Tipperary Racing Scene

Billy Lee’s took a step closer to his first jockeys’ championship when State Of Wyoming broke through in the opening maiden event over seven furlongs at Roscommon on Monday week last.

This was a fifth winner from the last eight runners saddled by Paddy Twomey, a trainer who has a habit of finding some red-hot form at various stages throughout the season.

The 7-4 favourite came home a length and a half clear of perennial bridesmaid Karrygrant (11-4), trained by Johnny Murtagh.

Contrary To Law rediscovered the winning groove with a clearcut success in the Guinness Handicap over seven furlongs at Roscommon.

Ben Coen guided the well-bred son of Night Of Thunder to a cosy two lengths margin. Trained by Johnny Murtagh, he returned a 7-2 favourite.

Coen and Murtagh were back on the winner’s list at the Curragh on Thursday when the improving Priorstown made it two wins from his last three starts. Owned and bred by Maurice Regan, the three-year-old was a cosy scorer by about two lengths as the 5-2 favourite.

Trainer Andy Slattery’s annus mirabilis found yet more success at Roscommon as Cisterna led every step of the way in one of the 0-60 handicaps.

Apprentice Jimmy Dalton sent his mount to an early lead and the pair pulled five lengths clear at the line as an 8-1 chance.

This was Cisterna’s second victory over the course and distance for owners the Alltheblues Syndicate.

It was also the 41st winner of the Flat campaign for Slattery, exceeding his previous best of 29 last year.

Dalton and Slattery combined to even better effect at Leopardstown on Sunday with a 49-1 double.

Highbury See See (10-1) in the Foxrock Cup Handicap and Zaraahmando (7-2 favourite) in the closing event were the constituent parts.

It was 7lbs claimer Dalton’s first double in the saddle as a professional.

Jabreen, well backed into 4-1 on debut, delivered on expectations in the six-furlong maiden opening the Curragh programme last Thursday.

Ridden by Andrew Slattery for his father Andy, the Saxon Warrior juvenile raced to the fore throughout and finished three-quarters of a length up on the 11-8 favourite Champion Basma.

“I think he is very decent and Andrew said he won very easily,” the trainer said.

“His owners are from Dubai and I don’t know what the plans will be with him. If I have him next year, I wouldn’t mind entering him in the Guineas. I think he is a fair horse.”

Mallow trainer Susan Finn enjoyed a boost as Mymomentintime won for the first time in four years at the Curragh on Thursday.

The seven-year-old was making his first start since July last year and Fethard’s Jimmy Dalton steered the 25-1 chance to a three-quarters of a length margin in the apprentice sprint handicap.

Trainer Denis Hogan has enjoyed a good year on the Flat and he added another win when Tyson Fury took the opening claiming race at Dundalk on Friday.

Apprentice Mel Sheridan guided the 9-4 favourite to victory by half a length.

The veteran nine-year-old Tyson Fury was later claimed and switched to the Derry stable of Noel Kelly.

On a day when Aidan O’Brien’s prospects of winning the British Flat trainers’ championship remained in the balance, his Ballydoyle stable was rampant at Leopardstown with a stunning six-timer paying combined odds of 213-1.

Wayne Lordan was on board for the sextet meaning the pair became the first trainer-jockey combination to win six races on one card in Ireland or Britain under either code.

All seven races at the South Dublin venue on Saturday were reserved for juveniles. Speckles got the spree started in the opening fillies’ maiden, the 8-15 favourite going in by half a length.

Wall Street was next to collect in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes also by half a length at similar odds of 4-7 favourite. This year’s Epsom Derby winner Christmas Day took this race in 2025, so perhaps Wall Street will be one to look out for next spring.

Snowing recorded the biggest margin of victory among the group as she won her seven-furlong maiden by four lengths as a 5-4 favourite.

Capability Brown (100-30) was next to do the business in the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes when he accounted for the Goffs Million winner Trean (4-5 favourite) by a length.

Accumulate was a well-named winner of the seven-furlong maiden before City Of Gold tied a nice ribbon on the haul by taking the nursery which closed the meeting.

If all of this sounds familiar it is because Ballydoyle managed the same feat of six wins at the corresponding fixture twelve months earlier when apprentice Jack Cleary rode four of them.

The wins didn’t stop there either. Minnie Hauk (5-1) finally rediscovered the form which made her one of the best horses in Europe last year when capturing the Group 1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot under Ryan Moore.

And on Sunday, the late developing three-year-old Come What May (4-6 favourite) routed his opposition in the Listed Trigo Stakes. The six lengths victory came just three weeks after his debut success at the Curragh.

This full brother to 2022 Epsom Derby winner Desert Crown is entered in the Horses in Training sale at Newmarket but perhaps connections will rethink that one after this romp.

Paddy Twomey was the only trainer to get a look-in amid the Ballydoyle bonanza at Leopardstown on Saturday.

His winner Louis De Foix certainly looks every inch a stakes horse judged on his come-from-behind victory in the extended mile maiden.

Billy Lee took his time on the New Bay colt, the 6-4 joint favourite, who mastered his fellow market leader Mount Meru by three-quarters of a length.

“He’s a classy horse,” the trainer confirmed post-race.

“At halfway it looked like he would not win, but he came home well. I was keen to get him out before the Turf season finished. He is still big and raw but can be a classy horse over 10 to 12 furlongs next year.”

Twomey and Lee added the Listed Knockaire Stakes at the same venue some 24 hours later with King Cuan (5-2) who had half a length to spare from 20-1 chance Lewis Carroll.

King Cuan continued the good form of the Red Lily Racing Syndicate which won the Goffs Million last month with Trean, also trained by Twomey.

A super result for Templemore trainer Maike Magnussen surfaced as Tountinna, not unbacked at 10-1, took the Listed Master Chefs novice hurdle at Limerick on Saturday.

Darragh O’Keeffe led over the second last hurdle and ran clear on the mare, owned and bred by Seamus McKeogh, by six lengths.

“It’s unreal for Maike. The idea before was to try and nick third!” the jockey said.

“Anything after that we felt would be a bonus. She winged the second last and galloped out well. For a small operation to win a Listed race in Ireland with all the competition here is fantastic.”

Kome Dans Un Reve got Carrick-On-Suir trainer Philip Fenton on the board at Limerick on Saturday.

Niall Moore took the ride on the 14-1 shot who was winning for the first time.

“Riding for Philip Fenton has been unbelievable for me,” the jockey said. “This horse found some form the last day at Clonmel and he manned up again.”

Beckistine broke through for a first win at the 13th attempt for Ballycahill trainer Mark Molloy at Limerick on Sunday.

Mark Walsh steered the gelding owned by Jennifer Upton-Murphy, wife of the trainer, to a four-length margin at odds of 4-1.

You never forget your first winner, they say, so a memorable result surfaced for the Stokes family of Knockbordan near Fethard in the John Thomas McNamara Handicap Hurdle for amateur riders at Limerick on Sunday.

Jessica Stokes rode the first jumps winner of her career under rules as Fenway Park defied odds of 25-1 as he came clear by ten lengths.

The winner is trained by the young jockey’s father Nicky and owned by her mother Anna.

“He pricked his ears coming to the last so I knew he had a bit left. We claimed him earlier in the year so I could get some rides and have a bit of fun,” Jessica said.

“He was disappointing at Punchestown so we put the cheekpieces and a tongue tie back on him. It’ s my first winner, it’s brilliant, we are delighted.”

Jessica also won a race on the Flat last year for lady riders at the Curragh for trainer Tim Doyle and has one point-to-point win her name, gained in February of this year.

Miners Bridge brought up a hat-trick of wins in the 2m3f handicap chase at Limerick on Sunday.

Sam Curling’s gelding has won by smallish margins each time since August to mitigate his rise up the ratings and again he scored by a length as the 11-4 favourite.

Philip Enright has been on board for each success and this was a decent pot to win with €29,000 up for grabs to the winner. The CKC Syndicate were the happy owners.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Navan – Wednesday, October 21st (first race 1.02pm)

Clonmel - Thursday, October 22nd (first race 1.35pm)

Sligo (NH) - Friday, October 23rd (first race 1.25pm)

Dundalk - Friday, October 23rd (first race 5.10pm)

Galway (NH) - Saturday, October 24th (first race 1.50pm)

Galway (NH) - Sunday, October 25th (first race 12.32pm)

Wexford (NH) - Sunday, October 25th (first race 12.50pm)

Galway – Monday, October 26th (first race 12.42pm)

Wexford – Monday, October 26th (first race 1.00pm)