Doyle father and daughter team up

Tipperary Racing Scene

A classy performer over the years, Lifetime Ambition added to three recent point-to-point wins when landing the Jack Tyner Memorial Hunters Chase for trainer Pat Doyle and his amateur rider daughter Susie at Cork on Bank Holiday Monday.

Owned by Linda Mulcahy and Mary Wolridge, the nine-year-old was recording his first win on the racecourse since taking a Grade 3 novice chase for Jessica Harrington at Limerick almost exactly two years ago. Clear between the final two fences, the odds-on favourite romped to an eleven length success over the Philip Rothwell-trained Break The Boundary.

Ryan Moore flew in for three rides for Aidan O'Brien at Dundalk on Friday evening and he was rewarded with two winners.

The pair struck first in the seven-furlong maiden for three-year-olds with odds-on favourite Air Commander which made a winning seasonal debut. He was made to work for his success and had to dig deep to see off Ger Lyons’ Apricot Ice by half a length.

It was far easier for Ballydoyle’s odds-on favourite Hans Andersen in the concluding 12-furlong conditions’ race. The four-year-old completed the double for both trainer and jockey when comfortably seeing off Henry de Bromhead’s Gentleman Joe by a length and a quarter, the first two home all of six lengths clear of Joseph O'Brien’s Shamwari.

Earlier in the evening, David Marnane had won the opening six-furlong handicap with City Equine II Syndicate-owned Jered Maddox. The eight-year-old landed his eighth career success and his sixth at the track when coming through under Luke McAteer to beat the Seamus O’Donnell-trained Theriverrunsdeep by a length and three-parts.

Although their raid on Chelmsford on Saturday with Capulet didn’t pay off, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore were back in the winners’ enclosure with a treble at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Not everything went their way at the meeting with two odds-on favourites failing to deliver, but they landed an early winner as the three-year-old Wingspan took the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden in fine style. A 7/2 chance, she quickened well to lead inside the final furlong to beat Jim Bolger’s Nativity Square by a length and a half.

Battle Cry led home a Ballydoyle 1-2 in the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes over an extended seven furlongs. The 10/1 chance was a definite last into the straight, but he picked up well and headed his own stable companion, the Gavin Ryan-ridden Samuel Colt, in the final 100 yards to score by half a length.

Favourite Chantilly was the pair’s easiest winner of the afternoon as he romped home in the 10-furlong handicap. He landed his first success on his handicap debut with a four and a quarter-length win over the Jim Bolger-trained Slaney Swagger.

Also, at Leopardstown on Sunday, Paddy Twomey notched up another notable success as A Lilac Rolla took the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes. Owned by the Mutual Admiration Society Partnership, the 9/2 chance made it three wins from as many starts as she battled well under Billy Lee to pip the Natalia Lupini-trained Kitty Rose, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, by a head.

Edward O'Grady won the opening eight-furlong maiden with the newcomer Ecureuil Secret, the first of two winners on the afternoon for Heffernan. In the Aidan Ryan colours, the 15/2 chance saw off the challenge of Thequietman, trained by Joseph O'Brien, inside the final furlong to win by one and a quarter lengths.

Heffernan later scored on the Adrian Murray-trained 50/1 chance Dallas Star in the Group 3 PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes.

Upcoming meetings

Dundalk – Friday, April 12 (First Race 5.05pm)

Bellewstown – Sunday, April 14 (First Race 1.02pm)

Down Royal – Sunday, April 14 (First Race 2.30pm)