Wojood and Hogan double up

Tipperary Racing Scene

Rachael Blackmore picked up a nice spare due to an injury to Denis O’Regan and made the most of a rare assignment for Pat O’Donnell, as Ardamir provided the trainer with his first winner of the National Hunt season in the Broderick’s Electrical Claiming Hurdle at Ballinrobe on Monday.

The Killenaule Grand National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle-winning rider was happy to sit in rear until making headway just after half-way of the two-mile contest, only taking it up 150 yards from the last and keeping on well to score by two and a half lengths.

Denis Hogan has been making a regular return to the winner’s enclosure as both jockey and trainer recently and he gave Daniel King his first victory over obstacles via Wojood in the Cummins Homevalue Hardware Handicap Hurdle. The six-year-old found plenty for his young pilot, staying on from being sixth two from home, to lead close home and eventually prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Junior Bee was an easy winner of the CJ Sheeran Ltd Handicap Hurdle for trainer Mark Molloy. Jordan Gainford didn’t get involved in the early hectic pace of the 2m 6f contest, only making his move at the penultimate flight, and Junior Bee accelerated clear, jumping the last like a cat to triumph by six and a half lengths.

Ben Coen has been having a fine time of it and broke his previous best tally of winners for a season at Gowran Park on Wednesday when persuading the Johnny Murtagh-trained Safecracker to beat off fellow joint favourite Inuit and bag first prize in the mile-and-a-half McEnery Cup Handicap, stamina and attitude winning the day.

Carrick-On-Suir-based Kevin Coleman has been getting a fine tune from his select string too and One Small Step relished the quick ground as well as going right-handed to claim the seven-furlong Open Week At Gowran Park Handicap on her final outing before going breeding. Settling well towards the rear of the eleven-runner pack for Seamie Heffernan before making smooth progress up to the two-furlong pole and finding plenty when asked to win by half a length.

Nathan Crosse took the opening Irish EBF Supports Champions Weekend Maiden for fillies over nine furlongs with Willie McCreery-trained Believeinmiracles, who relished the step up in trip and was given a peach of a ride by the stable apprentice from the front. The Cahir man asking for increased effort just inside the two pole and his partner asserted in impressive fashion.

Aidan O’Brien has been combining to good effect with Wayne Lordan in the last month or so too and they did so again when Victoria Road was a half-length winner of the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden, the son of Saxon Warrior making virtually all and keeping on well under pressure to score at the fourth attempt.

The pair struck on the double at Leopardstown 24 hours later, as Maybe Just Maybe obliged to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Maiden over seven furlongs by half a length from stablemate and favourite, Library. The daughter of Lord Kanaloa came with a perfectly-time challenge to reel in Library close home.

And it was another filly with a strong Japanese influence, Only who delivered in the Horseraces SA of Greece Maiden for three-year-olds and older, the Deep Impact offspring out of Classic-winning mare Winter, breaking well and taking up the lead after two furlongs. Lordan asked Only to pick up the revs two out and she kept on very well to prevail by a comfortable length and a quarter.

Ben Coen continued his fine run, and the Johnny Murtagh-trained Shanghai Dragon illustrated an improving profile when obliging in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Handicap over a mile. Coen had the leaders in his sights throughout and made his move in the final quarter mile, eventually taking it up a furlong out and galloping to the line a ready victor by a length and three-quarters.

Shane Crosse landed the Listed Jockey Club Of Turkey Vinnie Roe Stakes with the progressive stayer Point King, who made it three on the bounce. Joseph O’Brien’s colt relished the step up in trip to 1m6f and was galloping away by two and a quarter lengths on the line, with Crosse not having to be overly persuasive.

The Rachael Blackmore-Henry de Bromhead pairing delivered for favourite backers in the Walter Halley Memorial Beginners’ Chase at the trainer’s local Tramore on Thursday, as True Faith triumphed by four and a quarter lengths. The lightly-raced gelding was biding his time over hurdles and clearly enjoys the larger obstacles, jumping well before Blackmore delivered the signal to take the race by the scruff of the neck between the last two fences and quickly put the contest to bed.

Leslie Young saddled a welcome winner too and it was a deserving success for the consistent He’s Leading Me On in the Mary Hearn Memorial Handicap Hurdle under Conor McNamara. McNamara gave his mount his head going into the dip and only needed to push the five-year-old out to secure a nine-length verdict.

On Friday, John Ryan took the EY Steeple Chase over 2m 5f at Tramore on Friday with the admirable Ferdia, Danny Mullins charting a wide course before taking it up from before the second last, where long-time leader Bacardys fell. While his advantage was reduced after the last, he was never going to be caught and prevailed by two and a half lengths, providing Mullins with the first leg of a double.

Clerihan conditioner, Liam Casey deployed the services of Sean Flanagan for the homebred Ruler Of June and the pair hit it off in fine fashion to deliver in the Hanntec Handicap Chase. Flanagan judged his run to perfection, pegging back the long-time leader Rudy Catrail just before the last to score by two lengths in the colours of the trainer’s father, Donal.

There was another winner too for Rachael Blackmore as she navigated Some Dove to a three-quarter length triumph in the Assembly Tech Handicap Hurdle for boss Henry de Bromhead.

Back on the level, Aidan O’Brien and Wayne Lordan made it another double at Cork, in the first and last races. Lordan was powerful in the saddle as Tiger Paw held off the favourite Silmaniya by a short head in the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden and it was another close-run thing in the concluding Newmarket Maiden over a mile and a half, as Gulliver’s Travels, who kept on well under pressure to score by a head.

Gavin Ryan ensured a valuable winning bracket for the Paddy Hassett-trained Ali Babes, who scored in the Donate To Coast To Curragh Cycle Handicap by a half-length. A half-sister to Group 1 winner A Case Of You, the filly will continue to race next year but will join the Quin permit-holder’s broodmare band eventually and she showed an excellent attitude to prevail.

Joe Doyle gave Hastily what winning trainer Tom McGuinness described as “a peach” to land the spoils in the Follow Us On Social Media Handicap. Though still learning her trade, Hastily settled well under Doyle before making his move inside the final furlong and she was a ready length-and-a-half victor.

Paddy Twomey bagged the feature, the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes with the progressive Rumbles Of Thunder, who was held up by Billy Lee and always travelling well, ridden to lead inside the furlong marker, asserting to oblige by two and a quarter lengths.

On Saturday, Ben Coen rattled in another winner for his equally in-form boss Johnny Murtagh, between them claiming the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at The Curragh on Daamberdiplomat by a half-length.

Kevin Coleman saddled his second winner of the week and Palace Gardens was a ready victor too in the TRI Equestrian Nursery Handicap. Ridden by Coleman’s former childhood neighbour Wayne Lordan, the filly finally delivered having disappointed her handler to this point, scoring by a length and three-quarters.

The Denis Hogan trained Wojood was back in the winners enclosure on Saturday in Tramore after winning the Strand Inn Dunmore Handicap. Ridden by Colin Keane, he asked him for his effort racing into the final quarter of a mile and the six-year-old gelding soon picked up the chase on the outer. He stayed on into contention straightening for home and delivered his winning challenge to Molly Fantasy in the final 150 yards. He increased the margin to a length and a half at the line.

Joey Sheridan rarely had a moment’s worry when steering Prisoner’s Dilemma to a two-and-a-half-length success in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Handicap for trainer Johnny Levins. Showing the benefit of a recent run, the gelding dotted up and now has some fancy sprinting targets in Britain and Dubai.

Aidan O’Brien finally got the talented Luxembourg back on track after his injury and the odds-on favourite had to show guts to finally get his neck in front of Insinuendo in the dying strides of the Group 3 Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes under a strong ride from Ryan Moore.

Shane Crosse was positive in the following Group 3 Comer Group Irish St Leger Trial Stakes on the progressive Joseph O’Brien-trained Raise You, who galloped away to a two-length victory over dual Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Sligo – Wednesday, August 17 (First Race 5.25pm)

Killarney – Thursday, August 18 (First Race 5.05pm)

Killarney – Friday, August 19 (First Race 4.05pm)

Kilbeggan – Friday, August 19 (First Race 4.25pm)

Curragh – Saturday, August 20 (First Race 1.25pm)

Killarney – Saturday, August 20 (First Race 2.10pm)

Naas – Sunday, August 21 (First Race 2.30pm)