Tipperary Racing Scene

Aidan O'Brien had sent out his first winners of the week at Galway on Bank Holiday Monday where he landed a double.

Former champion jockey Declan McDonogh gave the champion trainer his first success of the day when partnering the 7/1 chance Classiest to take the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden. She headed the Joseph O'Brien-trained Flawless Option inside the final furlong and was well on top when scoring by an impressive three and three-parts of a length, with Ballydoyle’s odds-on favourite Venosa, ridden by Ronan Whelan, two and a half lengths away in third place.

Whelan had better luck when he won the seven-furlong maiden on the 7/2 chance Proposition to give Aidan O'Brien his second win and a 1-2 in the race itself. The Liam Keniry-ridden odds-on favourite Garden Party looked all over a winner at the furlong pole but he was headed by his own stable companion close to the finish, going down by a length and a half.

Fozzy Stack and Joey Sheridan took the seven-furlong maiden with the 7/1 chance Never Loose. Owned by Peter Piller, the three-year-old headed Rory Devine’s joint-favourite Thru And Thru inside the final furlong and skipped clear to score by four lengths.

The widest-margin winner at Wexford on Bank Holiday Monday was the Andy Slattery-trained Fleur In The Park which scored a taking success in the two-mile beginners' chase. Owned by Margaret O’Rourke, the 11/10 joint-favourite led after the third-last fence under Cian Quirke and was soon clear to beat his fellow market leader Tullyhill, ridden by Paul Townend for Willie Mullins, by an easy eight lengths.

In contrast, John Nallen’s Minella Jury had to battle for his narrow win in the concluding bumper. Ridden by Adam Ryan, the 7/1 shot, in the trainer’s own colours, got up in the final stride to pip Gordon Elliott’s odds-on favourite Riskaway and Harry Swan by a shorthead.

Ben Coen brought his season’s tally to 66 winners, twelve more than his previous best, when taking the opening eight-furlong optional claiming race on Fleetfootsoldier at Dundalk on Wednesday. Trained by Natalia Lupini, the gambled-on 7/2 chance led inside the final furlong and got the better of Shane Crawley’s long shot Rock Basher by a neck. Both horses were subsequently claimed by James McAuley to be trained by Denis Hogan.

The Josh Halley-trained Whatchadoin had an easier time of it as he landed the six-furlong auction maiden, the first of two winners for Seamie Heffernan. The 2/1 chance led over a furlong out to beat David Marnane’s Fox In Flight by a length and a quarter for owner Carly Halley. Heffernan also won the concluding 12-furlong handicap on the William Delahunty-trained 8/1 chance Voice Of Reason.

The BTF Racing Club-owned Bynx won the two and a half-mile mares’ handicap hurdle for trainer Martin Hassett and jockey Sean Flanagan at Thurles on Thursday. Getting up in the final strides, the 9/1 shot pipped Eoin Seymour’s Tir Og by a neck, a fourth career success for the seven-year-old.

The First Turn was a winner on his debut when getting up close to the finish to take the concluding bumper for Sam Curling and David Doyle. Owned in partnership by Daniel Boland, Brendan Boland, Tom Conway and Claire Hartnett, the strong 2/1 favourite headed the Gavin Cromwell-trained Lennon Grove in the final few strides to score by three-parts of a length.

Harry Swan played his part as Gordon Elliott repeated last year’s feat of saddling four winners on the opening day of Down Royal’s two-day autumn fixture on Friday.

The trainer was robbed of success in the opening maiden hurdle when his front-runners Theflyingking and Kazansky both came down at the final flight with the race between them, leaving Henry de Bromhead’s Some Song to collect.

But almost everything else went Elliott’s way, with the James Smith-ridden Creadan Grace giving him his first winner in the three-mile handicap hurdle. The James Power-owned 12/1 chance got up in the dying strides to pip Aengus King’s Fill The Tank by a shorthead.

Elliott and Kennedy took the three-runner Listed Bottlegreen Hurdle with 1/4 favourite Casheldale Lad which drew clear from the last to score by all of seven lengths.

Kennedy was also in the saddle as 4/6 favourite Romeo Coolio scored by twice that margin in the two-mile three-furlong beginners' chase. In the KTDA Racing colours, the six-year-old made a winning start to his career over fences when coming home clear of de Bromhead’s Kotail Divin.

The Ronnie Bartlett-owned Skerry Hill made a winning start to his career with a battling success in the concluding bumper. A 4/7 favourite under Harry Swan, the four-year-old saw off the sustained challenge of Tom Hogan’s Hopeful Hero by three and a quarter lengths.

Ahead of his breakthrough Breeders’ Cup success, Donnacha O'Brien sent out the first winner at Dundalk on Friday where the Chris Hayes-ridden Aegina took the five-furlong maiden for two-year-olds in fine style. The Skara Glen Stables-owned 1/3 favourite led passing the two-furlong pole and went clear to win by an easy three and a half lengths from Aidan O'Brien’s 5 Institute.

A very well-supported 2/1 shot, Moyassr won the eight-furlong handicap for Nathan Crosse and trainer Paul Flynn. Owned by Aiden Hynes, the four-year-old led close to the finish to win by a neck from Conor Maxwell’s Smaoineamh Sile.

Ben Coen’s strong finish to the season continued as he partnered the Ray Cody-trained Lady Lunette to take the concluding 12-furlong handicap at odds of 20/1. The Karen Curtin-owned five-year-old notched up her fifth career success when leading over a furlong out to score by three-parts of a length from Richard O’Brien’s Quatre Brass.

With his stable jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle crowned champion jockey, Joseph O'Brien secured the apprentice title for Wayne Hassett when sending out the Kevin Blake-owned James J Braddock to win the opening eight-furlong maiden on the final day of the 2025 Flat season at the Curragh on Sunday. Hassett’s 25th winner of the season came as he brought the 9/4 favourite home a six-length winner ahead of his own stable companion Cannes, with Atomic City next across the line to give O’Brien a 1-2-3 in the race.

Tullamaine’s Jimmy Dalton rode his third winner when taking the five-furlong handicap on the Andy Slattery-trained Staysound Susie. Owned by the Dreamers & Believers Syndicate, the 6/1 shot led well inside the final furlong and scored by a length and a quarter from Willie McCreery’s Asdana and Nathan Crosse.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Dundalk – Wednesday, November 5 (First race 2.15pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, November 6 (First race 12.37pm)

Dundalk – Friday, November 7 (First race 5.15pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, November 8 (First race 12.28pm)

Naas – Sunday, November 9 (First race 12.20pm)