridden by Brian Hayes, the 13/2 chance came from a little off the pace to lead after the second-last fence and he had any amount in hand in beating the Eoin Doyle-trained Vocito by eleven lengths.
Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee were winners on the final all-weather card of the 2023 Flat season as Persian Jewel took the eight-furlong maiden in good style. An odds-on favourite, the three-year-old hit the front with over a furlong to race and had two and a quarter lengths to spare over the Michael Halford & Tracey Collins-trained Not forgotten at the line.
Kevin Coleman and Joey Sheridan combined to win the first of three handicaps over the same distance with the five-year-old Benavente. The 17/2 chance came from off the pace to lead well inside the final furlong to beat the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Dance Night Andday by half a length.
Coleman completed a double as Fleetfootsoldier took the second division of the eight-furlong handicap under Limerick apprentice Calum Hogan. Owned by the Square Bar Racing Club, the 13/2 shot led close to the finish to beat Tim Doyle’s Pink Socks by three-parts of a length.
Wayne Hassett rounded off the 2023 Flat season in fine style with a closing day double at the Curragh on Sunday to bring his tally for the term to nineteen winners. He started the meeting with a three and three-parts of a length win in the eight-furlong maiden for two-year-olds on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Kolachi which beat Aidan O'Brien’s favourite Autumn Winter with plenty in hand.
It was easier again for Hassett as he took the seven-furlong handicap on the Denis Cullen-trained Zephron. The Colm White-owned chance stormed to a six-length success over the Michael Grassick-trained favourite Blue Peak.
Seamie Heffernan rounded off a great weekend for Aidan O'Brien as he won the 12-furlong maiden on favourite Queenstown. In a tight finish, she held on to beat Ger Lyons’ Neptunes Staircase by a nose.
Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead were winners late on the card at Cork on Sunday where Como Park defied top-weight to take the concluding two and a half-mile handicap hurdle. Owned by the Nameless & Shameless Partnership, the four-year-old battled well to pip the Eoin McCarthy-trained Tomjackwilliam by a head.
BIG RACE SUCCESS FOR IRISH IN AMERICA AND BRITAIN
Aidan O'Brien was among the big winners at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita over the weekend where his dual Derby hero and Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes winner Auguste Rodin landed the 12-furlong Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The Ryan Moore-ridden favourite beat local hope Up To the Mark by three-parts of a length with Japanese contender Shahryar half a length away in third place.
The win saw O'Brien become the first trainer to win the same Breeders’ Cup race seven times and came 24 hours after his Unquestionable, another ridden by Ryan Moore, had beaten his own stable companion Mountain Bear to take the Juvenile Turf. O'Brien now has 18 Breeders’ Cup winners to his name while Moore’s tally stands at 14.
At little closer to home, at Wetherby on Saturday, the Mouse Morris-trained Gentlemansgame got the better of Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame to win the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, a first Irish success in the race since Frances Crowley won with Sackville in 2001. Having just his third run over fences, the Darragh O'Keeffe-ridden seven-year-old scored by a length and three-quarter.
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 8 (First Race 1.25pm)
Clonmel – Thursday, November 9 (First Race 12.30pm)
Down Royal – Friday, November 10 (First Race 12.40pm)
Dundalk – Friday, November 10 (First Race 5.15pm)
Gowran Park – Saturday, November 11 (First Race 12.20pm)
Down Royal – Saturday, November 11 (First Race 12.30pm)
Naas – Sunday, November 12 (First Race 11.40am)