Tipperary Racing Scene

There was a strong early pace in the seven-furlong claimer which opened proceedings at Dundalk on Friday night, setting the race up for horses that were ridden with patience.

Best of those turned out to be Benavente, a horse that had won up to 12 furlongs and whose stamina told, winning by over three lengths at odds of 10-1.

As is so often the case, Denis Hogan trained the winner of the claimer in the orange colours of James McAuley. Apprentice Julian Pietropaolo was in the saddle.

The jockey said later on Racing TV: “He had won over a good bit further before so I was always going to bide my time and slot in. They went a good gallop and I got a nice run up the rail. It was straightforward as soon as I got a clear run. I want to thank Denis and James for the ride.”

Trainer Andy Slattery’s bright start to the new turf season continued as he bookended the Saturday’s fixture at the Curragh with a double that paid just over 100-1.

Both winners came under the trainer’s son Andrew and Opalite (8-1) got the ball rolling in the fillies’ maiden over six furlongs.

This three-year-old was making her debut and asserted inside the final 100 yards to gain a half-length break from race favourite Slaney View (11-4) trained by Jim Bolger.

The Slattery’s have been proven time and again to be canny judges of bloodstock and Opalite cost just £7,000 at the sales in England as a yearling. She is owned by Seamus Neville.

“We thought she would be placed and anyone I met I told them to have a few quid on her each way. She is a six or seven-furlong filly and hopefully she can make into stakes class,” Slattery said.

Red Charlie ran out a more dominant winner of the concluding handicap over seven furlongs when he looked well handicapped to say the least off a mark of 58.

This was the American-bred gelding’s first run for the Slattery team since moving from the Emmet Mullins stable. He hosed up by nearly five lengths at 11-1, backed in from bigger prices that morning.

Trainer Fozzy Stack is usually one of the fastest starters when a new season begins and he kept theme going when Bodhi Bear collected the Curragh’s five-furlong handicap on Saturday.

Wily perennial Seamie Heffernan was in the saddle on the gelding who won for the same jockey on his seasonal debut a year prior. It was Bodhi Bear’s first run since being gelded last September.

“He needed that operation,” Heffernan told Gary O’Brien of Racing TV.

“He always showed plenty as a younger horse but he went to the start at Royal Ascot last summer and he could smell the perfume! His mind wasn’t on the job. Hopefully now he can keep progressing. He is a quick horse.”

Shaihaan looks a colt of some promise for the year ahead after he shed his maiden tag at the Curragh on Saturday for trainer Donnacha O’Brien and jockey Gavin Ryan.

The three-year-old, in the colours of Qatar owners Al Shaqab, stood out on ratings in the ten-furlong maiden. He ran fourth in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes last September and started here on a mark of 102 and, as a consequence, the 13-8 favourite.

He raced prominently, picked up the lead travelling easily over two furlongs out and won without being unduly tested by over three lengths.

“A Curragh maiden at this time of year, you don’t know what you are running against so I thought it was a very nice performance from him,” O’Brien said.

“He was pretty fit today and we had him ready for this. He handles juice in the ground, too. We might look at a Derby trial at Leopardstown for him. He’s a very big horse so I don’t think Epsom will suit him. He might be one for the Curragh but let’s see.”

It’s a long way from Thurles to Downpatrick, but Littlefoot made it worthwhile when showing the best turn of foot after the last fence of the beginners’ chase on Sunday.

This was the winner’s debut over fences and he did it well, scoring by over four lengths for trainer Mark Molly and jockey Daniel King. Littlefoot won at odds of 8-1 and might be one to look out for over fences again in the not-too-distant future.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Dundalk – Wednesday, April 1st (first race 5.15pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, April 2nd (first race 4.30pm)

Curragh – Friday, April 3rd (first race 1.22pm)

Fairyhouse – Saturday, April 4th (first race 2.05pm)

Cork – Saturday, April 4th (first race 2.20pm)

Cork – Sunday, April 5th (first race 1.15pm)

Fairyhouse – Sunday, April 5th (first race 1.30pm)

Cork – Monday, April 6th (first race 1.15pm)

Fairyhouse – Monday, April 6th (first race 2.05pm, Grand National at 5.00pm)