Trebles all round for Sheridan and Ryan

Tipperary Racing Scene

Bynx completed the set of returning a winner on the Flat, over hurdles and over fences for Burnchurch trainer Martin Hassett when taking the closing two-mile handicap at Tramore on Tuesday of last week.

Paddy Harnett rode the eight-year-old mare, owned by the BTF Racing Club, to score by just over a length at 9-1. It was her first win on the level in 22 attempts. The ground comes all the same to her also as she won on heavy ground over hurdles on New Year’s Day 2024.

Joseph O’Brien and jockey Joey Sheridan combined for a short-priced double at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.

They took the opener, an optional claiming race restricted to three-year-olds, via Pass The Buck, carrying the orange and blue colours of the trainer’s mother Anne-Marie.

A first win in seven starts for this gelding rated 69 arrived by six lengths. He returned the 11-8 favourite.

The quality upped a notch for their second success when Nail House (3-1) fought his way to a half-length victory in the Irish EBF maiden over six furlongs. Making his debut, the winner initially raced directly behind the 100-1 pacesetter Banks Of The Boyne, trained locally by Mick Mulvany, and who didn’t fade as his price might have suggested.

Trainer Johnny Murtagh and his stable jockey Ben Coen have been in fine form of late and they left Fairyhouse on Wednesday with a double, including the feature race, the Group 3 Darley Irish EBF Stanerra Stakes with Floresta.

Goodie Two Shoes won this contest last year and was back to defend her title in the colours of JP McManus from the Joseph O’Brien stable.

She was making her second start since finishing runner-up in the 2025 Melbourne Cup, but she could not match Floresta who really impressed with a powerful finish, a length and a half clear at the line.

Very well backed, Contrary To Law (13-8 favourite) brought up the double in the nightcap event. Making his handicap debut, the market clearly felt he was very well treated off a rating of 70 but he gave his supporters a big scare and only led in the final stride to gain a short head verdict in the photo.

This horse is extremely well-bred by owners Ballygallon Stud. He is by the excellent stallion Night Of Thunder and is a half-brother to the Hong Kong champion Exultant. He will surely have more winning days ahead from a rating that will be nudged up only slightly.

Well done to trainer Denise ‘Sneezy’ Foster whose Frank Pickle scored at Leopardstown on Thursday.

A first success for the gelding owned by Readsland Racing arrived in a middle-tier handicap over seven furlongs. Ben Coen steered the 8-1 chance to a margin of three-quarters of a length.

Joey Sheridan is enjoying a tremendous season and he enjoyed the second treble of his career at Navan on Saturday.

The Hollyford jockey won the opening three races at the Meath track: Dancing Saxon for Joseph O’Brien, Rappell for Paul Flynn and Glen Breeze for Paddy Magee. The combined odds of the three winners was 34-1.

A fabulous day for trainer Donnacha O’Brien on Saturday with his star sprinter Comanche Brave capping an amazing seven days for the trainer.

A week earlier, he sent out A Boy Named Susie to run second in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse to his father Aidan’s superstar colt Constitution River. That night his filly Kensington Lane won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga in the USA.

On Friday, another of his star fillies, Balantina, finished third in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes but perhaps the best arrived with Comanche Brave (11-1) taking the time-honoured Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.

Going best of all with jockey Billy Loughnane still motionless in the saddle, Comanche Brave assumed the lead with over a furlong to race and he stayed on well to score by a length from star filly Venetian Sun with the Japanese raider Satono Reve in third.

O’Brien’s day was enhanced by South Island, rated 100, winning the Irish EBF Race at Navan.

The season’s leading apprentice so far, Paddy Harnett, was able to get to the lead in the very final stride to deny Summer Is Tomorrow, trained by his brother Joseph O’Brien.

On Sunday at Dundalk, a splendid week was topped off by Police Gazette (5-1) winning a maiden in the hands of Gavin Ryan.

Thesecretadversary has gone from Royal Ascot star to Group 1 hero in the space of a month for Golden trainer Fozzy Stack after he won the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday.

Like any Group 1, this race took plenty of winning and the colt by St Mark’s Basilica had to overcome the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas winner True Love, trained by Aidan O’Brien, by half a length. Race favourite Rayif, the French 2,000 Guineas winner, ran fifth. Thesecretadversary is owned by South African breeder Gaynor Rupert in conjunction with Coolmore. He was ridden by Christophe Soumillon, deputising for the suspended Seamie Heffernan.

This colt has seen plenty in his young career. Five starts as a two-year-old yielded just one success, but he was tried very highly, abroad especially.

In the spring he took part in the 2,000 Guineas at both Newmarket (raced too freely) and the Curragh (ran into traffic). He displayed his true potential, however, in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot a month ago over seven furlongs.

“We thought he would run well but taking on two Guineas winners was going to be tough. I would like to thank the Rupert and Magnier families for sending us the horse,” Stack said.

“Christophe asked if he could make the running on him as there seemed to be no pace. I said, ‘don’t fight with him and don’t get beat!’

“Both Christophe and Seamie seem to think he could win over six furlongs so maybe he is getting quicker. I trained his grandmother and she was a sprinter. Maybe he is reverting to type.

“He has been on the go since just before Ascot as a two-year-old. He went to Canada last year. We have thrown a lot at him and he keeps coming back.”

Stack also won the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month with Nola Soul. He is riding the crest of a wave.

“If you had said to me a month ago, you will have two Royal Ascot winners and a Group 1 at Deauville, I would have said ‘stop, will you!’ It’s amazing,” the trainer smiled.

Trainer John Ryan has always had an affinity with Sligo and the bond deepened on Sunday with his Templemore stable responsible for an excellent 1,013-1 treble.

Unknown Fortune (25-1) began the haul. Owned and bred by Joe Kenny, this eight-year-old mare was making just her third career start and turned around two, on the face of it, ordinary runs into a victory by almost three lengths under jockey Daniel King.

The same jockey linked successfully with Ryan again in the next race when Crystabel (5-1) won for the first time on her handicap debut in hurdle restricted to mares only.

The third leg landed when Andyourbirdcansing (11-2) winged home in one of the 2m4f handicap hurdles by over three lengths for jockey Michael Kenneally.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Leopardstown – Thursday, July 16th (first race 4.20pm)

Killarney (NH) – Thursday, July 16th (first race 5.05pm)

Killarney (NH) – Friday, July 17th (first race 2.02pm)

Down Royal – Friday, July 17th (first race 5.05pm)

Curragh – Saturday, July 18th (first race 1.10pm)

Curragh – Sunday, July 19th (first race 1.40pm)

Ballinrobe – Monday, July 20th (first race at 5.10pm)

Ballinrobe –Tuesday, July 21st (first race at 5.06pm)