JOHNNY Murtagh and Ben Coen shared a treble at Gowran Park on Monday, the winners bringing the trainer’s total for the current term to 50 and putting his stable jockey on the 64-winner mark, just one behind his personal best, also set last season.
The Paddocks Horse Syndicate-owned Littlepacer (5/4 favourite) landed the opening Golf At Gowran Park Nursery Handicap, racing to a three-and-a-half-length success over Stormy Dawn.
“The lads are a syndicate from Dublin. They’d love to have a runner during the winter in Dundalk, so we’ll look to see can we give her another go up there,” Murtagh said.
“She didn’t love the track the last day, but I think she deserves one more chance this year. She missed the kick in Dundalk last time and she was back a bit too far. Jessica (Maye) said they went very slow and they sprinted up the straight that night.”
Ideal trip
The 80-rated 11/8 favourite Shanala gave Murtagh and Coen their second win in the Gowran Park Racing Club Fillies Maiden over the extended nine furlongs. Leading well over a furlong from home, the Aga Khan homebred held off the late challenge of Sangreal by half a length.
Murtagh commented: “There is a bit of speed in the family, so dropping her back today, it was the ideal trip. Ben said he got a beautiful run; she quickened up and sustained it right to the line.
“I was running out of chances. Pat (Downes) suggested the last day that maybe a mile and three was as far as she wanted.”
Game attitude
The trebles were completed in the concluding mile-and-a-half handicap with Lord Aus coming out on the right side of a tight photo finish.
After losing out by a neck at Listowel, the 13/8 favourite got the better of No More Hiding by a short head, marking a second win for the Homely Equines-owned three-year-old this season.
Murtagh commented: “He pulled it out of the bag. Ben said he was on a bad side of the track. The second kicked down the near side, Ben said he didn’t see him until late. In fairness to the horse, Ben said he responded very well to the line.”
RUNAWAY jockeys’ championship leader Billy Lee was a winner again as the Paddy Twomey-trained Churchill Bond took the EBF Median Sires Fillies Maiden.
The Bond Thoroughbred-owned 4/7 favourite came good on her fifth start, racing clear over a furlong out to win by an easy six lengths from Gavin Cromwell’s 18/1 chance Golden Gift, marking a 97th winner of the season for the Limerick jockey and putting him 20 clear of former champion Colin Keane in the championship race.
Lee said: “In the calendar year, I got to the hundred yesterday (at Leopardstown on Sunday). If I could get to the hundred in the season it would be nice. I’m getting there. It’s been a great year, so I’m delighted.”
Of the filly, he said: “I thought the run the last day in Listowel was probably the best of her runs. She had been coming forward. I was a little bit worried about the trip, but her pedigree said that she should get it.”
Off the mark
Success on the Pat Foley-trained 4/1 joint-favourite Venetian Star in the seven-furlong handicap moved Paddy Harnett on to the 22-winner mark for the season, leaving him four behind apprentice championship leader Sam Coen, and one behind Reece Holohan in second place.
Foley commented: “I’m delighted for the Branagan family (owners); Tony, Aileen and their son Luke. They gave me the horse at the start of the season and I’m delighted to have him.
“He has been a very frustrating horse. There were a couple of times we were sure we had the race sewn up, but he always managed to get caught on the line or something. It’s not that he’s ungenuine, but he probably barely just gets seven [furlongs].”
FRENCH apprentice Mohammed-Lyes Tabti rode a winner on his first ride in Ireland, when taking the two-year-old Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden on the Joseph O’Brien-trained King’s Fury. No stranger to success in Britain, where he linked up with Paul Cole and Ian Jardine before teaming up with O’Brien in July, Tabti was riding his 57th winner in all.
He brought the 25/1 chance, the outsider of O’Brien’s three runners, through to lead well inside the final furlong to beat Paraguay by two and three-parts of a length for owners Philip Antonacci and AC Crawford Farms LLC.
O’Brien said: “Mohammed is a lovely guy. He’s a good rider and he was getting on well with the horse at home, so we thought it made sense for him to ride him there today. He gave him a lovely ride and I’m sure he’ll ride plenty more winners.”
In-form rider
A 50/1 winner over the course and distance in June, Real Petite landed a second success over the course’s eight furlongs in the opening division of the Racing Club Membership Handicap.
Again ridden by Jimmy Dalton, who rode his first double at Leopardstown a day before, for owner Rita Byrne and trainer Tom Mullins, the four-year-old was only a 5/1 chance this time and she had a little in hand in beating the Survivor’s Code by four lengths.
Mullins said: “She won here before and she was a little bit unlucky here the last day. She should have been second. She’s a little bit tentative and doesn’t like being boxed in. If they close in on her, she stops. The young lad (Dalton) is very good. He’s a fella that could go to the top.”
Bright future
The Pat Murphy-trained Cosmic Funk was yet another decisive winner on the day when taking the second division for owner Fergal Conroy.
Ridden by Conor Cusack, the 6/1 chance came out of the pack to lead inside the final furlong and had two and a quarter lengths to spare over Tarrif on the line.
Murphy said: “The ground was soft enough for him there and the visors helped. He can be a bit lazy so they just helped keep him in Conor’s hands.
“He gave him a great ride and is great value for his claim. He’s a young lad that looks like he’s going to have a bright future.”