JOCKEY Shane Foley rode a double at Dundalk on Saturday afternoon. Eclairage made all to win the opening Ladies’ Day At Dundalk Handicap over five furlongs, making it her fourth win from four starts at the track.
Owned by Siobhan Murphy, the 10/1 shot stayed on strongly close home to win by two lengths from Valiant Force (7/1).
Trainer Danny Murphy said: “She’s a bullet and she’s learning how to settle in front. Around here she’s a specialist, she’s absolute dynamite. It is unbelievable - four from four. She always showed us plenty of boot from the gate, you win from the gates.
“My danger, I thought, was Little Queenie on the inside. Shane said he had to be out before her. He got to the front and did everything right. She could go for the Group 3 Mercury (in Dundalk) that I have won the last two years.”
Spring to success
Foley completed his brace when the Jessica Harrington-trained Spring Dance justified 8/13 favouritism in the Border Boutique Hire Fillies Maiden.
Getting to the lead over a furlong out, the Zhang Yuesheng-owned four-year-old stayed on best to score by three lengths from 4/1 chance Auburn Avenue.
Assistant trainer Kate Harrington said: “She’s a filly that Mr Zhang spotted at Deauville Sales last year and her dam is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner. To get a winning bracket with her is job done.
“We will have a chat to the team, but she could be covered southern hemisphere time as her pedigree is a lot of Australian. She seemed to like the all-weather surface, so we might give her one crack at a four-year-olds and upwards blacktype somewhere. We will see what our options are and what the team want to do.”
Easy for Reilly
Ben Coen rode the Andy Oliver-trained Sidney Reilly to win the Catherine Allison & Co. Solicitors Maiden following an 84-day layoff. Owned by Mrs Anthony O’Callaghan and Andy Oliver, the recently-gelded three-year-old went clear inside the final furlong to land odds of 5/4 favourite by an easy five lengths from 2/1 Beijinho.
Oliver commented: “We actually thought a bit of him - maybe we were thinking about higher entries but, once you have missed those targets, it was unnecessary to keep him a colt so we just gelded him. He actually got struck into after that race (in Cork) and that’s what the delay was.
“A lovely big horse and we did expect something of him and he duly delivered. Green enough too, so plenty to learn but a nice performance.”
LOMBARDI Trophy made all under Paddy Harnett to win the Fairways Hotel Dundalk Maiden. Sent off 9/2, the Donnacha O’Brien-trained colt held on well to beat 8/11 favourite Game Point by a neck.
Harnett reported of the Michael Tabor and Mrs John Magnier-owned colt: “He has come forward from his first two runs, he ran in two good maidens which worked out very well, so it was nice to get his head in front today. He was very green the first day.
“I was confident, I had ridden him on in his last couple of pieces of work and he felt great at home. Every furlong marker there was a shadow from the gorgeous day we have here today, so he was having a good look at them as well. He’s very babyish. It is nice to ride one by Galileo and win on one, so it is nice to have that on the CV.”
Family victory
Adam Browne-Souza rode the second winner of his career as Just Before landed the Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Handicap for Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.
Trained by his grandfather, Willie Browne, the 7/2 favourite scored by half a length from a challenging Senti Qua (9/1).
Browne-Souza reported: “It’s unbelievable (to ride a winner for his grandfather) and I’m very grateful to him for the ride. It is great to ride it in those silks.
“She’s a lovely filly, and it is her first time with blinkers and they made a big difference. They woke her up and she always travelled well in the race.”
RAMPAGE stayed on best close home to win division one of the QuinnBet Handicap for owners Mrs Pauline McCourt, Whyte’s Stamullen Syndicate, Stephen Sweeney, and Donal O’Leary. Ridden by Robert Whearty, the 9/2 chance got up to win by a neck from 16/5 Sierra De Gredos, with only a length between the first four home.
Winning trainer Tom McCourt said: “We had to have a go at it (with all weather mark) and with this weather it is riding a bit slower. He was just wearing them down and he kind of needed every yard of it. I was a little bit worried before the turn in that we weren’t just travelling well enough, but they went quick enough.”
Marnane’s purple patch
Trainer David Marnane and owner Paul Ronney enjoyed further success as Ballymagreehan won division two of the one-mile QuinnBet Handicap.
Disputing from early in the straight, the 10/1 chance stayed on best to beat a battling Morning Approach (17/2) by a short head.
Jockey Robbie Colgan said: “Yeah, it was very good (battling performance). David thought he might like the surface and it was riding a little bit slower today with the heat. He jumped well and he got forward, and he has a big galloping stride, which probably suited him today. He just kept lengthening and lengthening away, so hopefully there might be more to come from him. He is a fine, big horse and I think he will mature into a grand horse.”
Colin Keane rode Quickshot to win the concluding Family Funday At Dundalk Friday 15th August Handicap for Adrian Murray. Sent off 2/1 favourite, the Amo Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar-owned colt stayed on nicely to score by a length from 13/2 shot Dancing Steve.
Go further
Keane reported: “He seems to be a horse that likes the surface. The step up in trip was a help and he’s a horse that will probably go further.”
On travelling more to Britain, he added: “I suppose it does (take a bit of getting used to), but we are getting the hang of it. We are back and forth a good bit, but when you are getting to ride nice horses it makes it a lot easier. Getting used to the English tracks, and had a nice evening at Kempton (double) on my first visit.”