Tipperary Racing Scene

Full credit to owners the He Ain’t Heavy Syndicate who were rewarded with Silly Mongoose breaking through at Kilbeggan.

Trained by Pat Foley in Bagnalstown, this is a big horse that has taken time to fill his frame and gain experience. But he put it all together on his sixth career start last Monday in a maiden hurdle for qualified riders.

Thurles amateur David Doyle – partnering the first leg of a double - had him in a prominent position throughout and, despite some evident greenness, he still won by over two lengths.

Galway might be next on the agenda and with his confidence boosted from this victory, perhaps he might be competitive at the big summer festival.

John Ryan saddled the winners of back-to-back races at Kilbeggan, the double paying 47-1.

If patience is one of the most prized virtues in racing, the Fairymount Syndicate which owns Love Like This must be up there with the saints in heaven. How the ownership of this mare – involving the trainer - must have enjoyed her first success in 45 starts. She had placed on 12 other occasions, but there is nothing like a winner.

The long-awaited moment arrived in one of the long-distance handicap hurdles and, despite her record, she started the 100-30 favourite. Conna jockey Brian Barry steered her to a length and a half margin.

The Templemore trainer teamed up with another Cork jockey when Ad Caelum picked up the next race, another staying handicap hurdle, for Alan O’Sullivan.

Carrying the same colours as Love Like This and therefore owned by Ryan, this was a fifth career victory for Ad Caelum who scored as a 10-1 chance by a comfortable three lengths.

Great Barrier Reef (6-1) maintained his unbeaten record with a tenacious victory in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, handing trainer Aidan O’Brien a 12th win in the juvenile showcase race on day 1 at Royal Ascot.

The No Nay Never colt had been partnered by Ryan Moore in both previous wins, but Moore opted to partner stablemate Confucius, resulting in that runner starting the 2-1 favourite.

Ridden this time by Wayne Lordan, Great Barrier Reef challenged down the centre of the track as the action unfolded towards the stands’ rail. Eight horses were in contention inside the final furlong, with Great Barrier Reef finishing best to beat 40-1 outsider Adaay Of Scarlett by half a length.

Mission Central (14-1) denied French raider Rayevka and Australian challenger Overpass in a thrilling finish to the G1 King Charles III Stakes to give Aidan O’Brien a quick double on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

Still with plenty to do approaching the final furlong, Mission Central powered home along the stands’ rail to deny a similarly fast-finishing Rayekva by a head, with the duo spread across the track.

Kizlyar (25-1) led home a one-two for Joseph O’Brien in the Ascot Stakes following a sustained battle with stablemate Defiantly over the final two furlongs. Kizlyar led narrowly a furlong out and kept finding to give his rider Joey Sheridan a first Royal Ascot success.

Victorious (10/3 favourite) might only have sight in one eye but that did not stop her as she displayed great acceleration to win the G2 Queen Mary Stakes.

Settled in rear of the smaller group that raced towards the far side, Ryan Moore allowed the action to unfold in front of him. Moore switched his mount left entering the final two furlongs, after which Victorious unleashed a sustained run to wear down Senorita Bonita and win going away by two lengths.

Nola Soul (11-2) may not be the finished article yet but Fozzy Stack’s runner looks full of promise after maintaining his perfect record in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday.

There was drama at the start of the seven-furlong contest after favourite Aix La Chapelle, trained by Aidan O’Brien, reared in the stalls and was subsequently withdrawn.

Noticeably keen in the early stages, Nola Soul was one of the first to come off the bridle but responded to Seamie Heffernan’s urgings to run out a decisive half-length winner.

Scandinavia overhauled defending champion Trawlerman in a spellbinding edition of the Gold Cup last Thursday, handing trainer Aidan O’Brien a remarkable 100th Royal Ascot success.

In what turned into a straight shootout between Scandinavia and Trawlerman, racegoers were treated to a pulsating battle at the end of two and a half miles.

Andy & Andrew Slattery have scarcely put a foot wrong all season and the father & son combination chipped in with more winners on consecutive evenings at Leopardstown and Limerick last week.

Chipsrdown was the first to go in for the Killenaule stable at the Dublin track on Thursday. The 7-2 market leader dashed from midfield and had a length and a half to spare at the end of the handicap over nine furlongs.

Expert Dancer added to the Slattery tally at Limerick on Friday in the maiden for three-year-olds over seven furlongs.

This filly had placed in three of her five previous starts so a breakthrough was due, perhaps, and it arrived at odds of 2-1. The margin of victory was just a head but she was held up on the rail for at least half a furlong; she would have been an unlucky loser had she gone under again in the colours of owner Maurice Ahern.

Motta Alta delivered success in a three-year-old maiden at Limerick on Friday for Monasterevin trainer Jarlath Fahey.

Tipperary jockey Nathan Crosse had the filly, making just her second start, behind the leader on the rail until the home straight.

Backed into an 11-1 chance, she grabbed the lead between the final two furlongs and went by the line half a length in front in the colours of the trainer’s wife Suzanne.

Satono Chevalier won for the second time in three starts for local trainer Michael Flannery when taking the closing 12f handicap at Limerick on Friday.

This eight-year-old gelding only joined the Askeaton stable in the spring and did the business on his first run for his new team at Ballinrobe last month. Paddy Harnett steered Satono Chevalier to a half-length success at odds of 9-1 in the colours of the trainer.

Early last week, Chris Hayes was asked on Racing TV if he had any rides at Royal Ascot.

“The only Royal I will be going to is Down Royal,” he laughed. Sure enough, the Limerick jockey turned up at the northern track on Friday and left with a winner when Sarahmae won the fillies’ sprint handicap as a 9-4 joint favourite.

Cloughjordan trainer Denis Hogan prepares this filly who missed the start but still had the class to loop the field and go in by two lengths on soft ground.

Sarahmae was winning for the second time in five days and is entered to make it a hat-trick in the big Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh this weekend.

Joey Sheridan capped a week he will never forget with wins on consecutive days for Joseph O’Brien.

Back on home soil, the same team kept the winners coming, first with Themis (17-2) by four lengths in a mile and a half maiden at Limerick on Friday. Teologia (11-4) then landed a second straight race at Down Royal on Saturday by five lengths.

Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Precise added a fourth G1 prize to her CV with a no-nonsense display in the G1 Coronation Stakes last Friday at Royal Ascot for Aidan O’Brien.

Kept on the outside of the nine runners by Ryan Moore, the 8-13 favourite was sent to the front entering the final two furlongs and saw it out strongly to make it six wins from eight career starts.

Golden-based trainer Fozzy Stack left Royal Ascot with two winners from as many runners after Thesecretadversary (20-1) proved too strong in the Jersey Stakes on Saturday.

Seamie Heffernan’s mount got first run on Johnny Murtagh’s outsider Take Charge Star (50-1) entering the final two furlongs and saw the trip out gamely to score by a neck. The duo pulled four and a half lengths clear of the third home.

Winner of a Group 3 at Leopardstown on his comeback this year, Thesecretadversary was not disgraced in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

Accomplished stayer Illinois (7-4 favourite) provided Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore with their seventh wins of the meeting in the closing Queen Alexandra Stakes.

Runner-up to Trawlerman in the Gold Cup last year, Illinois was the highest-rated contender in the field and took control off the home turn, ultimately fending off last year’s Copper Horse Stakes winner French Master by a neck. Mr Hollywood fared best of Willie Mullins’ three runners in third.

It was a quick turnaround from Illinois, who never looked happy when finishing last in the Coronation Cup 14 days prior at Epsom.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Naas – Wednesday, June 24th (first race 5.10pm)

Curragh – Friday, June 26th (first race 4.33pm)

Curragh – Saturday, June 27th (first race 1.45pm)

Curragh – Sunday, June 28th (first race 1.10pm)

Wexford – Tuesday, June 30th (first race 1.30pm)

Roscommon – Tuesday, June 30th (first race 5.30pm)