GAVIN Cromwell was very much the trainer to follow in Bellewstown as he saddled a four-timer, with Keith Donoghue on board two of the winners, starting with Ole Ole in the opening Byrne Marquees Maiden Hurdle.
This four-year-old gelding, in the first-time hood, looked to have a clear chance on ratings and form, so was popular with punters who forced his price down from 4/9 to 1/3 favourite.
Donoghue was content to track the leaders and his mount travelled well into second approaching two out. He challenged the leader, Manoir De Mirande, in jumping that flight and soon led when that rival made a mistake. The favourite eased clear before the last and glided in by 11 lengths from Monntie for owner Vasile Ionesi.
Cromwell said: “I suppose he is entitled to win that off his rating there today and it was nice for him to win. He has been second a couple of times for us - good, solid runs. I’d say we will let him off now, he has had a busy season. We might bring him back maybe for the Lartigue in Listowel.”
Elizabeth Gale, rider of Monntie, was given a two-day suspension regarding a careless riding incident.
Donoghue rode a patient race on Fiver Friday (10/11 favourite) who enjoyed passing rivals in the Boardsmill Stud Mares Handicap Hurdle. The pair began to make their move after three out and loomed large in the straight.
Patient tactics
She readily swept through between horses to hit the front before the last and bounded away by four and a quarter lengths on the run-in for owner Philip Gilmore.
The trainer said: “She kind of has to be ridden like that - a few times where she has arrived there and looked like she wasn’t going to come off the bridle and then found very little. You have to just ride her with confidence.
“I’d say there is a good chance of that (mixing and matching), we would be thinking of maybe coming back here for the festival in July for the 50 grand handicap hurdle. That’s on the radar and we might try and go back to the flat in between.”
Eoin Staples partnered another winner in his pursuit of the conditional jockeys’ title when Take Stock stayed on well in the Sean & Margaret McManus Memorial 110 Series Final Handicap Hurdle over the extended two miles, one furlong.
The 7/1 chance took closer order before the penultimate hurdle and jumped it in fifth place. He soon improved to third and Staples sent him on near the last. He was kept up to his work on the run-in to score by two and a half lengths for Darren and Helen Martin.
“I’d say the little bit of nicer ground probably helped him as well,” Cromwell said. “He’s a big, backward horse and has just taken a bit of time to come to hand, and hopefully he will make into a nice chaser.”
OWNER Thomas Mitchell’s Gillane brought up the Cromwell four-timer with an even-money success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro-Am) Flat Race.First-time cheekpieces were fitted to the six-year-old gelding and Eoghan Finegan raced him prominently in this assignment.
The pair moved into a narrow lead half a mile from home, and they increased their advantage racing to the final furlong. The favourite delivered by a snug length-and-a-quarter from Marble Hill.
Cromwell said: “It was lovely to win, and we will go hurdling with him now, and hopefully he will make into a better hurdler.”
Two Pair made the breakthrough for trainer Paul Nolan and owner Cathy Byrne in the William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Maiden Hurdle.
The 15/2 shot was never too far from the pace under Sean Flanagan and moved into the lead on the approach to the last. She wasn’t home, though, as Kasper Hauser joined her on the run-in, however, Two Pair was strong in the closing stages as she went on by a length and a quarter.
Nolan said: “She had that bit of winter form and that race that she was second in on the same ground in Clonmel worked out a decent sort of a race, so we gave her a little bit of a break and brought her back for this sort of nicer ground.”
JOHN McConnell’s Bella Union sprang a 22/1 surprise in the Tony Marmion Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
Simon Torrens, sporting Derek Kierans’ silks, took up a mid-division role and the duo made good headway between the final two flights to grab the lead before the last. They kept on best to see it out by a length and a quarter.
Torrens said: “I was chatting to John this morning, he is in Ayr, and he said ‘I’ll leave it to you, maybe halfway or somewhere like that and creep away’. I didn’t get the clearest of runs turning in, but I actually think it helped him.”
Midleton Rare (6/1) appreciated the test of stamina in the Pat & Eddie Smith Memorial (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle over an extended three miles.
From fourth halfway, he progressed to second after three out and led narrowly before the next. Alan O’Sullivan drove him on with one flight to negotiate and the pair toughed it out by a length and a half for the Four Provinces Of Ireland Syndicate.
Ian Donoghue said: “He was in good form coming in here and there wasn’t much between him and Gallant George. I thought I was coming here with a 1-2, but he unfortunately pulled up.
“He has well and truly done his job for us now. I’d say that will do him for the summer, he will probably go to the sales and best of luck to the next people with him.”