Tipperary Racing Scene

The five-year-old Stepdance was a winner for Wayne Hassett when scoring a comfortable success in the Tote Tramore Derby Handicap at Tramore.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the 3/1 chance led over a furlong from the finish and was well on top in beating the Mags Mullins-trained favourite Spinning Web by a length and three-parts in the 12-furlong event.

Ben Coen and Johnny Murtagh stole the show at Fairyhouse on Wednesday where they shared three comfortable winners.

They struck first in the six-furlong maiden for two-year-olds with the 18/1 chance Chicago Call. He was well on top when beating Aidan O'Brien’s favourite Charles Fort by two and a half lengths for owners Samuel Mencoff and Tony Smurfit.

Similarly, 4/6 favourite Shakazia scored in good style in the seven-furlong maiden for three-year-olds. She was two and three-parts of a length too strong for Natalia Lupini’s Perfect Base at the finish.

Two and a half lengths was again the winning margin as the six-year-old Blues Emperor completed the trebles in the seven-furlong handicap. Owned and bred by Helen and Mark Keaveney, the 7/2 chance led over a furlong out to beat Mark Fahey’s favourite I Bid You Ajou which was bidding to win at the fourth consecutive Fairyhouse meeting.

Andy Slattery and his son Andrew combined to win the days seven-furlong finale, the Farewell To Peter Roe Handicap, with the Eight Star Syndicate-owned Zaraahmando. A 7/2 favourite, he was another to record a taking success when leading well inside the final furlong to beat Michael Grassick’s Verhoyen by a length and three-parts.

Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee combined to win the opening seven-furlong fillies’ maiden for two-year-olds with 5/2 chance Phenomenal Filly at Leopardstown on Thursday. She made all the running and readily saw off the challenge of Jessica Harrington’s Thenandnow in the straight to win by a length and a quarter with Aidan O'Brien’s favourite Amelia Earhart the same distance away in third place.

David Marnane shared a bigger success with Luke McAteer as the five-year-old Slieve Binnian landed the €100,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nasrullah Handicap. A 6/1 chance for owner Paul Rooney, he led early inside the final furlong to beat Tom Gibney’s long shot Booyea by a length and three-parts for his seventh career success.

Wayne Hassett took the second of the nine-furlong handicaps on the Laura Hourigan-trained Unterberg. Owned by the Novum Racing Club, the 15/2 chance raced clear at the furlong-pole to beat the Gerry Keane-trained favourite Thegooseiscooked by three lengths.

At odds of 40/1, the outsider of the eight-runner field, Faceman won the two and a quarter-mile maiden hurdle for Harry Kelly at Kilbeggan on Friday. Owned and bred by John Bowe, the six-year-old became the fifth winner out of superstar mare Solerina when he made all the running to beat Willie Mullins’ joint-favourite Sugar Cookie by four and a quarter lengths in the hands of Brian Hayes.

Philip Fenton and Gortnahoe conditional jockey Niall Moore took the handicap hurdle over the same distance with the Thomas Coleman-owned Shraheen. The 4/1 chance led before the final hurdle and got the better of John Ryan’s Ad Caelum by half a length.

At Cork on Friday, five-year-old Sunny South West added to bumper wins at Clonmel and Tipperary earlier this year when winning the two-mile one-furlong maiden hurdle for Ballycahill trainer Eddie Power and owner Sean Dalton. A strong 5/4 favourite under Phillip Enright, he made all the running to beat the Harry Kelly-trained William Tell by five and a half lengths.

Billy Lee is expected to sit out the next four weeks after he broke a collar bone in a fall at Limerick on Saturday. The set-back came hours after he had notched up another winner with trainer Paddy Twomey as they landed the opening six-furlong rated race with the three-year-old No Alibi. The 2/1 favourite led inside the final furlong and had half a length to spare over David Marnane’s Ja’marr at the line.

Sam Coen shared two winners with Ado McGuinness, the second double of his career.

The pair won the six and a half-furlong handicap with the 22/1 chance She’s Smart which held the late challenge of John McConnell’s Miqdaad, with jockey Ross Coakley doing well to cope with a slipped saddle, by half a length.

The 11/1 shot Oiche Rua completed the double in the eight-furlong handicap for three-year-olds.

The Alex Zevenbergen-owned 11/2 chance followed up on her recent Bellewstown win when beating Richard O’Brien’s Spanish Temptress by a length and a quarter.

Willie Browne and his grandson Adam Browne-Souza combined to win the seven-furlong handicap with Just Before at Dundalk on Saturday. Owned in partnership by Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, the 7/2 favourite led after halfway and held the Ken Condon-trained Senti Qua by half a length. It was a second winner for the young apprentice.

Ben Coen was next into the winners’ enclosure after he took the eight-furlong maiden on the Andy Oliver-trained 5/4 favourite Sidney Reilly. He went clear over a furlong out to score by an easy five lengths from Adrian Murray’s Beijinho.

David Marnane and Robbie Colgan won the second leg of the eight-furlong handicap with 10/1 shot Ballymagreehan. In the familiar Paul Rooney colours, the three-year-old led before the straight and battled well to hold Willie McCreery’s Morning Approach by a shorthead.

A neck was the winning margin as Donnacha O'Brien’s 9/2 chance Lombardi Trophy took the 10-furlong maiden. Paddy Harnett got the three-year-old home at the main expense of Ger Lyons’ odds-on favourite Game Point.

Tullamaine apprentice Jimmy Dalton rode his first winner when partnering My Girl Sioux to take the five-furlong handicap at Navan on Sunday. Trained by Andy Slattery for owner Maurice Aherne, the 6/1 chance led inside the final furlong and held the Andy Oliver-trained Best Suggestion and Ben Coen by a head.

Cousins Ben & Sam Coen both rounded off a fine week with a winner apiece at the fixture.

Ben Coen and Johnny Murtagh were winners again as the three-year-old Zuheila made a winning debut in the near six-furlong maiden. A very well-supported 5/2 favourite, she led inside the final furlong to beat Ger Lyons’ Washington Street by half a length.

Sam Coen and Ado McGuinness added to their doubles at Limerick a day earlier as the 2/1 chance Dancing Steve won the 10-furlong apprentice handicap. The four-year-old had finished runner-up in the finale at Dundalk on Saturday and he scored with any amount in hand when beating the Andy Oliver-trained favourite Red King by three and a quarter lengths.

Aidan O'Brien won the 10-furlong conditions’ race with the Wayne Lordan-ridden Rock Of Cashel. He led over two furlongs out and was comfortably two lengths too good from the Johnny Murtagh-trained 1/4 favourite Nautical Force, another ridden by Ben Coen.

A little before My Girl Sioux won at Navan, trainer Andy Slattery was on the mark with the Charles Kerwin-trained Killeaney Bear in the opening two-mile one-furlong maiden hurdle at Sligo. Ridden by Cian Quirke, the 5/6 favourite made all the running and scored by a cosy neck from the Denis Hogan-trained Tatateo.

Upcoming Meetings

Killarney – Wednesday, July 16 (First race 5.20pm)

Leopardstown – Thursday, July 17 (First race 4.45pm)

Killarney – Thursday, July 17 (First race 5.01pm)

Killarney – Friday, July 18 (First race 1.55pm)

Down Royal – Friday, July 18 (First race 5.10pm)

Curragh – Saturday, July 19 (First race 1.20pm)

Curragh – Sunday, July 20 (First race 1.20pm)