Tipperary Racing Scene

Joe Murphy landed back-to-back winners when taking the opening two races at Killarney on Monday week last. He shared his double with Gary Carroll who had the easiest of times on both successful favourites.

The 85/40 chance Alphecca scored a comfortable win in the eight-furlong maiden for two-year-olds when recording a five-length victory over the Kevin Coleman-trained Honouramongtheives.

Coleman again supplied the runner-up as his 25/1 chance Green Kite chased home Murphy’s 2/9 favourite Lady Lilac in the median auction maiden for three-year-olds. Owned and bred by Brendan Quinn, she scored by five and a half lengths.

16/1 chance Draiocht won the second of the eight-furlong handicaps for Thomond O’Mara. Ridden by Killian Leonard, the five-year-old led over a furlong out to beat another trained by Kevin Coleman, 50/1 shot Swiss Army Officer, by half a length.

Two and a half lengths was the winning margin as the Wayne Lordan-ridden Gifted landed the 11-furlong fillies and mares’ maiden. Lordan made all the running on the Aidan O'Brien-trained 11/4 chance which had a little in hand in beating Paddy Twomey’s well-supported favourite Forthill.

Twomey gave Billy Lee his second winner of the afternoon as the five-year-old Seo Linn ran away with the concluding 11-furlong maiden. The three-time bumper winner opened her account on the Flat when racing clear from the two-furlong pole to beat Henry de Bromhead’s Factual Fact by eight and a half lengths for owners Ann Phelan and Bridget Beckett.

Owned & trained by John Ryan, 9/2 chance Flidais ran away with the near three-mile handicap hurdle at Tipperary on Monday. Ridden by Michael Kenneally, the seven-year-old led at the second-last hurdle and was soon clear to beat the Noel Meade-trained Mickey Cohen by eight lengths.

A wider-margin winner was Harry Kelly’s 2/1 shot State Pension which landed the concluding bumper by an easy eleven lengths for owner Gemma O’Mahoney. The Listowel Festival runner-up was again ridden by Adam Ryan and he led over a furlong out to beat the Emmet Mullins-trained favourite Garahon in fine style.

John Ryan and Michael Kenneally were also among the winners at Galway on Tuesday where the 10-year-old Kilashee won the two and three-quarter-mile mares’ handicap hurdle in fine style. The strong 13/8 favourite hardly saw another rival as she made all the running to win by an easy eleven lengths from the Anthony McCann-trained Grace Friday in the colours of the Bitview Partnership.

Adam Ryan also added to his Monday success when winning the concluding bumper on the Andy Slattery-trained Mullaghgloss. The Punchestown Friends Syndicate-owned four-year-old raced up with the pace and led inside the final furlong to beat Joseph O'Brien’s favourite Zeus Power by a length and a quarter.

Andy Slattery sent out his second winner of the week as the 11/1 shot Queen Aethelfaed scored a narrow victory in the eight-furlong handicap at Thurles on Thursday. Owned and bred by Olivia Hoare, the Joey Sheridan-ridden three-year-old led over a furlong out and held off the late surge of Pat Murphy’s favourite Mythical Rock by a neck.

Local trainer Mark Molloy won the 12-furlong handicap with the Killian Leonard-ridden Tickling. An 11/4 chance, she came through to lead a furlong out and score by a cosy three lengths from the Danny McLoughlin-trained Nancee Spain in Molloy’s own colours.

The Liam Mulryan-owned Cousin Kate scored a comfortable win for trainer Denis Hogan in the opening two-mile maiden hurdle at Tramore on Thursday. Ridden by Daniel King, the 13/2 chance came from a little off the pace and led after the final hurdle to beat Patrick Duffy’s favourite Maxicourt by two and a quarter lengths.

Joey Sheridan was on the mark again and gave Willie Mullins his fourth winner in two days when partnering the HOS Syndicate-owned Zillow to take the concluding 12-furlong handicap at Dundalk on Friday. The 17/2 chance battled well inside the final furlong to pip Ado McGuinness’ Star Harbour by a shorthead.

Aidan O'Brien blew away with opposition when sending out four of the seven winners at Naas on Saturday to go with the success of his Pierre Bonnard in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket on the same afternoon.

Jack Cleary partnered the champion trainer’s opening two winners, taking the eight-furlong two-year-old maiden on the 5/6 favourite Cape Cod which cosily held the late run of Dermot Weld’s Handani by three-parts of a length. Cleary also landed the near six-furlong Birdcatcher Nursery Handicap on 6/1 chance First Approach which had a length and a quarter to spare over the Michael O'Callaghan-trained 9/1 shot Luna Mia.

Ronan Whelan completed the trainer’s treble when landing the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden on 3/1 chance Tea Rose. Racing up with the pace, she led early inside the final furlong to beat Andy Slattery’s favourite Therewillbeglory by a length and a quarter.

Mark Crehan gave O’Brien his fourth winner at Naas and his fifth on the day when taking the concluding seven-furlong handicap on 9/1 shot Serengeti. The three-year-old a few lengths clear passing the furlong-pole to win by a length and a half from Johnny Murtagh’s Chicago Fireball.

Fethard trainer Josh Halley had earlier beaten O’Brien to the line to win the eight-furlong maiden with the newcomer Unwavering Monarch. Ridden by Andrew Slattery, the 40/1 chance came from off the pace and headed Maestro Bernstein inside the final 100 yards to score by a taking three and three-parts of a length.

The Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate-owned Onemoredance notched up her fifth win of the season when taking the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Garnet Stakes at Naas on Sunday. Ridden by Ben Coen for trainer Johnny Murtagh, the 33/1 chance led inside the final furlong to beat Aidan O'Brien’s Smiling by half a length.

The three-year-old began the season with a rating of 58 and landed two handicaps at both Tipperary and Leopardstown before Sunday’s career defining success. The trainer and jockey combination had earlier taken the near six-furlong two-year-old maiden with the well-supported 100/30 chance Chicago Hope. She battled well for owners Anthony Smurfit and Sam Mencoff to beat Edward & Patrick Harty’s Michael’s Well by three-parts of a length.

Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan got punters off to a flyer as they landed the opening near six-furlong fillies’ maiden with the strong 5/4 favourite Josh’s Joy. Making all the running, the two-year-old edged clear inside the final furlong to beat Aidan O'Brien’s Institute by a length and three-parts.

The Joe Murphy-trained Alphecca added to Monday’s success at Killarney when taking the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final in fine style. Gary Carroll was again in the saddle as the 100/30 joint-favourite asserted inside the final furlong to win by a length and a half from the Andy Oliver Celestial Siren.

On the back of his four winners at the course on Saturday, Aidan O'Brien landed another as the Wayne Lordan-ridden Light As Air took the two-mile Colm White Bookmaker Beggar’s End Handicap.

A well-supported 11/2 chance, the three-year-old led a furlong out and triumphed by two and a half lengths from Emmet Mullins’ Vischio.

Owned and trained by Don Browne, the 16/1 chance Speckled Meadow landed the 10-furlong fillies’ handicap in fine style. Ridden by Wayne Hassett, the eight-year-old led at the two-furlong pole and went clear to score by three and three-parts of a length from Kevin Coleman’s Thatwilldoso.

The win put Hassett to the top of the apprentice title race with 23 winners, one ahead of Robert Whearty.

Upcoming Meetings

Punchestown – Wednesday, October 15 (First race 1.55pm)

Curragh – Thursday, October 16 (First race 1.15pm)

Thurles – Thursday, October 16 (First race 2.12pm)

Dundalk – Friday, October 17 (First race 5.15pm)

Limerick – Saturday, October 18 (First race 1.45pm)

Leopardstown – Saturday, October 18 (First race 2.10pm)

Leopardstown – Sunday, October 19 (First race 1.55pm)

Limerick – Sunday, October 19 (First race 2.07pm)