Meath trainers and jockeys busy on all fronts
A look back on the week's racing
Caption - The photograph above shows Favori De Champdou winning the Grade 2 Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase to give Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy their second winner of the day at Punchestown on Saturday.
Trainer Denise Foster provided Jake Coen with his first jumps winner as Petit Dejeuner took the two-mile handicap hurdle at Limerick on Tuesday. Coen rode 45 winners as an apprentice on the Flat and got off the mark over hurdles when partnering the Untouchables Syndicate-owned 20/1 chance to a four-length win over the Eoin McCarthy-trained 9/2 shot New Barn Lane.
The first of the Meath brigade into the winners’ enclosure at Dundalk on Wednesday afternoon was Adam Caffrey who notched up his 50th career success when winning the opening division of the seven-furlong handicap on the Dick Donohoe-trained River Derwent. In the trainer’s own colours, the 10/1 shot got the better of the Leanne Breen-trained James Henry, the 4/1 favourite, by a length and a quarter. Pat Martin won the second leg of the same race with 5/2 favourite Gobi Star which was ridden by Jack Kearney.
Owned by Michael Cawley and Martin Lynch, the five-year-old had a far easier time of things as he raced to a three and a half-length won over another Donohoe runner, the Caffrey-ridden Bucky Larson. In contrast, Ado McGuinness took the seven-furlong nursery handicap with the narrowest winner of the day, Rhasidat. The saddle slipped on the 22/1 chance in the early stages of the race and Oisin McSweeney did extremely well in the circumstances to get the Shamrock Thoroughbreds-owned youngster home by a nose from Willie McCreery’s 5/2 favourite Dream Ticket.
Colin Keane took the six-furlong maiden for three-year-olds on the Fozzy Stack-trained Never Cry Never. In the colours of David Keoghan and Casey McLiney, the 9/2 chance led early in the straight and had plenty in hand in beating the Edward Lynam-trained 4/5 favourite Cross Border by two and three-parts of a length.
James Ryan added to his first career treble on the previous Friday evening when winning the opening division of the 10-furlong handicap on the Tom McCourt-trained Shining Aitch. Owned in partnership by Caroline Jordan, Pauline McCourt and Anthony Davitt, the 18/1 chance led a furlong out to beat the Ado McGuinness-trained Comfort Line by half a length.
Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy shared their first winner of the week as Will Do took the near three-mile novice hurdle. A maiden hurdle winner at Sligo last month, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned six-year-old was sent off at odds of 4/11 favourite and he scored a cosy two and three-parts of a length success from Tim Doyle’s 100/30 chance Getaway Charlie.
Trainer Matthew Smith won the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle with 14/1 shot Ragin Cajun. Danny Gilligan was able to ease down on the 10-year-old close to the finish and he still had five lengths to spare over the Sam Curling-trained Ishan. There was double cause for celebration in the Smith household as shortly afterwards, the trainer’s son James rode his first winner in Britain when partnering the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Itso Fury to score at Wincanton.
Elliott and Kennedy were on the mark at the rearranged fixture at Fairyhouse on Friday where they took the near three-mile maiden hurdle with 2/9 favourite Better Days Ahead. The Bective Stud-owned five-year-old was clear at the second-last hurdle and had 11 lengths to spare over the Liam Cusack-trained Metalor at the line.
Kennedy also won the opening mares’ maiden hurdle on 4/7 favourite Jetara, trained by Jessica Harrington for owner/breeder by Gerry McGrath. Trainer Karl Thornton won the John Thomas McNamara Series Handicap Hurdle with the Oran McGill-ridden Danny The Fence. The Gary Ryan-owned six-year-old finished powerfully to beat Declan Queally’s Mick Charlie by three lengths at odds of 15/2.
Ger Lyons and Colin Keane combined for a double at Dundalk on Friday night where the newcomer Madam Celeste set the ball rolling with a win in the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden. In the familiar Newtown Anner Stud Farm colours, the 9/4 chance gradually warmed to her task and she led inside the final furlong to beat Jessica Harrington’s Raknah by a length. Half a length was the winning margin as the Mark Breen-owned Pier Pressure took the seven-furlong rated race to complete the Lyons/Keane brace.
At odds of 100/30, he headed Hightimeyouwon, ridden for Ado McGuinness by Adam Caffrey, close to the finish to back up his maiden success over the same course and distance at the beginning of the month. Half a length was the winning distance that day too. Tara trainer Shane Crawley won the eight-furlong apprentice handicap with the 14/1 shot Trishuli River. Owned by the trainer himself, the three-year-old battled well under Hugh Horgan to beat the Paul Flynn-trained Feature This, ridden by Robert Whearty, by a head.
Gordon Elliott won four of the eight races at Punchestown on Saturday with Jack Kennedy riding three of them and Harry Swan wrapping up another huge day for Cullentra in the finale. Mighty Bandit was the first of the day when taking the three-year-old maiden hurdle in impressive fashion. The Jack Kennedy-ridden 3/1 chance led at the final hurdle and went right away to beat Joseph O'Brien’s 11/4 favourite Lark In The Mornin by all of nine and a half lengths. Favori De Champdou had even more in hand when winning the Grade 2 Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase to give Elliott and Kennedy their second winner of the day. In the Gigginstown House Stud colours, the 11/2 chance led at the third-last fence and went clear before the last to win by 14 lengths from Paul Nolan’s Sandor Clegane with the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter a length and a quarter away in third place.
The 5/2 favourite Yeats Star completed the trebles with a game win in the two-mile handicap hurdle. Owned and bred by Bertie Mannion, the four-year-old led of the home turn and battled well to beat Heliko Conti, another trained by Paul Nolan, by half a length. The Enabler, ridden by Harry Swan, took the bumper in fine style. Sent off at odds of 8/11 favourite, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned four-year-old led after four furlongs and was clear early in the straight to win by six and a half lengths from Gavin Cromwell’s 2/1 shot I Am Mimi. Noel Meade scored with another Gigginstown House Stud winner in the shape of Idas Boy which won the two-mile five-furlong handicap chase at odds of 7/1. Ridden by Sam Ewing, the nine-year-old led at the second-last fence and pulled away on the flat to score by three lengths from the Elliott-trained Mars Harper.
Elliott brought his remarkable form back to Punchestown on Sunday where he landed three more races. Jack Kennedy shared the treble and although only a 4/1 chance, Shannon Royal was a surprise winner for the pair in the five-runner maiden hurdle over two and three-quarter miles. The Robcour-owned five-year-old easily brushed aside the Willie Mullins-trained 1/8 favourite Tullyhill which flopped on his jumping debut having shown high-class form in bumper last season. At the same odds of 4/1, Bob Cigar won the three-mile handicap hurdle in the colours of Bronsan Racing.
The five-year-old made much of the running and beat Paul Nolan’s Western Zara by a length and a quarter. Although a 30/100 favourite, Imagine made hard work of winning the Grade 2 BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase to complete the Elliott/Kennedy treble. He was all out in the closing stages to hold off the late surge of Lucid Dreams by half a length and there might well have been a different outcome if John Ryan’s charge had secured a clearer run at the final fence. Gavin Cromwell got the better of Elliott to take the concluding bumper with the Cant Say No Syndicate-owned The Passing Wife. A 3/1 chance in the hands of Declan Lavery, the four-year-old battled well to see off Elliott’s 5/6 favourite Prends Garde A Toi by half a length, the pair all of 21 lengths clear of Thats All back in third place.
Gordon Elliott was also on the mark at Cork on Sunday where Jordan Gainford rode two winners for him. The 5/2 chance Tactical Affair held on by a shorthead to win the two-mile maiden hurdle at the main expense of Henry de Bromhead’s Picture Of You while 4/7 favourite Halk Du Tabert made a fine start to her career over fences with a 20-length win in the two-mile five-furlong mares’ beginners’ chase in the colours of owner Kenny Alexander.
Gavin Cromwell took the opportunity handicap hurdle with 11/1 chance Dgalwaygallivantor, a first winner over jumps for Conor Stone-Walsh who certainly made a name for himself as an apprentice on the Flat last season. He brought the Gallivantors Syndicate-owned four-year-old home a three and three-parts of a length winner from Edward O'Grady’s Housemartin, the 9/4 favourite.