Tipperary Racing Scene
Before his successful week at Royal Ascot, Aidan O'Brien sent out two winners at Gowran Park on Monday of last week.
He shared them both with Wayne Lordan and the pair were quickly off the mark as January took the opening seven-furlong fillies’ maiden for two-year-olds. It was tight at the line as the odds-on favourite held on to win by a head from the Jessica Harrington-trained Va Va Vroom.
Favourite, Master Of The Hunt, scored a far easier success in the three-year-old maiden over eight furlongs. He went clear from the furlong pole to win by two and three-parts of a length from Johnny Murtagh’s Shamsuddin which was ridden by Ben Coen.
Coen had earlier ridden a winner when taking the median auction fillies’ maiden over a mile on the Johnny Murtagh-trained Glen Princess. The 10/1 chance led inside the final furlong top win by a length and a quarter from the Dermot Weld-trained Next Trick.
The Wayne Hassett-ridden Influential Lady took the 14-furlong handicap. Trained locally by Jimmy Barcoe, the 10-year-old made it seven career wins as she beat Michael Grassick’s Lilac Lady by half a length, her third win at Gowran Park.
Dairy Force won the two-mile amateur riders’ maiden hurdle for Fethard trainer Liam O'Brien and Finny Maguire at Kilbeggan. Owned by the WSQ Syndicate, the five-year-old had an easy time of it at the end as he scored by a comfortable two and a quarter lengths from the Gordon Elliott-trained Irina’s Path which was ridden by Harry Swan.
Pat Doyle won the opening division of the three-mile opportunity handicap hurdle with the Notions Thirteen Syndicate-owned Safran Et Bleu. Charlie O’Dwyer was in the saddle as the 13/2 shot got up in the final strides to beat Moyvilla Lass by half a length.
Ben Coen made it two winners for the week as he took the eight-furlong handicap for three-year-olds on the Johnny Murtagh-trained Chicago Fireball at Leopardstown on Thursday. He made all the running on the 2/1 chance and held off Ger Lyons’ Ragga Bomb by a neck in what was the tightest finish of the meeting.
Apprentice jockey Mark Crehan rode his first winner for Aidan O'Brien as Blackpool landed the 12-furlong handicap in good style. Leading at halfway, the three-year-old skipped a few lengths clear before the straight to beat Realt Na Ri, ridden for Jessica Harrington by Nathan Crosse, by a length and three-parts, a 75th career success for the winning jockey.
Gavin Ryan was an early winner at Down Royal on Friday where he won the five-furlong handicap for three-year-olds on the Diego Dias-trained Comein Comein. In the trainer’s own colours, the co-favourite of three made much of the running to beat Johnny Murtagh’s Emerald Harmony by half a length.
Ryan was on the mark at Down Royal the following afternoon where he won the 10-furlong fillies’ handicap on the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Lady Doris and went on to ride a runaway winner for Aidan O'Brien. The well-supported favourite came out best in a four-way photo-finish when just edging out the Paul Traynor-trained Fiver Friday by a shorthead with Dermot Weld’s Hasna a head away in third place with Oriole, trained by Natalia Lupini, the same margin away in fourth place.
In very different circumstances, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Lily Hart won the 13-furlong fillies’ maiden. An odds-on favourite, she led over two furlong from the finish and eased clear to score by six and a half lengths from the Joe Murphy-trained Dark Oak.
Nathan Crosse landed a bigger success when taking the €100,000 BoyleSports Ulster Derby on the Jessica Harrington-trained Going Remote. Owned by the Blessingndisguise Partnership, the 11/2 chance led inside the final furlong and scored a comfortable two-length win over Natalia Lupini’s Barnso.
Upcoming Meetings
Naas – Wednesday, June 26 (First Race 5.30pm)
Curragh – Friday, June 28 (First Race 5pm)
Curragh – Saturday, June 29 (First Race 1.15pm)
Curragh – Sunday, June 30 (First Race 1.10pm)