Tipperary Racing Scene
Ben Coen landed his second double in as many days when riding winners for Curragh trainers Johnny Murtagh and Danny McLoughlin at Roscommon on Monday of last week.
The OTI Racing-owned even money favourite Mocking got Coen and Murtagh off the mark with a battling success in the 10-furlong maiden. Although headed early inside the final furlong by the Gavin Cromwell-trained 10/1 chance Mcloughlin, the three-year-old dug deep and got back up close to the finish to win by a neck.
Coen landed a second success when taking the second of the 12-furlong handicaps on the Danny McLoughlin-trained Nancee Spain. Owned and bred by Carol Henley, the 11/4 chance made all the running and raced clear from the two-furlong pole to win by all of fifteen lengths from Ciaran Murphy’s Daymer Bay. The three-year-old was a runner-up on each of her two previous starts.
Denis Hogan and Joey Sheridan are also in fine form and the T&M Partnership-owned Ephesus scored for them in the 12-furlong handicap. A 12/1 chance, the four-year-old led over a furlong out to beat Michael Flannery’s Ehteyat by a length and three-parts.
The Grade 1 BarOneRacing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle is a possible target for Glen Kiln after he made amends for an unlucky defeat at Tipperary nine days previously when easily winning the two-mile three-furlong conditions’ hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday.
Trained by Harry Kelly and ridden by Brian Hayes, the Michael Bowe-owned 4/7 favourite made all the running and went clear between the final two hurdles to beat Joseph O'Brien’s Busselton by three and a half lengths. Glen Kiln made a mistake and unshipped Hayes at the final hurdle when he was in a clear led in the Grade 3 Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle on his previous start.
David Marnane and Luke McAteer teamed up for the easier winner as the three-year-old Aviatrice ran away with the seven-furlong fillies and mares’ handicap at Dundalk on Tuesday. In the familiar MRC International colours, the 11/4 shot led early in the race and again over a furlong out before racing clear to beat Ger Lyons’ favourite Empress Artemis by four and three-parts of a length.
Gavin Ryan was stood down for the evening after a fall and Ben Coen was his replacement on the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Fitzroy Gardens which won the concluding 12-furlong handicap. A 7/1 chance, she led a furlong out to beat Dermot Weld’s Sidiza.
Trainer Harry Kelly and Brian Hayes shared their second winner in as many days as the seven-year-old Linden Arden landed the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at Punchestown on Wednesday. A 20/1 shot in the colours of owner/breeder John Bowe, he headed Peter Fahey’s favourite Avalo on the run-in and scored by three-parts of a length.
Ben Coen and Johnny Murtagh also made a quick return to the winners’ enclosure as the four-year-old Retracement took the 10-furlong handicap for owner Richard McNally at the Curragh on Thursday. The 7/4 favourite led well inside the final furlong and held Gavin Cromwell’s In My Teens by half a length.
Aidan O'Brien shared another success with Wayne Lordan as the 2/1 favourite Appeared took the 12-furlong maiden by the same margin. He made all the running and comfortably held the late rally of Andy Oliver’s Portnahapple, ridden by Coen, at the line.
Denis Hogan landed a 1-2 in the two and a half-mile rated novice hurdle at Thurles on Thursday with the four-year-old Tassarolo claiming the win for the in-form stable. Owned by the Full Of Hope Syndicate, the Gavin Brouder-ridden 5/1 chance headed his own stable companion, the Daniel King-ridden 7/2 shot Tatateo, close to the finish to score by a length.
Wayne Hassett drew level with Robert Whearty in the apprentice title race when winning the opening apprentice optional claiming race at Dundalk on Friday on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Powerful Hook Head.
The 9/2 chance got the better of the Kevin Coleman-trained Benavente by two and a quarter lengths to give Hassett, runner-up in the title race last year, his 23rd winner of the season. Sadly, the winner was injured on pulling up and did not return to the parade ring.
Owned by Frank Lynch and Maria Lynch, the Andrew Slattery-ridden Quatre Bras battled well to win the 10-furlong handicap. Trained by Richard O’Brien, the 17/2 chance led inside the final furlong and held off Ado McGuinness’ No More Porter to score by half a length.
Gavin Ryan bounced back from his fall at the track on Tuesday to win the seven-furlong nursery handicap on Donnacha O'Brien’s 7/1 chance Spinning Around. O’Brien saddled three in the race and they crossed the line almost in unison with the Ronan Whelan-ridden Sovereign Thought a nose away in second place with Paddy Harnett’s mount, You’ll Think Of Me, a neck away in third place to complete a clear sweep for the trainer.
Edward & Patrick Harty landed their second winner of the week as 14/1 chance Wellwhatshappenin took the opening division of the seven-furlong handicap. Ridden by Jamie Powell, the three-year-old headed Noel Meade’s Eric Lock inside the final furlong to win by three-parts of a length.
Ben Coen brought his week’s tally to five winners and Johnny Murtagh made it three as 9/2 shot Daamberdiplomat scored a narrow success in the seven-furlong handicap at Dundalk on Friday.
Owned by the Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate, the five-year-old notched up her sixth career success when getting up close to the finish to beat David Marnane’s favourite Tokenomics by a neck.
A good night for the Tipperary contingent was rounded off as Fozzy Stack’s 8/1 chance Cecco scored a narrow win of his own in the concluding six-furlong maiden.
Owned by Michael Sabatine, the three-year-old made all the running under Joey Sheridan to pip Ger Lyons’ Washington Street by a shorthead.
Aidan O'Brien barely gave anyone else a look in as he sent out six of the seven winners at Leopardstown on Saturday. He shared his success with jockeys Jack Cleary and Wayne Lordan, with Cleary celebrating his 22nd birthday in remarkable style by riding four winners on the card.
Among his winners were two at Group 3 level, beginning with the two-year-old Christmas Day which scored a last-gasp success in the Mongey Communications Eyrefield Stakes. The 13/2 chance got up in the final stride to deny Donnacha O'Brien’s A Boy Named Susie and Chris Hayes by a shorthead.
The Cleary-ridden 13/8 chance Dorset beat his own stable companion Daytona, to give O’Brien a 1-2 in the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes. He made all the running to win by half a length from the 6/4 favourite, ridden by Ronan Whelan.
The first of Cleary’s winners was the 4/6 favourite Amelia Earhart which scored a seven-length victory in the opening eight-furlong fillies’ maiden for two-year-olds while 13/8 favourite River Ara completed the Kildare jockey’s four-timer with a battling half-length win over the Ger O’Leary-trained Iamimmaculate in the concluding eight-furlong nursery handicap.
Ronan Whelan rode two winners of his own, with the O’Brien-trained 15/2 chance Ex Animo landing the eight-furlong maiden when getting the better of Willie Mullins’ Sharkeyboy by a head before the 4/7 favourite Minerva took the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden by an easy three and a half lengths with the Ballydoyle runners Garden Party and Take A Bow taking second and third place respectively.
Monasterevin trainer Aidan Melia was only other trainer to land a winner and he took the seven-furlong maiden with the Rory Cleary-ridden Unauthorized. Owned by Michelle Connolly, the 7/1 shot led well before halfway and made the best of his way home to score by half a length from Johnny Murtagh’s Karrygrant which was ridden by Ross Coakley.
The John Ryan-trained five-year-old Run For The Border landed the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle for her owner/breeder Declan Donohoe at Limerick on Saturday.
Ridden by Michael Kenneally, the 10/1 chance came from off the pace and led at the second-last hurdle to beat Tim Townend’s How’s The Head by a length and a half.
Owned and trained by Mark Molloy, the six-year-old Rhythmic Tune took the two-mile five-furlong handicap hurdle by a margin of two lengths. The Daniel King-ridden 9/1 chance headed Eric McNamara’s favourite Gaelic Des Chastys approaching the final hurdle to win.
The gambled-on 6/4 favourite Shaool kept the Ben Coen bandwagon rolling along as she scored a six-length victory for trainer Johnny Murtagh in the Listed Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.
A third winner for the trainer in a week and a sixth for Coen, she led before the furlong-pole and was soon clear to beat Aidan O'Brien’s Acapulco Bay in fine style in the colours of the Broadfield Group Syndicate.
Upcoming Meetings
Navan – Wednesday, October 22 (First race 2.12pm)
Clonmel – Thursday, October 23 (First race 2.22pm)
Sligo – Friday, October 24 (First race 2.00pm)
Dundalk – Friday, October 24 (First race 5.15pm)
Galway – Saturday, October 25 (First race 1.53pm)
Galway – Sunday, October 26 (First race 12.50pm)
Wexford – Sunday, October 26 (First race 1.03pm)