Tipperary Racing Scene

Denis Hogan is enjoying a strong season and his latest success arrived in the claiming race which opened the evening programme at Roscommon on Tuesday.

Hexagonal, 4-1, battled his way to a neck margin after Laois apprentice Reese Holohan managed to get him out of a tight spot on the rail with about two furlongs to go.

Horse and rider won their second race together this summer by overhauling the Joseph O’Brien-trained Kakori (7-1) close to the line.

Paddy Harnett reached a notable landmark at Roscommon on Tuesday when riding the 65th winner of his career, meaning his allowance was cut to 3lbs.

The Abbeyfeale jockey went one clear in the race for the apprentices’ championship when partnering Cashel Queen to glory in the juvenile maiden.

Second, third and fourth in her maiden runs to date, Donnacha O’Brien’s filly deservedly cracked a first success and did so by a neck at odds of 4-1.

Haffner exhibited Classic potential with how he dominated the Acomb Stakes on the first day of the Ebor meeting at York on Tuesday.

Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile, the 11-8 favourite, never really looked under threat in the seven-furlong Group 3 contest.

Always up on the pace, Ryan Moore committed him with about two furlongs to race. Away they lengthened and two lengths was the gap at the line.

Haffner was making his fourth career start with three of them coming in England. He previously broke his maiden at Newmarket and placed second in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

On the face of it, a Group 1 winner proving different class in a sales race against vastly inferior rivals should not be all that notable. However, what Sun Goddess achieved in blitzing the big Harry’s Half Million By Goffs field at York on Thursday was stunning because of the predicament she was in.

With just two furlongs to run of this sprint reserved for graduates of last year’s Doncaster yearling sales, Ryan Moore was trapped with nowhere to go, some five lengths off the lead and at least a dozen rivals ahead of her. Surely, she couldn’t win from there.

Not a bit of it. The brilliant filly, a Group 2 and Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner on her previous two starts, was switched to the outside and the manner with which she inhaled the field had a huge ‘wow’ factor about it. The even-money favourite won by six lengths.

Tinahely trainer Philip Rothwell was the man to follow at Sligo last Wednesday when he saddled a 220-1 double.

Calm Flight Ahead was the first to collect and he looked a horse transformed by the application of blinkers for the first time. Previous poor form went out the window as the 25-1 outsider bolted up by 12 lengths in the hands of Conor Clarke.

“The blinkers seemed to help,” the Toomevara jockey said.

“About four out, he was idling a bit and I had to get after him, but he found plenty. I was surprised I was so far ahead after the last. In that kind of form, he could follow up again.”

Autumn Twist kept things ticking over nicely for trainer Denis Hogan at Killarney on Thursday.

Daniel King partnered the handy dual-purpose performer to a commanding four lengths success in the 2m1f handicap hurdle. Carrying the colours of Katie & Brian Castle, he returned the 7-2 joint favourite.

On his most recent start over hurdles, Autumn Twist finished just half a length second to subsequent Galway Hurdle winner Putapoundinthejar.

Ladies Well provided great joy for her supporters at Killarney on Thursday as she came home a ready winner of the staying handicap chase.

Trainer Andy Slattery’s mare was the subject of sustained support into 3-1 joint favourite. She rewarded the faith with a convincing four-length success.

Ladies Well’s owners, Mrs Crogh’s Syndicate, include including former Tipperary All-Ireland winning hurler Lar Corbett who was on track to cheer her home.

“At Roscommon last time, they didn’t go hard enough for her. The winner got first run on me and she finished second,” said jockey Daragh O’Keeffe.

“Today they went a gallop and that suited me. It is unfortunate her regular jockey Cian Quirke is out injured. It is lovely to ride a winner for the Slattery’s.”

Miner’s Bridge pulled off a bit of a touch at Killarney on Thursday when winning the 2m5f handicap chase in good style.

Backed into 13-8 favourite, Sam Curling’s gelding was making his second start back after a layoff of over a year. His comeback run was over hurdles but he clearly benefited from it as he jumped well and scored by about two lengths under Philip Enright.

So Lovely justified very cramped odds in straightforward fashion in the opening fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly had finished the runner-up in both starts prior but made no mistake as 2-5 favourite.

Wayne Lordan positioned his mount close to the pace and she extended well in the straight to be a length and a half clear at the line.

Making her first start for over a year, Naoi popped up at odds of 20-1 in the seven-furlong handicap at Leopardstown on Thursday.

This filly is part-owned by former Liverpool FC striker Ian Rush along with Michael Ryan. She was also making her first start for Curragh trainer Willie McCreery.

Sam Coen produced her with a run from off the pace to lead inside the final 50 yards for a three-quarters of a length margin.

The young Fethard rider is involved in a joust for apprentices’ crown at the end of the season, locked on 17 winners with Paddy Harnett.

It was a mighty close-run thing, Uncle Goalie got off the mark at the third attempt in the mile maiden for three-year-olds at Leopardstown on Thursday.

Gavin Ryan made his intentions clear from the off, finding the lead on Bagnalstown trainer Rory Devine’s colt. The pair stole a break of about two lengths at the top of the home straight and though My Shayla threw down a strong challenge inside the final furlong, Uncle Goalie scraped home by the minimum margin of a nose.

A Wave Of The Sea has been a super flagbearer for owner JP McManus over the years and he won for the 11th time in a fine career at Kilbeggan on Friday.

Trained in Rathcabbin by Shane Broderick, the 10-year-old was winning for the fourth time at the Westmeath track. Kildare jockey Charlie O’Dwyer took the reins and enjoyed a smooth passage throughout, cruising home by twelve lengths on the 9-1 chance.

Bansha trainer David Marnane put a frustrating run of near misses behind him when Manton Bay took the rated race at Killarney on Friday.

Luke McAteer was able get the most from his mount, the 13-8 favourite, inside the final furlong to score by half a length.

Marnane revealed his horse had been the subject of interest from overseas buyers, but that he might first take up a slot in the valuable Tote Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh this Saturday.

On a day when his son Joseph dominated the Curragh card, Aidan O’Brien took two of the three stakes’ races on the programme.

Giant Sequoia landed the Group 2 Futurity Stakes sponsored by Coolmore, a race his trainer has won for ten of the last eleven years with some exceptional horses.

It remains to be seen whether this American-bred juvenile will join the likes of City Of Troy as a Derby winner, but he has been installed as the early favourite for the Epsom Classic next year at about 12-1.

At the end of the seven-furlong test, he showed plenty of resolve under Wayne Lordan to defeat a strong field by half a length as the 2-1 favourite.

Lordan was also on board for the return of Queenstown in the Group 3 Comer Group Irish St Leger Trial.

Making his first start for ten months, he really impressed coming four lengths clear of Royal Ascot winner Kizlyar at odds of 9-1.

With improvement likely forthcoming, his trainer indicated the gelding would be set for long-distance Group 1 races in France before the end of the season.

Ado McGuinness was the only trainer not named O’Brien to get on the scoresheet at the Curragh on Saturday.

His reliable sprinter Clonmacash swooped late in the concluding Friends of Moorefield GAA Handicap over six furlongs.

Sam Coen delivered a peach of a ride here, getting up right on the line to deny Rosato by a short head at 13-2. It was the jockey’s sixth win on the horse who will next be targeted at the Laytown beach meeting on Thursday, September 10th.

Clonmel trainer John Nallen was in good form over the weekend sending out two winners under both codes.

At Killarney on Saturday, he found the net with Minella Hollow in the opening maiden hurdle. Daniel King rode this gelding to a half-length success at odds of 13-2.

The Minella moniker was prominent again at Naas on Sunday when the versatile three-year-old Minella Rockett brought up a hat-trick of wins in the closing 1m3f handicap, the first of those coming over hurdles early in July.

Apprentice Reese Holohan won his second race of the weekend, getting up by a neck as the 7-2 joint favourite.

Zoar (11-10 favourite) won on his first start for the Donnacha O’Brien team in the auction maiden at Naas on Sunday.

The juvenile colt caught the eye when runner-up for previous trainer John Halley at same venue in July behind Man’s Best Friend, subsequently a Group 2 winner at Goodwood for Ballydoyle.

This performance prompted a private sale to Dubai-based ownership and a switch in stables.

As when making his debut, Chris Hayes was the man on board again and a win by over two lengths was achieved in pleasingly straightforward fashion.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Bellewstown (NH) – Wednesday, August 26 (first race 4.25pm)

Navan – Thursday, August 27th (first race 2.14pm)

Wexford (NH) – Friday, August 28th (first race 4.15pm)

Down Royal (NH) – Friday, August 28th (first race 4.30pm)

Curragh – Saturday, August 29th (first race 1.53pm)

Cork – Sunday, August 30th (first race 2.08pm)

Downpatrick – Monday, August 31st (first race 2.10pm)

Roscommon – Monday, August 31st (first race 4.50pm)

Gowran Park – Tuesday, September 1st (first race 4.30pm)