Front page: There’s a photo of Michael Smurfit, chairman of the Racing Board. The headline on the page reads: “Is There A Race For The Phoenix Park?”
The genesis of Valentine Lamb’s front page article is an interview with a newspaper, published earlier this week, given by Smurfit. Lamb does not identify the newspaper, but adds that the reporter carried a hidden recording device.
Lamb’s article starts with news about the Phoenix Park. Recently, Stavros Niarchos has withdrawn from the syndicate which owns the course. In the interview Smurfit said that “the new syndicate does not wish to continue running the Park and the Board is considering its position. There is no question of buying the course as we do not have the capital and so we are looking into the possibility of leasing it.”
But Lamb also reports that he has heard that an English-based consortium are seriously looking at the Park, and might try to take over the management of the track.
Lamb believes that Smurfit was talking “off the record” to the reporter when speaking about racecourses and finances, but the newspaper prints these remarks anyway: “If we don’t receive Government money, the Board will have to withdraw its support from the racecourses. About 15 of them, now in financial difficulties, would be in danger of closing.”
According to Lamb, the Association of Irish Racecourses chairman, Conor O’Hagan, is “highly incensed” by Smurfit’s comments, and Lamb adds that the new Board has not met with the AIR. He adds that relations between the Turf Club and the Racing Board “have a distinctly zero rating.”
About the English-based consortium, Lamb does not name names, stating that negotiations are at a delicate stage, but he does name three people who will not be involved, namely trainer Toby Balding, Edward Gillespie of Cheltenham and John Hughes of Aintree.
But Hughes says to Lamb: “Not me old chap, but I’ll buy you a large gin and tonic when I’m over in Dublin later this month to promote the Grand National – don’t forget to put that in your paper.”
The other piece of front page news is about Goffs and the Curragh. A Goffs plan to stage two nurseries, each worth £250,000, has been shelved, and instead there will be two three-year-old handicaps in May 1990. They will be confined to horses sold at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale in October.
Bold Flyer: Fairyhouse was the venue for racing the previous Saturday, and the going was heavy. One horse who definitely liked the heavy ground was Mount Parson. The eight-year-old won the Grade 3 Dawn Run Novice Chase, and in the words of reporter Dave Baker, “galloped his rivals legless.”
With Peadar McCormack in the saddle, Mount Parson wins by 20 lengths and a distance from Olan Lad and On Reflection. The winner is 5/4 favourite, and is trained by Peter McCreery. The Clane-based trainer is completing a double, started when Aughanvilla and Ultan Smyth won division two of the opening maiden hurdle.
Fairyhouse is a happy place for the four-year-old Tomintoul, and he scores his fourth career win (all at Fairyhouse) in the Monaloe Handicap Hurdle. A 5/1 shot, Tomintoul is ridden by Charlie Swan for the Dessie Hughes stable.
Over fences, Odengeba and Martin Lynch win the Impudent Barney Handicap Chase; and Bonalma and Tom Taaffe win the Tom Dreaper Handicap Chase at 11/10 favourite.
Jim Dreaper has a winner in the bumper. Bold Flyer, a five-year-old, is owned by Standish Collen, and ridden by his daughter Sarah. They beat Brentwood Lady and Mrs Helen McDonagh by two and a half lengths. Afterwards, there is a prolonged stewards’ inquiry, but placings are unaltered. Bold Flyer went on to win the Galway Plate in 1989, again ridden by Sarah Collen.
Classical Charm: The action moves to Leopardstown on Sunday, where the going is soft. Reporter Dave Baker describes conditions on the course as “glue-like”.
The feature is the Wessel Cable Champion Hurdle, a Grade 1 event over two miles, worth £29,850. There are eight starters, with Roark the 9/2 favourite. But in the home straight, it is Classical Charm who finds more, and Ken Morgan sends him on before the final flight. The five-year-old wins by six lengths and eight lengths from Dundalk Bay and Barney Burnett. Roark is fourth, with Floyd in fifth. The winner is 9/1, and is owned and trained by Al O’Connell.
However, Baker feels that this race will have little impact on the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Baker also rather sarcastically refers to the activities of representatives’ of bookmakers, who provide ante-post Cheltenham prices to the media.
The other Grade 1 race today is won by Tom Morgan. He rides Monanore to win the Harold Clarke Leopardstown Handicap Chase, over three miles, worth £11,520. There are 10 runners, and Monanore is prominent throughout, and beats 3/1 favourite Brittany Boy and Lastofthebrownies by four lengths and the same. The 14/1 winner is trained by Bill Harney.
Also today is the Grade 2 Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Chase, over two miles and two furlongs. Both Abbey Glen and Bonalma are non-runners, leaving five to compete for the £8,280. Nobody wants to make the running, so Tommy Carmody takes Wolf Of Badenoch, the 11/10 favourite, to the front, and they stay there, winning by 12 lengths from Friendly Saint. Baker writes: “Whether this was caused by lack of ability or mistaken tactics on the part of his rivals is open to conjecture.” John Mulhern is the winning trainer.
It’s a double for Carmody, started by victory for Bikaloy in the Stillorgan Hurdle. Con Collins trains the 6/4 favourite.
There are two bumpers: Ted Walsh wins the first on Youpon for Ted Curtin; and the concluding race is won by Willie Mullins on Mayobridge.
The Tote aggregate today is £225,809, up by £2,104 on last year.
Inept: Naas stages racing on Wednesday afternoon on heavy ground. Reporter Dave Baker describes the conditions as: “atrocious for human and horse alike.” Things do not improve for punters, as the first six favourites are beaten, and Baker also that there are “some inept riding performances.”
Baker writes that the one highlight of the day is the riding performance of Brendan Sheridan on Tubberorum, winners of the Donadea Hurdle at 9/2. It’s a spare for Sheridan, after Niall Madden is concussed in a fall in the second race. Odds-on favourite Redundant Pal makes the running under Tony Mullins. Sheridan keeps riding Tubberorum to stay in touch. The favourite makes a mistake at the last, and Tubberorum is ridden clear on the run-in and wins by three lengths. The winning trainer is Paddy Osborne.
Tony Mullins has a winner as a trainer – his second – when Lornaaran and Peter Kavanagh win the opening mares’ maiden hurdle at 10/1.
The Kilmeague Novice Chase is divided, and each division has nine runners. Lets Promise and Ultan Smyth take division one at 8/1; while division two goes to Pat Leech on Money Run at 4/1.
There is an exciting finish to the Tassaggart Handicap Chase over two miles and three. Culleendubh and Gerry Kilfeather jump the last well clear; but Mr Tom Costello on Cool Ground stay on from the last fence and get up to win by a length, with 15 lengths back to favourite Brown Pebble in third. The six-year-old winner is trained by John Brassil and is 5/1. Baker reports that: “the rider of the second came in for some barracking on returning to the unsaddling enclosure.”
There is some respite for punters in the bumper, won by Tony Martin on 5/2 favourite Your On Your Own.
Sunday Derby: This year, the Budweiser Irish Derby will be run on Sunday, June 26th. Neville Ring reports that the big race has been moved from the Saturday, and the Pretty Polly Stakes has switched from Sunday to Saturday.
Ring also looks at prize money for the flat this year, and sums up his analysis with: “Whatever the machinations of sponsors, there is a very clear divide when it comes to prize money. The Curragh, Phoenix Park and Leopardstown have it. The rest haven’t.”
The win by Cavvies Clown at Cheltenham on Saturday makes Ring look at the field for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. With Brittany Boy out with a lung infection, the only Irish-trained runner could be the 15-year-old Royal Bond.
Cheltenham winners: Jonathan Powell’s weekly report is today dominated by rain. “The major problem at the moment is the waterlogged condition of the carparks.” Powell describes how he managed to get away from muddy Taunton on Thursday of last week: “Some less lucky punters, I gather, are still there.”
Powell goes to Cheltenham on Saturday, where the course closes the main car parks and opens up others which are normally used only at the Festival. However, problems with communicating this news to racegoers results in serious traffic jams to and from the track.
Cavvies Clown wins the Charterhouse Mercantile Chase, and books his spot in the field for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. But Powell’s eyes are drawn to Ten Plus and rider Kevin Mooney, who fall at the second last, and the horse lands right on his jockey. Afterwards, everybody is surprised with the news that Mooney will still ride in the last, including the Jockey Club medical officer.
Mooney tells Powell: “He certainly didn’t want me to ride again, but once I’d danced up and down a bit in the weighing room he changed his mind. Really, I was only badly winded.”
Other happy men at Cheltenham are Paddy and Tony Mullins, after Cloughtaney revels in the soft going and wins the Bishops Cleeve Hurdle by 20 lengths. Cloughtaney will be entered for both the Champion and the Stayers Hurdle.