Tipperary Racing Scene

Tipperary Racing Scene

In what turned out to be a great week for Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan, they combined for an early success at Ballinrobe on Monday evening where Red Azalea scored a comfortable win in the nine-furlong maiden.

A most consistent sort, she was sent off at odds-on favourite and shook off the attentions of the Michael O’Meara-trained Roman Bull inside the final furlong to score by two and a half lengths.

The father and son team of Andy & Andrew Slattery were next into the winners’ enclosure as Heather Bear completed a hat-trick of wins in the three-year-old handicap over the same distance. In the colours of Dr Ronan Tynan, she was sent off favourite to add to recent victories and Gowran Park and Naas and didn’t disappoint when hold off the Joe Murphy-trained Prophets choice by a neck with Fozzy Stack’s A Shin Undine back in third place.

A far easier winner was the Joe Murphy-trained Sionnach Eile which won the 13-furlong handicap by five and a half lengths from the Michael Grassick-trained Stellium. Leading through the early stages of the race, the well-supported 7/2 shot remained up with the pace under Gary Carroll and went clear early inside the final furlong to score in great style.

It was a nineteenth success of the season for Carroll, and he was joined on that figure by Shane Crosse who landed the concluding maiden over the same distance on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Midnight Run. In the Gigginstown House Stud colours, the easy-to-back favourite raced clear from the furlong pole to beat his own stable companion San Salvador by five lengths.

John Ryan and Danny Mullins were on the mark at Ballinrobe on Tuesday where Chief Seattle took the second division of the two-mile five-furlong handicap hurdle. In the trainer’s own colours, the 5/1 chance came from off the pace and led close to the finish to beat Sonny Carey’s Sittingonthefence by half a length.

The pair were winners again on the all-chase card at Limerick the following day as Cluan Dara beat his own stable companion Father Jed to take the two-mile three-furlong handicap chase in the colours of the Bitview Partnership. The 11/2 chance raced clear from the second last fence and held the closing Donagh Meyler-ridden runner-up by a length and a half at the line.

Also at Limerick, Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead combined to win the two-mile six-furlong mares’ beginners’ chase with the Kenny Alexander-owned Brave Way. A strong favourite, the seven-year-old led turning out of the back straight and was clear from the second last fence to beat the Evanna McCutcheon-trained Gonedairy by nine lengths.

Denis Hogan won the eight-furlong apprentice handicap with the Pat Kelly-owned Barnhill Rose at Naas on Wednesday. With Siobhan Rutledge deputising for the suspended Sean Bowen, the 10/1 chance led well inside the final furlong to score by three-parts of a length from the Richard O'Brien-trained Cleveleys.

Trainer Thomond O’Mara took the opening two and a half-mile maiden hurdle at Limerick on Thursday with 33/1 chance Gekkota. Ridden by Richie Deegan, the six-year-old pulled clear from the final hurdle to score by three and a quarter lengths from the Liz Doyle-trained Itso Vango.

Aidan O'Brien and his son Donnacha were both Group 3 winners at Leopardstown on Thursday. The Ballydoyle trainer took the Silver Flash Stakes with the Ryan Moore-ridden favourite Never Ending Story which beat Joseph O'Brien’s Zoinnocent by half a length with Donnacha’s La Dolce Vita a head away in third place.

The latter landed the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes with Proud And Regal on which Gavin Ryan made all the running to score an impressive one and a quarter-length win over the Ger Lyons-trained Hellsing.

Aidan O'Brien completed a double when Tower Of London, another ridden by Ryan Moore, justified favourites tag when winning the eight-furlong maiden at the first time of asking. He beat Jim Bolger’s newcomer Fleetfoot by two and three-parts of a length.

Shane Crosse rode one of Joseph O'Brien’s two winners at the fixture to bring his season’s tally to twenty winners. He landed the rated race over twelve-furlongs on even-money favourite Point King which got the better of Aidan O’Brien’s Waterville by the half a length.

The two-year-old Easy gave Andy & Andrew Slattery their second winner of the week with a taking debut success in the five-furlong auction series maiden at Cork on Friday. Owned by Rachel Halley, the 7/2 chance had plenty in hand as she got the better of the Willie McCreery-trained favourite Queen Of Ours, ridden by Billy Lee, by a length and three-parts.

Lee enjoyed better fortune in the five-furlong handicap which he won on the Paddy Twomey-trained Erosandpsyche, the favourite. The four-year-old led after halfway and just lasted home to beat Ken Condon’s Harmony Rose by a shorthead to give the successful jockey his 58th winner of the season, his best tally.

Aidan O'Brien was a winner again as the Wayne Lordan-ridden Perotan won the Listed Her Majesty’s Plate at Down Royal on Friday. A very well-supported favourite, the three-year-old eased clear inside the final furlong to beat the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Moon Daisy by two and three-parts of a length.

Amy Jo Hayes rode her fourth winner of the season when taking the apprentice handicap on the Nigel Slevin-trained Five Zeros. It was tight at the line as the 100/30 chance held on by a nose from the David Dunne-trained Dinamine.

The Ballydoyle trainer and Wayne Lordan were again successful as 11/10 favourite Shark Bay took the nine-furlong conditions’ race at Gowran Park the following afternoon. In a tight finish, the three-year-old edged out Jessica Harrington’s Jungle cove by a head.

Upcoming Meetings

Galway – Wednesday, July 27 (5.10pm)

Galway – Thursday, July 28 (2.10pm)

Galway – Friday, July 29 (5.00pm)

Galway – Saturday, July 30 (2.00pm)

Galway – Sunday, July 31 (2.00pm)