Tipperary Racing Scene

Jockey Ben Coen starred at Roscommon on Tuesday of last week with a 120-1 treble for three different trainers.

Two of his winners came for Curragh stables, starting with Damsel In Distress in the opening auction maiden for juveniles for trainer Danny McLoughlin.

An 11-1 chance, this filly got the better of trainer Jim Bolger’s 11-10 favourite, Sea Of Rain, after the pair singled out in the final two furlongs. Damesel In Distress, making her second career start, edged just over a length clear at the line.

Coen’s book-ended the fixture taking out the final race, a maiden over 12 furlongs for older horses, with Ashikita for his boss Johnny Murtagh.

This mare was purchased from the Aga Khan Studs for just €3,000 at Goffs in November 2024. She ran with some promise on her return to action only a month ago when huge odds of 125-1. With that experience behind her, she started a 15-8 favourite and was not for passing in the home straight, over two lengths clear at the line.

The middle leg of the Coen treble arrived for his uncle Andy Slattery when Nermal (5-2), in the colours of owner Joe Bolger, gained reward for his consistency with his first success in one of the ten-furlong handicaps.

Rory Cleary shone in the race named in honour of his late brother Sean at Roscommon, driving Thatwilldoso to a short head success as a 4-1 joint favourite.

The Athlone jockey delivered a fitting and poignant result on the Kevin Coleman-trained mare who was winning the Sean Cleary Memorial Handicap for the second year running.

Sean Cleary died aged 22 from injuries sustained in a race fall in 2003. His son, Sean Cleary-Farrell, is now making his name as a jumps jockey. He enjoyed big race wins at Fairyhouse and Punchestown in the spring for champion trainer Willie Mullins.

Bosphorous Rose ran out a commanding winner of Roscommon’s biggest Flat race, the Lenebane Stakes for trainer Paddy Twomey.

Making her second start in Ireland since being bought out of Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott’s yard late last year, Bosphorous Rose won with plenty to spare by almost five lengths for leading jockey Billy Lee.

It was Twomey’s third success in the race in the last five years. Plans will be for this mare to go up in grade in the near future and she holds Group 2 and Group 3 entries with that in mind.

Bosphorous Rose carries the colours of Emma and William Kennedy of Stanley Lodge near Nenagh.

Johnny Murtagh and his stable jockey Ben Coen have struck a rich vein of form and the pair combined for a double at Fairyhouse on Wednesday evening.

Coen was adding to the treble he achieved at Roscommon the evening before and he struck first at the Meath track when the consistent Treasure Rose made it back-to-back wins in the Irish EBF fillies’ handicap over six furlongs.

In the famous yellow and blue silks of the Smurfit family, Treasure Rose fought out a head margin as an 11-2 chance.

The double arrived courtesy of Vanir in the final race, a fillies’ maiden over 12 furlongs.

A few of the biggest yards were represented here so this was probably a decent contest – in keeping with most Irish maidens, admittedly.

In the colours of Newtown Anner Stud, Vanir needed virtually all of the mile and a half to get her head in front, scoring by a length as the 11-10 favourite.

Murtagh and Coen clicked again in the opening race of Bellewstown’s three-day fixture on Thursday when Celtic Moon took the fillies’ maiden over a mile as a 2-1 favourite.

Pete’s Dream cracked his first win at the 14th attempt, another boost for trainer Andy Slattery at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.

Fethard apprentice Jimmy Dalton claimed his 7lb allowance in this mile handicap for horses rated up to 60 and rode a well-judged race.

Pete’s Dream was hustled to race on the pace from the gates but from there he travelled well, led shortly after turning for home and was always holding a break on his pursuers. He won by a length or so as a 7-1 chance.

In a three-year-old maiden hurdle with no jumps form to go on, Minella Rockett, the 11-10 favourite, knew his job and jumped well enough to make a winning debut for Clonmel trainer John Nallen.

Inexperience over hurdles was very evident with two horses unseating in this race, but jockey Dan King had a reliable partner who raced close to speed and responded nicely to win by a length and a half.

Siege Of Carthage ran out an easy winner of the 2m4f maiden hurdle at Limerick for Fethard-based connections.

Victory arrived by twenty lengths for the gelding trained by Josh Halley for owners the Whackers Clan Syndicate.

His task was made a lot easier when his only realistic challenger departed at the penultimate flight. Philip Enright was on board the well backed 4-1 chance.

Sam Curling, recently crowned last season’s champion point-to-point handler with a record tally, is not one for resting on his laurels and he saddled two winners on consecutive days.

Sallap (15-2) was the first of those in a 2m6f handicap hurdle with Michael Kenneally doing the steering.

This petite mare, owned and bred by Willie Cleary, was making it consecutive victories having scored a month earlier at Clonmel. She did it some style, too, patiently ridden and quickening up well for a cosy margin of about three lengths.

The next result for Curling’s Skehanagh stables near Cashel arrived at Wexford on Friday.

Philip Enright guided He Who Dares (12-1) to an easy win despite the horse having little or no form to speak of in his previous nine starts.

25-1 outsider Numidia, trained in Donard by Peter Lawlor, snatched the 1m6f apprentice handicap right in the very last stride, at Bellewstown on Thursday.

The last-gasp thrust provided Tipperary apprentice Mel Sheridan – brother of prominent jockey Joey – with the second win of his fledgling career.

For the veteran Numidia, it was the fifth time he entered the winners’ enclosure and he remains a credit to Lawlor, also his owner.

Mullingar trainer Ciaran Murphy has been a reliable source of winners in recent months and registered another when Bay Of Dreams (5-1) won the mile handicap at Bellewstown on Friday.

This was another good ride from Ben Coen who was winning his seventh race in five days. The Fethard rider had his mount close to the pace and found a nice response in the straight to settle matters by about two lengths.

Killenaule jockey Gavin Ryan rode a 167-1 double at Bellewstown on Friday, which kicked off with Focaccia in the five-furlong maiden.

Fozzy Stack owns and trains this filly who made all for a convincing success by about three lengths at 7-1.

It might have been harder for punters to find Ryan’s other winner Private Larry, a 20-1 chance, but this success arrived by a bigger margin of three and a half lengths.

Kilkenny trainer Alan McIntyre trains this three-year-old who, it seems, will embark on a career over hurdles in the near future.

Constitution River enhanced his status as the best three-year-old in training over ten furlongs with a comprehensive victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

This is the race in which, traditionally at least, the best three-year-olds clash with the older generation – except trainer Aidan O’Brien has a habit of rewriting record books.

This was his tenth victory in the race, the fourth in a row with a three-year-old and fifth in six years. His most recent winners were Delacroix, City Of Troy, Paddington and St Mark’s Basilica.

Success for Constitution River arrived by three lengths under Ryan Moore, befitting his status as the odds-on 8-11 favourite. A Boy Named Susie, 20-1 and trained by Donnacha O’Brien, ran second with Hawk Mountain, stable companion of the winner, in third at 11-1. All were three-year-olds with the older generation routed.

This season could turn out to be the most successful ever for the Ballydoyle. O’Brien is on 12 Group 1 wins for the year already with 28 his previous best in 2017, equalling the tally reached by American trainer Bobby Frankel in 2003.

There is lots of water to go under the bridge yet, but with a crop of two-year-olds that appears well up to scratch, it would not surprise if he were to reach a new marker that will be nigh on impossible to surpass.

Back home, the stable took home one of the featured races at Naas on Saturday, via Carry The Flag in the Listed Coolmore Blackbeard Tipperary Stakes for juveniles.

The 11-10 favourite got the better of Brazilian Diva inside the final few strides in the hands of Ballydoyle apprentice Jack Cleary.

A word also for the achievement by Donnacha O’Brien of winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Stakes with Kensington Lane at Saratoga in New York state on Saturday evening.

Ridden by top local jockey Joel Rosario, she found the lead early on and despite being briefly head, she rallied well to win by nearly two lengths at 23-1. Congratulations to everyone at Bawnmore Racing.

Concorde Landed looked a filly of some potential as she hosed up on her debut in a Naas maiden over five furlongs on Saturday.

Trained by Paddy Twomey and ridden by Billy Lee, the daughter of Sioux Nation quickened five lengths clear at the line, well backed also as the 13-8 favourite.

“She felt good. She came from breeze ups. She travelled well, I bagged the rail and that helped me,” Lee said.

“She was quite raw in front, having a look around but I kept her up to her work. She has a lot of natural speed and is a very exciting filly.”

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Fairyhouse – Wednesday, July 8th (first race 4.38pm)

Leopardstown – Thursday, July 9th (first race 4.50pm)

Kilbeggan (NH) – Friday, July 10th (first race 4.50pm)

Cork (NH) – Friday, July 10th (first race 5.10pm)

Navan – Saturday, July 11th (first race 1.48pm)

Limerick – Saturday, July 11th (first race 5.25pm)

Sligo (NH) – Sunday, July 12th (first race 1.45pm)

Dundalk – Sunday, July 12th (first race 2.00pm)

Killarney – Monday, July 13th (first race 5.00pm)

Downpatrick – Tuesday, July 14th (first race 2.07pm)

Killarney – Tuesday, July 14th (first race 4.35pm)