SPARAN Nua booked her Irish Oaks ticket at Cork on Sunday where the unbeaten Jim Bolger-trained filly landed the Group 3 Darley Munster Oaks Stakes, under stand-in jockey Nathan Crosse.
The Bolger-bred daughter of Dawn Approach had previously scored at both Naas and Gowran. Racing for her new owners Newtown Anner Stud Farm, she was held up in rear-division before progressing to challenge in the home straight. Sparan Nua battled well to score a half-length win over Nyra.
Bolger reported: “She is still learning and was green enough today. We didn’t get after her last year as she was a little bit weak. Before she ran this year, we did a couple of bits of work with her, but I wasn’t sure where she fitted.
“She has a good attitude, and I’d say the Irish Oaks is where we’ll go now. It was a good performance, and it is my first runner for Newtown Anner Stud.”
It was a career highlight for jockey Crosse, who added: “Declan McDonogh contacted me on Monday evening and I initially thought he had sent the wrong text message!
“Declan could have ridden her at today’s weight but unfortunately for him, he had a ride for Joseph O’Brien, who was unfortunately a non-runner.
“He gave me all the information, so I’d say he’ll be happy for me while ‘Flash’ Power, Kevin Manning and Mr Bolger all filled me with confidence. I highly doubt I’ll keep the ride but was very happy to get the spin today.”
Roy back from Bahrain
The other stakes race on the card was the Listed Irish EBF Midsummer Sprint, which went to the Katie McGivern-trained Kendall Roy (28/1), under jockey Chris Hayes.
Racing for McGivern, her husband Tom Hore and co-owner Shane Power, Kendall Roy progressed from rear to eventually lead close home, beating Likedbymike by a half-length.
McGivern reported: “He was delayed coming home from Bahrain so had a break under the sun and while race-fitness was against us today, he had been absolutely bouncing coming off the plane. He loves Cork and loves fast ground.”
Most valuable race was the €100,000 Mallow Handicap, which provided trainer Stephen Thorne with a first win for owners Amo Racing Ltd with Gleneagle Bay’s 6/1 success.
Ridden by Colin Keane, the six-year-old was patiently ridden and having led inside the final furlong, scored readily from Headmaster.
Thorne said: “At long last he has delivered for us. We will have him two years by next month and he has run in all the big races but has been the bridesmaid on several occasions. We were hoping he’d come alive back on today’s fast ground.”
RECENT English Oaks-winner Dylan Browne McMonagle was on the mark as he steered the Natalia Lupini-trained Xerling (4/5 favourite) to win the second maiden on the card.
Racing prominently, Xerling scored comfortably by a length and a half from Sparky Sparky.
Lupini’s husband Craig Bryson reported: “She ran a blinder on her first run of the season the last day, and she is very fast.
“She likes to get on with things so we kept it simple today and let her stride along. She won nicely.
“Hopefully she keeps progressing for Brendan (Cooney, owner), as she is homebred.
“The Cooneys are good supporters of the game and, with these fillies, we would love to eventually get some blacktype.”
Baby on board
In-foal Sarahmae (7/1 - 7/2 favourite) landed a gamble in the Ryan’s Cleaning Handicap, when scoring for trainer Denis Hogan, in-form jockey Joey Sheridan and owners Mary Hogan and Michael O’Brien.
The four-year-old filly had scored three times in 2025 but, having been well held in recent starts, her rating had dropped from 89 last August to a mark of 74.
With stable jockey Sheridan back on board, Sarahmae improved to lead a furlong out and scored by a length and a half from Fox In Flight.
Sheridan stated: “I hadn’t ridden her much at home but Denis had told me that she had a chance here today. I hadn’t ridden her in a race for a while either and she had been missing the break, so he told me to get her out of the stalls.
“I would actually have won further but she didn’t do a whole lot in front, and that’s just her.
“I think she is in-foal to Blackbeard and they had also mentioned the Rockingham for her as a possibility next.”
BALLINEA Star (15/2) made it third time lucky when landing the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Fillies) Maiden, scoring for trainer Robson de Aguiar, his wife and owner Giselle de Aguiar and jockey Donagh O’Connor. The Space Blues filly made most of the running when scoring by a half-length from Argentarius.
De Aguiar was represented by his assistant Adrian Murray, who reported: “She was green the last day but was straight as a gun barrel today and is getting better with her run. We’re very happy with her and I think Robson is talking about going for the Airlie Stud Stakes (June 27th) next. She is ground-versatile and Robson thinks an awful lot of her.”
The concluding Racing Again Friday 10th July Handicap was won by the David Marnane-trained, MRC International-owned Hambleton (100/30) under jockey Luke McAteer.
Placed fifth at Haydock on a previous start, Hambleton today made all the running to score by three and a quarter lengths from Chirac.
Afterwards Marnane stated: “He is a huge, huge horse. He is like a point-to-pointer and is a typical Ghaiyyath. He is brilliantly behaved at home, a child would ride him, but he likes to get on with the job at the racecourse. The ground came up too soft for him at Haydock and I think he will progress a lot. He’ll be sold later in the year and could be a lovely horse for someone.”