THIS Navan fixture will live long in the memory of trainer Patrick Magee who saddled his first double and then, just 35 minutes later, fired in the first treble of his career. Shesthedevil (22/1) got the ball rolling in the opening Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden over the extended five furlongs.
Chris Hayes ploughed a long furrow along the far rail away from his 16 rivals and his mount made all.
She found plenty in the final furlong to beat The Pipeman by two and a quarter lengths for the Black Steel Square Syndicate.
When asked who takes the plaudits for the tactics, Magee replied: “Joint! I just thought from draw one we were going to do that. She would work with (triple-winner) Rosie Frith and is well able to go with her.
“She can just pull hard a little bit, so we said we would do like we do with Rosie Frith and throw the reins at her and let her do her own thing.”
Admirable success
The bookmakers got stung when Admiral Will Brown delivered on stable debut for Magee in the three-year-old and upwards handicap for horses rated up to 80. Wesley Joyce brought him to challenge approaching the final two furlongs and the Lope Y Fernandez gelding soon led. Joyce kept him rolling in the final furlong to see off Letiza by three-quarters of a length. He scored at 10/1 having been available at 28/1 in the morning.
The trainer said: “Barry (Judge, owner) bred him and had him and always liked him. I actually broke him as a young horse. I only have him about three weeks or a month. His work has been good. He got a good ride, and everything came together.”
’I have to thank all the staff’
The treble was secured when 7/2 favourite Arch Enemy, in the Black Steel Square Syndicate colours, stayed on strongly to take the handicap for three-year-olds and upwards rated 0-60.
Sam Coen was in the plate and held her up towards the rear. She worked her way into second at the furlong pole and came home well to catch Copper Craft close home.
After she scored by three-quarters of a length, Magee said: “It is amazing! I have to thank all the staff - Emily is with me full-time, a young girl Amy from Kingscourt, and Corey McGivern is home from Australia and is in helping me out. He’s a massive help.
“I have to thank my family, my parents and my wife. I also want to mention Fergal Harford. We work with each other, and he does most of the pre-training.
“I told him to take Arch Enemy, and he had her for a couple of months just to give her a change of scenery because she is getting a bit older and that. He sent her back to me and just told me, ‘run her’. Fergal is a massive part of the team and I’m on the phone to him every day.”
Magee made it an across-the-card four-timer when Glen Breeze (5/2 favourite) landed the DAR Golf And Mann Family Handicap at the evening fixture in Limerick.
THERE was a thrilling finish to the Ardboyne Hotel Maiden as Cool Azul (7/2) pipped Forza Magico by the minimum margin for owners P.G. McManus and Neil Connor.
Cool Azul led narrowly for Billy Lee inside the final furlong, but had to withstand both Forza Magico’s powerful late thrust and a rallying Trek Home with two noses the difference between the first three home.
Andy Oliver said: “We just gave him that nice bit of a break and it freshened him up. A big horse and you would hope that he develops into it.”
Blinkers key for Catch’em
A marked drop in trip and first-time blinkers did the trick for Gotta Catch’em All (9/1) in the Newgrange Hotel Handicap over an extended five furlongs. Siobhan Rutledge raced the six-year-old gelding close to the pace and the pair took over outside the two pole.
Gotta Catch’em All kept lengthening entering the final furlong and closed the race out by a length and a quarter for owners Mrs Bury, Ralph Kelly, Odhran O’Neill and Thomas Cox.
Harry Rogers said: “They (blinkers) did make a difference, but the dam (Allegra Tak) won five for me over five and six (furlongs). It worked out, he’s not a slow horse. He deserved that. I think there is more in him.”
ANOTHER Nice’day came home well under Orla Tynan to claim the Navan Adventure Centre Handicap for trainer Jennifer Lynch and owner Lawrence Dempsey.
The 17/2 shot was close up at the halfway stage and responded to pressure to head Amerilis inside the final 150 yards. He then proved half a length too good for that rival.
Tynan said: “My agent, Mark Enright, rang for the ride in Naas (sixth) and they said they would give me a go. They have been very good to me. He enjoyed that. He was very game the whole way and kept galloping out to the line very well for me.”
Donnacha O’Brien’s South Island (2/1) got up to nab 11/10 favourite Summer Is Tomorrow in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race over an extended 10 furlongs.
Paddy Harnett’s mount kept up the chase in the final furlong and as Summer Is Tomorrow was crying out for the line close home, South Island determinedly hunted him down in the final strides to strike by a head for Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Smith and Westerberg.
Harnett said: “I was only going through the motions up the straight. I was confident in a way that I was able to pick up Joseph’s (O’Brien, Summer Is Tomorrow). I didn’t get to the bottom of my lad either, he saves a little bit for himself which is a good thing because he will last.”