Hackett in tune with Morricone
Tipperary Racing Scene
Paddy Twomey gave his great ally Billy Lee the first leg of treble when sending out J’adore Chris to win the seven-furlong maiden at Roscommon on Tuesday.
Owned by Denise, Sarah, Aine Corcoran, she was sent off at odds of 1/3 favourite and readily held the challenge of the Ger Lyons-trained Wiliam F Browne by three-quarters of a length.
Toomevara trainer Ray Hackett won the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle with the Ballyvara Racing Syndicate-owned Morricone at Sligo on Wednesday. Ridden by Liam Quinlan, the strong 9/4 favourite was headed approaching the final hurdle by the Des McDonogh-trained Luimneach but he battled back to score by half a length from that same rival under the Littleton conditional jockey.
Aidan O'Brien’s great run of success at York as the Ryan Moore-ridden favourite Content won at Leopardstown on Thursday. Declan McDonogh’s mount Chemistry, a 10/1 chance, was awarded the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vinnie Roe Stakes in the stewards’ room. He lost to the Jessica Harrington-trained joint-favourite Kinesiology by a neck but was promoted a place after the two horses bumped well inside the final furlong.
The Jack Cleary-ridden Platoon completed the Ballydoyle double when making almost all the running to win the eight-furlong maiden for three-year-olds on his debut. The 11/4 shot held off Fozzy Stack’s Touch The Sound by half a length.
Jake Coen landed a notable success as he won the €45,000 two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle on the Peter Fahey-trained Miss Fourie at Killarney on Thursday. The Aisling Molloy-owned seven-year-old led before the second-last hurdle and race right away to win by all of nine lengths from the Cian Collins-trained Mighty Tom.
It was Coen’s biggest winner to date over hurdles or fences and 54th winner of his career.
At Newcastle on the same evening, Andy Slattery and his son Andrew were winners with the Pat Garvey-owned Cloud Seeker in a 10-furlong handicap which was part of the Racing League series.
Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee were the big winners at Killarney on Friday where One Look got her head in front once again to take the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vincent O'Brien Ruby Stakes. Owned by the Connolly Racing Syndicate, the three-year-old was sent off the 13/8 favourite and came with a late run to score by a length from Joseph O'Brien’s Princess Child.
Rathvin trainer Harry Kelly took the opening division of the eight-furlong handicap with the Wayne Hassett-ridden Spring Collection. A 13/2 shot in the colours of owner Gemma O’Mahony, the four-year-old led approaching the furlong-pole and kept on best of all the score by two and a quarter lengths from the Eoghan O’Neill-trained Seas And Oceans.
Hassett rode another convincing winner in the shape of English raider Prydwen in the 14-furlong handicap. A first Irish runner for Newmarket-trainer George Scott, the 12/1 chance was another to lead over a furlong from the finish and he ran out a two and three-parts of a length winner from Gavin Cromwell’s Vera Verto.
Harry Swan made all the running on the John McConnell-trained Seddon to win the concluding two-mile one-furlong amateur riders’ race. In the familiar colours of the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate, the 4/1 chance held off Dermot Weld’s Brogue by three-parts of a length.
A big weekend for Henry de Bromhead kicked off at Kilbeggan on Friday where he won the three-mile one-furlong maiden hurdle with the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Native Speaker. A 6/4 favourite, the six-year-old made all the running and was too strong for Joseph O'Brien’s Magellan Spirit from the final hurdle as he scored by a length and a quarter.
De Bromhead added to his earlier success with the Billy Lee-ridden Magical Zoe in the Ebor Handicap at York, as Easy Fella won the near three-mile novice chase in the hands of Rachael Blackmore at Killarney on Saturday.
The Four In One Syndicate-owned 5/2 chance made it two wins from three starts over fences when making all the running to beat the Enda Bolger-trained favourite Solitary Man by four and three-parts of a lengths.
Pat Flynn took the Listed handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs with the Gary Noonan-ridden Walnut Beach. The 12/1 chance led after the second-last fence and was always holding the Philip Rothwell-trained El Champo as he scored by a length and a quarter.
Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore brought their York form to the Curragh on Saturday where they won four of the eight races with the jockey bringing his tally of winners for the season in Ireland to fifty winners, just one behind his best tally, set last season.
There was two-year-old maiden success for the 7/4 favourite Officer which made a winning debut in the opening seven-furlong race and for the three-year-old Fighter which won the 10-furlong three-year-old race at odds of 6/1.
At a far higher level, the odds-on favourite Henri Matisse landed a hat-trick of Curragh wins in the Group 2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes to remain unbeaten. He came through to lead inside the final furlong and despite a late jink to his left, he scored by a cosy length from the Jessica Harrington-trained Hotazhell.
Bedtime Story made it four wins from as many starts when justifying her odds of 1/16 favourite in the Group 2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes. She was ridden along from over a furlong out and also came late to deny her own stable companion Exactly, ridden by Wayne Lordan, by half a length. The Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes is next for the winner which had scored at the same prohibitive odds at Leopardstown in July.
Ben Coen and Johnny Murtagh took the 10-furlong handicap with the 7/1 chance Masoun which was adding to a recent win at Down Royal. He won readily from the Daniel McLoughlin-trained Solar Breeze with a length and three-parts between the pair at the post.
At odds of 50/1, the Fozzy Stack-trained Shandy won the near six-furlong Group 3 Tally-Ho Stud EBF Ballyogan Stakes at Naas on Sunday.
She raced on the stands’ side under Andrew Slattery and just got the better of the Paddy Twomey-trained favourite Firebird by a head, the pair separated by the width of the track.
Earlier on the card, Aidan O'Brien and local apprentice Jack Cleary shared their second winner of the week together when taking the seven-furlong median sires fillies’ maiden with Garden Of Eden. An 18/1 chance, she was headed inside the final furlong but battled back to win by a head.
Ballinalard’s Seamus O’Donnell won the five-furlong handicap with the Wesley Joyce-ridden Theriverrunsdeep. A 16/1 chance, the eight-year-old led at halfway and pulled clear inside the final furlong to win by three and three-parts of a length from George Kingston’s Sunday Sovereign, ridden by Chris Hayes.
Wayne Hassett brought his career tally to forty winners when winning the concluding 10-furlong handicap on the Paul Traynor-trained Fiver Friday. The 8/1 chance scored the easiest of wins as she led over a furlong from the finish to beat Johnny Murtagh’s favourite Thor’s Hammer by three and a half lengths.
Upcoming Meetings
Bellewstown – Wednesday, August 28 (First Race 4.15pm)
Navan – Thursday, August 29 (First Race 2.30pm)
Wexford – Friday, August 30 (First Race 3.20pm)
Down Royal – Friday, August 30 (First Race 4.05pm)
Curragh – Saturday, August 31 (First Race 1.45pm)
Tipperary – Sunday, September 1 (First Race 2.30pm)