THERE was drama in Ballinrobe’s featured €26,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Handicap Hurdle on Friday as the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained Whatucallher (7/1) was gifted the race with the final-flight exit of leader Sit Down Lucy.
Sit Down Lucy, under Shane Fitzgerald, was three lengths clear jumping the last but edged slightly to her left and unseated Fitzgerald on landing, leaving Whatucallher with a clear advantage on the run-in.
The winning jockey, Frenchman Nicolas Terrassin, had to negotiate his way around loose Sit Down Lucy but Whatucallher stayed on to beat Abbey Magic by eight lengths.
It was Terrassin’s second Irish winner, both achieved on the Leonard Kinsella-owned Whatucallher, and after the race Patrick Harty reported: “unfortunately Nico (Terrassin) is supposed to be going back to France for the winter but we might change his mind after this. Nico gets on great with her and gets a great tune out of her.”
Of the mare, he added: “She’s loving life this summer and is remarkably consistent. She just loves two miles, four furlongs to three miles over hurdles, stays really well and never stops to the line.”
Wedding winner
Racing began with the A History In The Making Maiden Hurdle, which saw Sean Flanagan ride the winner on the Noel Meade-trained Too Bright (5/1 - 3/1), on the eve of the jockey’s wedding to Lauren Carragher.
Too Bright survived a blunder at the first before eventually scoring hard-held by two and a half lengths from Powerful Kieran, and following the race, Meade stated: “He’d been schooling great at home and I’d say the hurdles probably improved him on the flat as well.
“He was lucky not to go down at the first but after that he was brilliant. He’ll probably go for a winners’ race and he can go back on the flat at some stage as well.”
PHILIP Rothwell continued his brilliant summer at Ballinrobe and the trainer sent out Ricky Langford (11/2) to win the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase, for jockey James O’Sullivan and the Kings Horses Syndicate.
The seven-year-old son of Alkaadhem was held up in rear for the early part of the race but made his way through the field to lead approaching the last and on the run-in, quickened to record a five-length win over Go Battle
Seven of Rothwell’s 11 winners this season have come at Ballinrobe, and he later reported: “a bunch of friends from school own him and David Thomas, one of my best friends from school, is involved in the syndicate.
“He is getting married in the Isle Of Man next weekend and all the syndicate members are going to the wedding, so it should be a good weekend.”
The Ross O’Sullivan-trained Favori Logique (4/6 favourite) completed a hat-trick of consecutive wins in the Good Luck To Mayo Handicap Chase, scoring readily for regular rider and 7lbs claimer Shane O’Callaghan.
The six-year-old son of Denham Red had won twice over hurdles last month, competed here from a chase rating of 94, 21lbs below his chase mark, and readily beat Father Jed by 10 lengths.
Trainer O’Sullivan said: “On his hurdle mark he was well treated and he’s loving life at the minute.
“It’s great to get a hat-trick out of him and it’s great for Shane as well. He’s proven that he can ride over fences as well as hurdles and is great value for his 7lb. He sits nice and quiet over a fence and is a very hard working fella who is in Ted’s (Walsh) every day.
“The owner Pat Burke is from Wicklow. He had a couple of horses a good few years ago but this is his first horse for a while so he’s been very lucky.”
JOCKEY Luke Dempsey’s good start to the new season continued with a 12th winner on the J.P. McManus-owned, Gavin Cromwell-trained Ilikedwayurthinkin (morning 5/1, returned 9/4) in the P&D Lydon Beginners Chase.
The son of Yeats, having his first start since the Punchestown Festival, was held up behind the leaders and while moving upsides 5/4 favourite Russian Diamond jumping the last, jumped the last obstacle untidily but rallied on the run-in to record a two-and-a-half-length win.
Following the race, Cromwell reported: “I suppose he was entitled to win off that mark but yet did well to win after making a mistake at the last. He got the trip well. I’m not sure where we will go from here but it’s nice to win with him.”
Oskar High (11/1, for the Addergoole More Partnership) gained a fourth career win in the Burkes Clonbur Handicap Hurdle, scoring for trainer Norman Lee and jockey Gavin Brouder.
All four of the nine-year-old’s wins have been over hurdles and here he made most of the running when fending off Dedanann by four and a quarter lengths.
Trainer Lee later stated: “He’s a real fun horse that jumps and stays. He’d 9st 7lb on his back today and was entitled to be competitive. He did it well.
“He might go to Listowel as long as the ground is not too soft and is belonging to two great lads, Darragh and Pat Gleeson – a nephew and uncle from Dunmore near Tuam – who enjoy it.”
Landa Beach, the 3/1 favourite, was fatally injured having fallen at the final flight.
Front-runner
The Ciaran Murphy-trained Betty Zane (5/1) was another front-runner to win, making all to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Maiden Hurdle for owner Jim Robinson and jockey Conor Orr.
The daughter of Stowaway was making her seasonal reappearance, and afterwards Murphy said: “She was entitled to be fizzy but she behaved herself well. She’s not fully fit but we saw this opportunity and said we’d take it.
“This track lends itself to one like her. It’s a real front-runner’s track. She’s homebred by Jim (Robinson) and will be a lovely mare to breed from down the road.”
Impressive
Racing concluded with the impressive win of the Emmet Mullins-trained, George Mullins-owned Merlin Giant (4/9 favourite) in the Eamon Sheridan Groundworks Bumper.
Previously runner-up at the Galway Festival, the flat-bred by Camelot, scored readily from Eco Pete, with winning jockey Derek O’Connor later commenting: “He had a high level of form and is far superior to the summer bumper form at the moment.
“He never came out of a canter and could be a nice horse.”