REST OF THE CARD
FOR the second year in succession, Willie McCreery and Billy Lee joined forces to land the Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes as Champagne Or Water produced much the best effort of her career to secure a precious blacktype triumph.
On her first venture into listed company, the useful daughter of Captain Rio was also trying her hand beyond a mile for the first time and she came through this test in fine style.
The testing ground was absolutely no problem for the 8/1 chance and nor was a wide draw as she travelled nicely in midfield before improving to make her challenge in the straight.
From over a furlong out, Champagne Or Water looked to have the measure of the pace setting In My Pocket and she saw off that rival by half a length. The English raider Dream Walker was the same distance back in third.
“I’m delighted for her owners, Jason and Leanne Scott. They’ve been very loyal and patient and Jason is watching from Russia where he works six months of the year as an engineer,” said McCreery. “She tries hard and she likes the ground and she’s a lovely, big mare who will be going to the sales at the end of the year. She’ll run again before then and we might try her in a Group 3 before the end of the season.”
Earlier, Billy Lee, who continues to enjoy his best season to date, teamed up with Edward O’Grady’s Fair Game (7/2) to take the Exchange Inn Ballybunion & Kevin Broderick’s Bar Listowel Handicap.
The soft ground-loving daughter of Lawman, in the colours of the trainer’s wife Maria, was travelling notably well as the leaders filed into the straight. She didn’t take long to stamp her authority on the race as the last furlong loomed and she crossed the line two lengths clear of fellow top-weight Prove The Point.
“She handles the ground. I just though the stiff finish caught her out at Galway last week (finished second) and she was well suited by coming back to a flat track today,” reported Lee.
Some 19 years after his Dorans Pride defied top-weight in the Kerry National, owner Tom Doran had a day to remember with a double which began with Carrig Cathal (10/1) the Ballygarry House Hotel Novice Hurdle.
A first Listowel winner for Dingle-born Jack Kennedy, the Elliott-trained Carrig Cathal was notching-up his third win in succession as he saw off Mai Fitzs Jack in this two and a half-mile contest. This was a torrid affair for punters as the market was dominated by Screaming Rose, who was beaten before the straight, and then second favourite Oathkeeper came down two out when lying just a couple of lengths off the leaders.
“I’d say he didn’t enjoy the ground at all, he wasn’t moving that well on it, but he got through it to win. He stays well and we’ll keep him going. Paul Roche recommended him,” reported Elliott.
Doran’s colours were then carried to victory by Tom Hogan’s Dorans River (8/1) in the Listowel Vintners Association-sponsored bumper over two and a half miles. The front running Dorans River surged clear of his opponents over the last furlong and a half to hand out a seven and a half-length beating to the odds-on Kagney.
“I was afraid of the ground but he handled it well. He’s a horse that wants a trip. It’s the first winner that Tom has bred,” remarked Hogan.
Weld double
Dermot Weld also ended the day with a double and it began with Love In The Sun (13/8) making her first outing since April a successful one in the Listowel Arms Handicap.
The Kodiac filly boasted a compelling piece of form in a clear-cut win over subsequent listed scorer Erysimum at Cork at the outset of the season, but she had to fight hard for this success.
Over the last furlong and a half, the Pat Smullen-ridden and Moyglare Stud-owned filly was involved in a protracted battle for supremacy with the front running Kandahari but she get on top inside the distance to prevail by half a length.
“She loves that ground and she battled well. The second didn’t give up but my filly battled away and her ability to handle the ground was a huge advantage,” declared Smullen.
The well-backed Timiyan (9/4) completed the Weld brace in the M.S.D. Animal Health Maiden Hurdle on his first appearance since November. A very smart sort on the flat a couple of seasons ago, this J.P. McManus-owned runner turned in an assured display on just his second outing over timber. He jumped nicely in the lead for Mark Walsh and quickened away from It Has To Be after two out to win by 10 lengths.
This race was another to forget for favourite backers as the odds-on Sweet Company could only manage third. The 8/11 chance made a few errors and fly-jumped rounding the last bend in a manoeuvre which almost saw him go through the rail.
“He jumped well and got his own way up front. He’s had a few little issues and Dermot has done well to him back. We’ll probably look for a winners of one next,” stated Weld.
The 2015 course and distance winner Dew Line recaptured her best form in the Seamus Mulvaney Handicap. For a large part of the season this four-year-old had been out of sorts, but this proven soft ground performer was backed from 8/1 into 11/2 to bag the third success of her career.
Dew Line made all the running for Declan McDonogh and found plenty in the straight to deal with Bobby Jean, who was the only one to throw down a meaningful challenge. The Thomas Cooke-owned and bred filly succeeded by two lengths and there was a further 11-length gap back to the third-placed Hidden Oasis.
“She likes it here. We’ve struggled with her all year and we weren’t happy with her so she got a break of about six weeks in the summer,” declared Michael Mulvany. “We’ve been aiming at coming back here.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. McLernon, S. McDonogh, C. O’Mahony, M. O’Driscoll, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
BOBBY JEAN (T.L Coogan): On her first run for 11 months, this filly ran well to chase home Dew Line in the nine furlongs handicap. She can improve off this and the soft ground-loving filly could make her mark before the end of the season.