Racing Review
Crowd Favourite Rebel Fitz Wins Tipperary Grade 2
Rebel Fitz, so impressive on his comeback run at Listowel, notched up the 18th win of his career when easily winning the Grade 2 Istabraq Hurdle at Tipperary on Sunday. Barry Geraghty sent Michael Winters’ flag bearer to the front after the second last hurdle and he skipped clear to win from Darwins Fox. Plans are uncertain for the winner who could go back over fences and take his chance at Leopardstown at Christmas. Rich Coast was a smart performer on the Flat and he showed what he is capable of over flights when taking the Grade 3 Dolores Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle in fine style.
The Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse is the target for Noel Meade’s winner. Ruby Walsh returned to action after an injury break when landing the Grade 3 Like A Butterfly Novice Chase on the Willie Mullins-trained Indevan. It was a third win over fences for Rich Ricci’s six-year-old. On the Flat, Leigh Roche rode his biggest winner to date when taking the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Of Champions Concorde Stakes on the Dermot Weld-trained Big Break. A sister to Famous Name, big Break held off Brendan Bracken to win and is destined for the paddocks after one more run.
Sizing Europe Back With A Bang
The remarkable Sizing Europe swooped on the line to win the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase for the fourth consecutive year at Gowran Park on Saturday. Henry de Bromhead’s star got up under Johnny Burke to deny the Galway Plate winner Road To Riches and now heads for the Clonmel Oil Chase. Sean Flanagan recorded his second winner in as many days when winning the 2m handicap hurdle on Mind The Pennies for Bill Durkan. Mark Walsh took the 2m4f maiden hurdle on If Not For You and went on to record a second winner when Francis Flood’s Down Under won the 3m1f handicap chase. The Christy Roche-trained Bay Hill won the three-year-old maiden hurdle under Jody McGarvey while Noel Meade and Paul Carberry combined to win the 2m2f beginners chase with Benemeade who just saw off favourite Clonbanan Lad.
English Raider Wins Dundalk Group 3
The Charlie Appleby-trained Cat O’Mountain landed the big one of the night at Dundalk on Friday, the Group 3 Diamond Stakes. Fran Berry had the 2/1 favourite in front over a furlong out and the four-year-old kept on to win from Paul Deegan’s Prince Of All. Colin Keane add to his treble earlier in the week when bagging two more winners. He won the 1m handicap on Ado McGuinness’ Beau Satchel and the 6f conditions event on My Good Brother, trained by Tom McCourt. Dylan Hogan rode his first winner when impressing on the Kevin Prendergast-trained Master Melody in the opening division of the 12f handicap and other apprentices on the mark were Sean Corby (Many Owens) and Conor Hoban (Orcia).
Mark Walsh Impresses On Little King Robin
Mark Walsh was the man in-form at Gowran Park on Friday where he rode two winners. He won the opening maiden hurdle on the Charles O’Brien-trained Henry Higgins who ran out an easy nine length winner. Walsh has an even easier time of it on Little King Robbin who made all the running to win the 2m4f maiden hurdle. Colin Bowe’s smart six-year-old will now step up in class to contest the Grade 3 Grabel Mares Hurdle at Punchestown next week. Johnny Burke won the 2m handicap hurdle on the Liam Cusack-trained Chief Of Panama while the Gordon Elliott-trained Brand Ambassador won the 2m4f handicap hurdle in grand style. Also on the mark was Sean Flanagan who guided the Thomas James-trained Burning Issues to success while Patrick Mullins teamed up with Colm Murphy to win the bumper on Black Zambezi.
Power and Enright On The Double At Clonmel
Robbie Power was in good form in Clonmel on Thursday registering a double on Egyptian Warrior and Presenting Beara. Philip Enright also had a good day in South Tipperary winning on both Massinis Adventure and Castle Bar Sling. Elsewhere on the card John Hanlon landed a touch when the well-backed Fennis Moll took the Nire Valley Handicap Hurdle.
Keane Returns With A Treble At Fairyhouse
Colin Keane returned to the winners’ enclosure on Tuesday at Fairyhouse teaming up with trainer Ger Lyons for a 519/1 treble. Buenos Y Bobos started off the day when making a winning debut and upsetting long odds-on shot General Marshall. Keane was later successful on both Chocolate Diamond and Azurite. Shane Lyons was on hand to represent Glenburnie Stables and he said: “We’re delighted to have a treble.”
Double For McManus At Sligo
Leading owner J.P. McManus landed a double on Wednesday when both Call Rog and Tom Horn were successful at Sligo. Call Rog was well backed to break his duck over fences for trainer Mouse Morris who himself registered a double when the ultra-consistent Spot Fine got off the mark at the 26th time of asking. The eight year-old son of Kayf Tara had been placed on 15 of his 25 starts and his trainer commented afterwards: “He deserved it. An inch is as good as a mile to him!”
Ted Leaves It Late Ln Kilbegnet
Even money favourite Ted Veale left it late in the Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon on Monday. Barry Geraghty’ s mount looked to have it all to do coming towards the last before engaging overdrive to score by a snug length and a quarter in the end. His trainer Tony Martin doesn’t see a huge future over fences for Ted Veale however, “It was a great pot to win and he has done us all proud. He is not the biggest in the world and he is probably not scopey enough to be top class over fences but he has plenty of heart and that counts for a lot.”
Racing News
Goffs Delight At Latest Results
Irish-bred thoroughbred yearlings once again demonstrated their strong international appeal as buyers from all over the world did battle to purchase horses at auction in Ireland over the past ten days. The Orby Sale at Goffs, Ireland’s premier sale of yearlings held on Tuesday and Wednesday, posted a turnover of over €38m, up significantly on a successful 2013 sale with two individual horses selling for over a million Euros. This follows on from the three-day auction held last week in Tattersalls Ireland in County Meath where buyers from fifteen different countries contributed to a total of over €8m worth of horses sold.
Found The Irish Star At Longchamp
Aidan O’Brien teamed up with Ryan Moore to win the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac with the highly promising Found at Longchamp on Sunday. The daughter of Galileo was as impressive as any winner on the day as she beat race favourite Ervedya by two and a half lengths. Her win was a further boost to the form of the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh last month and trainer Aidan O’Brien sees her as more of an Oaks filly for next season. The Ballydoyle trainer suffered at the hands of the local stewards as Gleneagles was disqualified and placed third after winning the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. In edging right in the dying strides, Gleneagles, who may reappear in the Dewhurst Stakes, was adjudged to have interfered with both Full Mast and Territories and was thrown out. Irish challengers failed to get in a blow behind the brilliant Treve in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Ruler Of The World best of the raiders in ninth place.
Upcoming Fixtures
Tipperary – Tuesday 7th October (First Race 2.25)
Navan – Wednesday 8th October (First Race 2.25)
Tramore – Thursday 9th October (First Race 2.45)
Dundalk – Friday 10th October (First Race 6.10)
Fairyhouse – Saturday 11th October (First Race 2.15)
Curragh – Sunday 12th October (First Race 2.05)
Limerick – Sunday 12th October (First Race 2.25)