1986
JOE Byrne scored a mixed hat-trick at Down Royal last Saturday from just four rides.
The popular Co Meath jockey began by taking the Glenmachan Maiden on Ted Curtin’s Capable, and followed up on Bold Agent in the Trafalgar Handicap Chase and Brown’s Star in the Blaris Chase. Brown’s Star’s trainer Jeremy Maxwell went on to complete a double with Simaroy in the Lylehill Pro-Am Flat Race.
Bold Agent, a winner here the previous Monday, found little difficulty in carrying his seven-pound penalty to a smooth success.
At the post the improving son of Pry had six lengths and two and a half lengths to spare over Randoss and Random Select.
Trained at Clonsilla in Co Dublin by Eamon O’Connell, Bold Agent will now attempt his hat-trick in the Jameson Irish National on Monday. Even with a double penalty Bold Agent will still be out of the handicap, but he certainly appeals to me as a tremendous each-way prospect.
Frank Cruess-Callaghan, a long-time friend of Ted Curtin, had his colours carried to a first success from his first runner when Capable hacked up in the maiden. Frank decided to get into racing last year and asked Curtin to get him a couple of horses. Curtin bought Capable out of the French stable of Maurice Zilber.
Very capable
Capable ran a few times last year without success, but the son of Vaguely Noble showed he possesses some ability by his victory here. In the final two furlongs Capable came right away from his struggling opponents to beat Helynsar and War Wound by eight lengths and 15 lengths.
Byrne had to work a lot harder to complete his three-timer on Brown’s Star in the Blaris Chase.
First Noel, the 4/7 favourite, set out to make all, and approaching the second last had a clear advantage. At that point supporters of the favourite were surely counting their money.
At the last, First Noel began to tire as the hard-ridden chasing pack closed. First Noel jumped that fence in front, but half way up the run-in Brown’s Star came to challenge. First Noel (John Shortt) could offer no response and Brown’s Star stayed on to win by four lengths.
[On March 17th Bold Agent beat Androy (Mrs A Ferris) and Excursion (Mrs R Stewart) to win the feature at Down Royal. Five days later he added the Trafalgar Chase at the same course, and nine days on he ran third to Insure and Omerta in the Irish Grand National.
Later in the year he won a Grade 3 chase at Sligo under Tom Taaffe and the Grade 2 Troytown Chase at Navan with Kevin O’Brien]
Darkie strikes first blow at Baldoyle
1961
A BIG crowd attended for the opening of the flat season at Baldoyle on St Patrick’s Day.
The honour of supplying the first winner of the season on the level went to P.J. Prendergast, who sent out Beaune, the property of Miss Nora Fitzgerald, to win in the hands of Ron Hutchinson. Miss Fitzgerald is the head of a well-known Dublin wine firm and has had horses in training for several years.
The winner is a filly by Beau Sabreur out of the now defunct Mancia, a mare who was turned out of training on the advice of Prendergast and given away to Kildare breeder, Mr M Morrin, on the contingency that her first produce could be purchased by him for £300. Prendergast, on behalf of Miss Fitzgerald and Lady Honor Svejdar, took up the contingency, and now Beaune flowed home to a most palatable success for many backers.
The well-endowed Dublin Hurdle [worth £465 to the winner] went to the Phonsie O’Brien-trained Vulcanello, who stayed on dourly for Frankie Carroll to score by a neck from Four Aces and the favourite, Settlement, who was unlucky enough to lose a plate in running.
Frankie Carroll has never been riding better, and another top-class young jumping jockey to distinguish himself during the afternoon was Tony Redmond when scoring by a length on Jalan-Besar in the St Patrick’s Day Steeplechase.
Carroll had a second success on the day when the Northern-owned [Mr H.R.C. Catherwood] and trained [George Dunwoody] Little Champ won the Holiday Handicap Chase.
[The two-year-old winner Beaune did not race again in Ireland. She was sold to Venezuela, was renamed Barcelona, and won seven races there]
Typhoon on track, despite defeat
1961
TYPHOON, the winter favourite for the Newmarket 2000 Guineas, made a highly creditable first appearance of the season at the Phoenix Park on Saturday when, in spite of the fact that the saddle slipped up on to his withers, he failed by only a short head to beat Supreme Verdict.
Typhoon, in the colours of American owner Mr Neil McCarthy, and from Paddy Prendergast’s stable, looked likely to win entering the last furlong, but Paddy Powell put in some great work on Supreme Verdict to snatch the spoils.
The one jumping event on the programme, the handicap hurdle for the Rank Cup, was won in convincing style by Rainlough, trained by Tom Taaffe and ridden by his son Pat.
A.S. O’Brien recorded an excellent double during the afternoon with Golden Sovereign and D’you Mind. The former, who cost his trainer 3,000gns at the Ballsbridge yearling sales, and who on Saturday carried the colours of Mr Michael Sheehan, a former Lord Mayor of Cork, was in front from the jump-off, and in the closing stages held Lord Ennisdale’s Royal Unity at bay.
The winner is trained at Phonsie O’Brien’s own place, South Lodge near Carrick-On-Suir. This highly capable young trainer had his second winner when D’you Mind won the Ashbourne Plate in the livery of Mr Tom Hallinan. Nicely handled by Mr Willy McLernon, D’you Mind was a comfortable scorer from Mr Eamon Delany’s Many Thanks.
[Other winners on the card were the Con Collins-owned and trained Irish Gambol under Liam Ward in the five-furlong maiden, and Phil Canty, carrying 7st 12lb, on the Charlie Weld-trained Solentic for owner-breeder Mrs R.Q.C Mainwaring in the 10-furlong handicap]
Commentary duties
1986
AS and from next month Des Scahill will be doing the majority of commentaries at race meetings. The change has come about because of Tony O’Hehir’s commitments to television and the newspaper, The Racing Post, but he will still be helping out when there is more than one meeting a day.