O’Leary lands fine double

AFTER a quiet period, Irish stables have again been making their mark at British tracks, with Stuart Crawford striking in Wetherby’s junior bumper on Saturday with Teasing Georgia, a New Approach half-sister to several flat winners, who carried the trainer’s own colours.

On Tuesday evening, trainer Ger O’Leary, jockey Shane Foley and owners Lance Bloodstock combined to land a 81½/1 double at Wolverhampton courtesy of Aloysius Lilius and Fastar.

If that return looks generous, then the 50/1 about Stephen Hanlon’s winner Mojambo at the same track on Thursday was a case of Christmas coming early for blind backers of Irish runners on the all-weather tracks.

Flying fillies

AS well as the grade action covered in detail elsewhere, there were a number of listed races for fillies and mares over the past week.

Nicky Henderson struck with both Casablanca Mix in the Houghton Mares’ Chase at Aintree on Saturday, and with Vegas Blue (a ready-made replacement for Verdana Blue for owner Sir Eric Parker) in the Henrietta Knight Mares’ Bumper at Huntingdon on Sunday, while back at Aintree the Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle went to the Alan King-trained Midnights’ Gift in the silks of the Pitchall Stud Partnership.

More recently, Sensulano gained valuable blacktype when winning the Lady Godiva Mares’ Novices’ Chase at Warwick on Thursday for trainer Noel Williams.