MANY congratulations to Martin Harley who landed the $1m Group 1 Ladbrokes J.J. Atkins at Eagle Farm, Brisbane last Saturday on the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Cool Archie.
This was a sixth win at the highest level for the Donegal native but his first since 2015 and, more obviously, his first since coming back from a near career-ending fall in January 2023. “I’m glad to get back on that Group 1 board,” was his telling comment in a post-race interview. He was due back in Ireland this week, taking in a visit to Royal Ascot.
Between last Friday and Wednesday of this week, Dylan Browne McMonagle rode three winners, all of them at Fairyhouse on day one. On Saturday, Patsy Cosgrave landed a winner at Leicester, as did Darragh Keenan who went on to record a double at Beverley on Tuesday before picking up a single victory at Lingfield on Wednesday.
Over jumps, Danny McMenamin gave himself an early wedding present when winning the bumper at Hexham on Saturday on the Daragh Bourke-trained favourite Matching Energy. On the same evening, Brian Hughes landed the two-mile novices’ handicap chase at Uttoxeter on the Adrian Keatley-trained favourite Gale Mahler.
On the breeding front, we could only find one winner which was the Brian Kennedy-bred Bownder, a three-year-old gelding by Belardo out of the Oratorio mare City Vaults Girl who is dam of four other winners.
On the owner front, the colours of Rosha Lyttle were carried to victory at Cork on Friday on the Danny Murphy-trained 2/1 favourite Kilmood Susan, a three-year-old filly by Belardo.
Later the same evening but at Fairyhouse, the Stuart Crawford-trained Fervent won again for the trio of Gary Devlin, Kevin Osborne and Joe McCrory. At Gowran on Sunday, Noel Kelly sent out Michael McGlone’s Sneddy Eddie to win the mile handicap in the hands of Paddy McGettigan.
Of course, that Sunday meeting clashed with racing at Downpatrick where there were no locally-trained winners but Gavin Cromwell saddled Paul Kelly’s Tonaghneave Well to win the two mile, one furlong and 165 yards handicap hurdle while Tony Martin sent out the Dewsweepers Syndicate’s Pralognan to land the Cab Plant Handicap Hurdle over two miles, two furlongs.
It was a shame that Saturday’s meeting was cancelled but who’d want to go racing in weather like that. Hopefully things will be a lot drier between now and Tuesday, July 15th.
IT was disappointing enough that there would be two shows with ex-racehorse classes on the one day but the fact that both were conducted in the appalling weather conditions that prevailed last Saturday made things even worse.
At the Armagh County Show, the RDS qualifier was won by Largy Texas, a five-year-old Libertarian gelding who ran in two maiden hurdles and a point-to-point maiden between mid-August and mid-ish October last year. He was then trained by Stuart Crawford for Largy Bloodstock who took him home after his last start.
Roughly three months ago, the bay was purchased by Dunloy farrier Jamie Quinn and his partner Cherie McHugh whose sister, Chloe Connon, rode the gelding to victory on Saturday. While Chloe does the riding, Cherie is in charge of turn-out and former point-to-point rider Colleen Letters takes care of the transport arrangements.
On Saturday, Largy Texas won his open racehorse class, which qualified him for Dublin, and then the racehorse to riding horse championship.
While he can’t contest any more qualifiers, Largy Texas will be shown in other company a couple of times between now and Saturday, August 9th in Ring 1 at the RDS showgrounds.
Working hunter class
At Killyleagh Show, the one-time Noel Kelly-trained Don’t Matter Now won the open racehorse to riding horse ridden class and the Treo Eile-sponsored racehorse to riding horse working hunter class en route to claiming the racehorse to riding horse championship in the hands of Alison McCartney.
During his track career which encompassed one run in a bumper, three in hurdle races and one in a chase, Don’t Matter Now was placed three times in the ownership of Danny Fitzsimmons whose colours he carried to victory in half of his eight point-to-point starts.
He last ran just over a year ago. The 10-year-old Ask gelding was bred by Stephen Magee out of the Montelimar mare Tullyfoyle.
BUSY spending money on young National Hunt horses at the recent Goffs Arkle Sales, Kevin and Anna Ross had the pleasure of seeing one of their older purchases, Ascending, win at Royal Ascot on Tuesday under adopted northern jockey Billy Lee.
Giving trainer Henry de Bromhead a first success at this meeting, the six-year-old Awtaad gelding won the two and a half-mile Ascot Stakes (a heritage handicap) by a neck in the colours of Chris Jones.
Kevin Ross Bloodstock gave 100,000 gns for the bay when he was consigned to the Autumn Sale at Tattersalls Newmarket in 2022 having won one race on the flat and been placed in three others.