HAPPY Jacky and Reverend Hubert fought out a tremendous finish to the featured RBC Brewin Dolphin Hurdle with the former rallying close home to justify evens favouritism on a baking hot evening in Cork.
Paddy Ryan’s home-bred son of Milan really dug deep for Peter Smithers in the closing stages to prevail by a head, with the pair stretching 17 lengths clear of Prairie Dancer in third.
Happy Jacky didn’t return to the winners’ enclosure, but all was well afterwards as trainer Mark Fahey explained: “He gets a bit of heat stress after his races but he does that the whole time. The IHRB vets know him and they had loads of help straight after the race.
“Once he gets a few buckets of water he could go around again! He’s as tough as boots and I thought he was beaten three times. He battled back well to the line and Peter was brilliant on him.”
Smithers, who picked up a two-day careless riding ban following an incident with the second leaving the back straight, said: “We said we’d make it a right test today and I put the gun to his head from the start.
“I thought coming down to the last I was going to be second, but he was tough and got there in time. You wouldn’t think he was 11 and Mark has done a great job with him.”
Finn’s first over jumps
Finn Tegetmeier partnered his first winner over hurdles as Billie Frechette (7/4) took the opening Sign Up To Our Newsletter Maiden Hurdle in decisive fashion.
The Noel Meade-trained filly, already twice a winner on the flat, headed the front-running No More Silver before the penultimate flight and kept on well to beat the odds-on favourite Luker’s Tipple by five lengths.
“She jumped very well and loves that good ground,” said the amateur rider. “I rode a bumper winner for Noel last year and also a winner for him in a point-to-point.”
EOGHAN Finegan has only recently turned professional and wasted no time getting off the mark in the paid ranks as Small Bucks caused a 33/1 shock in the Mallow Handicap Hurdle.
He produced the four-year-old filly with a perfectly-timed challenge to lead at the last before keeping on nicely to beat Vale Of Glory by a length and a half.
“She was running her race in Downpatrick the last day but took her mind off the job coming down the hill. The key is to get her to settle and Eoghan gave her a fine ride,” said Bessbrook owner/trainer Pat Collins.
“Paddy O’Brien normally rides her, but he’s in Kilbeggan this evening. He’s done all the work and rides her at home.”
Success in the sun
Sunny South West added to bumper wins at Clonmel and Tipperary when successfully switching to hurdles in the Buy Tickets On corkracecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle.
The Sean Dalton-owned 5/4 favourite made all and asserted approaching the last under Phillip Enright before going on to beat William Tell by five and a half lengths.
“He never jumped those rubber hurdles before and was jumping Easyfix hurdles quite well at home. He had a look at a few of them but will come on a lot from that,” said trainer Eddie Power.
“He’s a horse with plenty of ability and he’ll probably go now for the two-and-a-half-mile novice in Galway on the Thursday. Ross (O’Sullivan) won it with a horse called Donnie Devito last year that I sold to him.”
Nytol wakes up
Enright had to settle for second in the Follow Us On Instagram Mares Handicap Hurdle where Chosen Shant found Nytol, who was following up victory in a three-mile maiden hurdle here in May, two and a half lengths too good in the hands of John Shinnick.
“We knew she was in good form, but we just thought the ground might be a bit quick. She was strong at the finish again and is progressing. We might try to find another mares’ handicap,” said trainer Terence O’Brien of the 6/1 winner.
“I’m delighted for Sean Fitzgibbon (owner/breeder). He has never put any pressure on and gets a great kick out of it.”
GER O’Leary and Sean Flanagan continued a 100 percent winning association as the Broadfield Group Syndicate’s Empire Succes took the Follow Us On Twitter Maiden Hurdle.
The 15/8 chance, who made all in a maiden hurdle at Wexford last autumn only to be disqualified due to a banned substance, again set the pace and just held off the fast-finishing Reiki Revolution by a diminishing half a length.
“I train just outside Youghal in a village called Ladysbridge and have five riding out. I took out my licence 12 months ago and Sean also rode my only previous winner. He’s had two rides for me and they have both won,” said O’Leary before adding: “I want to thank Patsy Leahy, who gave me a massive help recently when I was out for a month after fracturing my skull and eye socket after getting a kick.”
Effortless
Probably the most impressive performance of the evening was reserved for the finale as well-backed 5/4 favourite Salsinha made an impressive debut in the Racing Again July 25th Fillies Flat Race.
The daughter of Montmartre, trained by Henry de Bromhead for Dr Peter Fitzgerald, made smooth headway in the straight to lead just over a furlong out and soon drew clear for John Gleeson to beat Mary Mammon by an effortless nine lengths.
“It was a nice performance. Henry and all the lads at home liked her and we were hopeful of a good run today. She has loads of pace and quickened up nicely on that ground,” said Gleeson.