MOUSE Morris and Phillip Enright teamed up to record a double at Sligo on Wednesday with Friary Rock (4/1) first on the scoresheet in the RSS Document Storage Maiden Hurdle. First time in blinkers, the Spanish Moon gelding, in the colours of Michael O’Flynn, challenged the front-running 9/5 favourite Talk Of The Town racing to the final flight and stayed on well on the run-in to draw six and a half lengths clear of that one.
“He promised a lot as a young horse,” said winning rider Enright. “He’d a nice run here the last day for his first run back. JJ Slevin rode him and thought the blinkers might sharpen him up. He was good and brave at the last and I think that won it.”
The 7/2 joint-favourite, Baily Thunder, took the Foley’s Bar and Off Licence Handicap Hurdle to complete the brace as he collared long-time leader Fruits Of Glory after the last to score by three-quarters of a length.
It was a first win for the six-year-old gelding by the Giants Causeway stallion Yorgunnabelucky.
Enright remarked: “He’d a good run in Galway and we knew if he brought that run here he’d go close. He toughed it out well. Mouse’s horses are in great form and it’s nice to ride my first winner for (winning owner) Adam Scott.”
Fine form
Local trainer Mark McNiff has enjoyed a fine run of form this summer and he also landed a double, beginning with 5/2 favourite Mr Moondance in the Callan Tansey Handicap Hurdle.
Kevin Brouder had come in for a winning spare ride on the Brendan Flynn-owned Windsor Knot gelding at this track earlier in the month and once again made all on him, only needing to push him out after the last to hold the hard-ridden Benefit Night by a cosy half-length.
“He’s a free-going horse. He has won in the past being held up but he seems to settle very well in front for Kevin,” said the winning trainer.
“I was slightly concerned that the ground (officially good despite some rain during racing) had gone a fraction slow. Even though it’s still lovely ground the quicker the better for him to get him to last it out.”
Nice prospect
The Strandhill-based McNiff has a nice prospect on his hands in the form of Staging Post (16/1) who took the concluding Sligo Races Flat Race in the hands of John Barry.
The Cape Cross gelding, owned by the Whatever You Think Syndicate, was disappointing on his recent debut at Kilbeggan but made amends here under a patient steer, coming through in the closing stages to win by a length and a quarter from the 2/1 favourite Erica’s Joy.
“We thought he’d nearly win the last day and he ran desperate but John (Barry) thought he just didn’t handle the track at Kilbeggan,” said McNiff.
“He’s a horse that had never been away or run in a schooling race with the lockdown, so maybe it was a bit of a culture shock. We fancied him a bit today but not as much as we did the last day. We went home that day with confidence dented a bit!
“He works like a horse that could run on the flat. He’s 16.3hh, a well-bred, big, good-looking horse. He could jump fences down the line.”
RACING opened with a straightforward success for Willie Mullins’ odds-on favourite Shewearsitwell (8/15) in the Kilcawley Construction Mares Maiden Hurdle. The Galway Festival winner, owned by the recently-revived Closutton Racing Club, had to be shaken up turning for home to catch front-running Bonarc but overcame a slight error at the last to draw eight lengths clear of that one by the line.
“She jumped fantastic bar the last, we were rattling down to it and she put down on me. She’s very inexperienced compared to some of those in the field and you’d have to be happy with the result. I’d say she’ll be versatile as regards her trip,” reported successful jockey Paul Townend.
Co Down owner-trainer Victor Wilson has done well at Sligo in recent seasons with the likes of three-time course winner Mon Storm and his General Gold (12/1) took the SF Engineering Handicap Hurdle with 5lb claimer Barry Browne in the saddle. The Generous gelding was getting off the mark at the age of 11 and had run reasonably well in a maiden hurdle at this track earlier in the month when finishing a place in front of Friary Rock.
The winner came through on the inside of Boston Babe after that one had jumped left two out, and galloped on for a six and a half lengths over the staying-on I Will Walk, with Boston Babe in third. Winning rider Browne remarked: “They went very quick early and I just sat where he was able to travel. I got quite a bad bump two out but we got going again on the rail after that. He kept at it well.”
The Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle over three miles went to Shanroe Al C (11/1) who was always prominent and stayed on resolutely for Danny Hand to hold In Your Shadow and the 15/8 favourite Walking On Glass by half a length and the same. The latter was short of room close home having gone for an ambitious run up the rail after the last, but the winner had done little wrong and the placings were quickly confirmed following a stewards’ enquiry.
The Arcadio gelding, owned by the GAP Partnership, had won four in a row last year and was bouncing back to form after a below-par effort at Killarney last month due to illness.