John Ryan continues good run of form
Tipperary Racing Scene
Templemore’s John Ryan landed his fourth winner in five days when Drumgill ran away with the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe on Monday.
Ridden by Danny Gilligan, the strong favourite headed the front-running Wrecking Ball Paul well after the final hurdle and raced away to score by all of seven lengths from the Michael Flannery-trained Tomas O Maille in Ryan’s own colours.
In contrasting fashion, 4/1 chance Littlefoot won the auction maiden hurdle for Ballycahill trainer Mark Molloy and conditional jockey Liam McKenna. The six-year-old took on the Emmet Mullins-trained front-running favourite Arctic Gale at the final hurdle and battled well to score by a nose in the colours of the Littlefoot Partnership.
Poulmucka apprentice Alan Casey rode a winner on just his second ride as the Denis Hogan-trained Polemon took the concluding nine-furlong handicap at Gowran Park on Wednesday.
The Premier Racing Club-owned 12/1 chance went to the front inside the final furlong and held on by a shorthead under the 17-year-old jockey to beat Paul Nolan’s Jarvis Brook which was ridden by Ronan Whelan.
Earlier in the evening, Aidan O'Brien had won the nine-furlong Listed Darley Irish EBF Hurry Harriet Stakes with the Wayne Lordan-ridden Wingspan. The 4/1 chance readily got the better of Paddy Twomey’s One Look by three-parts of a length.
The four-runner 12-furlong handicap went the way of Smooth Tom which was ridden by Andrew Slattery for his dad Andy. Owned and bred by Margaret O’Rourke, the 6/1 chance was momentarily eased inside the final 100 yards but was then ridden out to win by a neck from the rallying Jessica Harrington-trained Highland Bling. Smooth Tom had finished second in the same race last year.
Nathan Crosse took the nine-furlong median auction maiden on the Willie McCreery-trained Cancelled. The 11/4 chance headed Joseph O'Brien’s front-running favourite Valinor under two furlongs out and kept on to beat that same rival by half a length, the pair a length and three-parts ahead of the winner’s stable companion Coul Dreamer.
Wayne Lordan rode back-to-back winners at Dundalk on Wednesday where he was again on the mark for Aidan O'Brien.
He took the eight-furlong maiden for two-year-olds on the odds-on favourite Bernard Shaw which raced clear inside the final furlong to win by all of nine lengths from the Adrian Murray-trained Nakatomi.
Two and a quarter lengths was the winning margin as the Andy Oliver-trained 10/1 shot Marble Angel won the opening division of the handicap over the same distance to complete the jockey’s double.
Andy Slattery won the second leg of the same race with Rock Etoile, the trainer’s second winner in as many days. Ridden by Cian Horgan, the John Moloney-owned 11/2 chance led over a furlong out and held off the Eoghan O’Neill-trained Seas And Oceans, ridden by Wayne Lordan, by three-parts of a length.
Rachael Blackmore landed her first success of the Tramore August Festival as the Henry de Bromhead-trained Rosalys scored a cosy success in the two and a half-mile novice hurdle on Thursday.
A strong 100/30 favourite, the five-year-old led in the early stages of the race and again after the third-last hurdle and he went on to score by two and a quarter lengths from the Sam Curling-trained Miners Bridge.
Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee combined to win the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Platinum Stakes with Super Sox at Cork on Friday. A maiden winner at the Curragh on Guineas weekend in May, the three-year-old was having her first start since then and made light of the absence to score by a length and three-parts from the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Dance Night Andday.
Aidan O'Brien shared three winners with Ryan Moore at the Curragh on Saturday where their haul included a runaway success for Grosvenor Square in the Group 3 Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes.
The strong 1/2 favourite made all the running and enjoyed a clear advantage for most of the 14-furlong trip. The three-year-old had the race in safe keeping from well before the straight and he coasted home for a 20-length victory over the Adrian Murray-trained Courageous Strike, the outsider of the five-runner field.
The Ballydoyle team had also won the Group 3 Shoda Market Cafe Royal Whip Stakes with the odds-on favourite Continuous. He led in the early stages of the 10-furlong contest and again over a furlong from the finish from where he readily held the Joseph O'Brien-trained Trustyourinstinct by half a length.
O'Brien and Moore’s first win of the afternoon came in the opening five-furlong listed race for two-year-olds which went the way of Treasure Isle. He too scored by half a length, holding the late run of Jessica Harrington’s shot Saratoga Special in convincing fashion.
Wayne Hassett rode a winner at both the Curragh and Tramore. He made much of the running on the Tim Doyle-trained Goldmoyne, owned and bred by Claire Doyle, to take the seven-furlong handicap at the Kildare venue before heading south to win the concluding two-mile handicap on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Charlie Darling. Owned by Dermot Murray, the 13/2 chance came from of the pace to score by a length and three-parts from the Barry Connell-trained Tannery Park.
It was also a second winner on the day for Cromwell who was adding to his success with the Robert Whearty-ridden Sixandahalf at Newmarket earlier in the afternoon.
Aidan O'Brien rounded off a successful weekend with the Ryan Moore-ridden Whistlejacket winning the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville, a 200th Group or Grade 1 winner for the legendary jockey, on Sunday.
Closer to home, Denis Hogan sent out the first winner on the final day of the Tramore festival where the Daniel King-ridden Expound took the two-mile maiden hurdle. Owned by the Comer House Syndicate, the five-year-old made all the running and held off the challenge of the Shark Hanlon-trained Brilliant Light by half a length.
Rachael Blackmore landed a second Tramore festival win when the Henry de Bromhead-trained Marv Michael took the two-mile five-furlong maiden hurdle in fine style. The 5/2 chance led before the second-last hurdle and went clear to beat the Shark Hanlon-trained Isle Of Sark by four lengths.
Lake Chad won the two and three-quarter-mile handicap chase for Philip Fenton and jockey Sean O'Keeffe. Owned by Eileen Moore, the 15/2 chance went clear before the second-last fence and ran out a thirteen-length winner from Philip Rothwell’s Natural Breeze.
Hilary McLoughlin took the concluding bumper with the Derek O'Connor-ridden Parga Diamond. Owned by Michael Carroll, the 7/1 chance led well before halfway and went clear inside the final furlong to win by three and three-parts of a length from the John McConnell-trained Diamond Tipperary.
Upcoming Meetings
Sligo – Wednesday, August 21 (First Race 5.08pm)
Killarney – Thursday, August 22 (First Race 4.33pm)
Leopardstown – Thursday, August 22 (First Race 4.50pm)
Kilbeggan – Friday, August 23 (First Race 4.50pm)
Killarney – Friday, August 23 (First Race 5.10pm)
Curragh – Saturday, August 24 (First Race 1.45pm)
Killarney – Saturday, August 24 (First Race 2.30pm)
Naas – Sunday, August 25 (First Race 1.57pm)