Eanna Cronin
RACING got underway at the Wexford Farmers Hunt meeting with the Englishsfruitnurseries.ie four-year-old maiden which was run over two and a half miles in testing conditions.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned Dorydalis (4/5-1/1 favourite) was a €56,000 purchase as a store and Pat Doyle’s son of Saddler Maker raced in mid-division under Rob James before throwing down his challenge at the second last.
Backintheboom departed with every chance at this point but the winner’s job wasn’t made any easier, as the longtime leader Frozen Flame didn’t go down without a fight in what was a thrilling finish.
With just a neck separating these two likeable four-year-olds at the line, they are both exciting prospects. Representative Mary Doyle said: “This lad ran a nice race, he was a bit green there, but he had been showed plenty at home.”
Rob James quickly doubled his tally for the day when steering Small Farm (4/5-4/6 favourite) to victory in the Tattersalls Ireland five-year-old geldings’ maiden. The imposing son of Westerner is a full-brother to Stiletto and is owned by the Monbeg Syndicate, who paid €62,000 for him as a store. Having made every post a winning one, Sean Doyle’s debutant jumped well in the main and quickened the pace notably inside the final mile.
Having picked up smartly before the last, the bay gelding idled somewhat on the run to the line to see off the rallying Double Portrait by a neck. The winner is highly thought of by handler Sean Doyle, who said: “This is a powerful big horse, we bought him from the Latta family. I loved him the minute I saw him, he just needed time and will now be sold.”
Monbeg Zena (1/1-4/5 favourite) brought about the treble for Rob James and provided a second winner on the afternoon for Sean Doyle when taking the Gain Horse Feeds five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden. The daughter of Flemensfirth caught the eye in the paddock beforehand and she is a half-sister to the decent Sizing Gold.
Running in the Monbeg colours, she travelled very smoothly into the contest to pick up the running after the penultimate fence. Despite a slow jump at the last, she picked up smartly in the closing stages to win by four lengths from the front-running Kygo, who lost little in defeat. Of the €31,000 store Doyle commented: “I think the world of this mare, she has loads of ability and we gave her plenty of time. She schooled after racing this time last year and Rob said she was a big baby and to give her time. She never does too much at home and is for sale.”
Sean Doyle not only enjoyed a treble here but also provided his younger brother Gearoid with his first victory in the saddle when Fightfirewithfire (6/4-5/2) took the Nitrofert six-year-old geldings’ maiden for the Monbeg Syndicate.
Building on a good second at Rockfield in the autumn, the winning gelding was never too far off the pace in the hands of the younger Doyle. A son of Firebreak, he was on terms from five out and found plenty for pressure in the home straight to beat the even-money favourite Burning Ambition by two lengths, denying Rob James a four-timer in the process.
Welcomed back into the winner’s enclosure by jubilant connections, an elated Sean Doyle added: “I’m delighted for Gearoid, it’s a great day. He is the baby of nine siblings, a great worker and goes to school there in Bunclody, and we are thrilled he got off the mark. This is a big-boned horse who got a little injury after his first run and Jay Kavanagh did a great job looking after him.”
The Ballywalter Farms winners of three saw consistency rewarded when Teds Island (5/1-7/1) got the better of Touchy in what was a close finish. The consistent eight-year-old has now won three times between the flags and placed a further eight times.
Having raced to the fore of proceedings under regular partner Mark Scallan, the Heron Island gelding responded well to his riders urgings in the home straight to win by a neck.
A delighted John Walsh said: “He is owned by a local man, Sean Connick from Rosslare, who has been a very loyal supporter over the years and is very easy to train for. The horse got a little muscle injury after going down in his box in the autumn and we were disappointed the last day, but we have him right now.”
The concluding Horse & Hound Hotel older maiden for novice riders went the way of Eddies Miracle (5/4-1/1 favourite) in a day which saw four winning favourites. The nine-year-old son of Beat Of Drums was somewhat unlucky on his first two starts before posting a good third at Killeagh three weeks ago.
Trained by jockey Eddie Keating, who wasn’t eligible to ride in this contest, the winner raced in mid-division for much of the journey before taking up the running turning in. Picking-up well under a strong Ray Cody, the pair comfortably accounted for First Crusader by 10 lengths. While ground conditions had deteriorated somewhat as the day progressed, the emphasis on jumping was reduced in this contest as six of the 15 fences were bypassed due to low lying sun.
A delighted winning handler said: “He is owned by a local man, Peter Aspel from Newbawn, so we were keen to run him and I just have this lad in.”
Ninth is first
IT was a red letter day for Gearoid Doyle who rode his first winner between the flags, on just his 12th attempt, with Fightfirewithfire. The polished 17-year-old rider is the youngest of nine siblings in the Doyle family, with older brothers Donnachadh, Sean and Cormac all training point-to-pointers. The Leaving Certificate student attends FCJ Bunclody and was set to begin his mocks the following day. Doyle combines riding out for his brothers with his studies and hopes to get even more involved in the successful Monbeg business when completing his education. This promising rider has been seen to good effect so far this season and surely has a big future ahead of him.
O’Brien passes
A MINUTE’S silence was held before racing as a mark of respect for hunt member and local man Richard O’Brien who passed away recently. He is sadly missed by his wife Una, children Niamh, Luke and Séan, and wider family. RIP.
One to Go for Cody
RAY Cody has been advertising his talents in recent times, partnering winners on the last two consecutive weekends. The Kilkenny native is now on the nine-winner mark and only has one winner to go before he is no longer eligible for novice riders’ races. With three rides on the day, Cody was only denied by a neck on Double Portrait, before partnering Eddies Miracle to victory in the final race. Based with the trainer Ellmarie Holden, Ray also schools for the horses of David O’Brien and Ger Hourigan for whom he rode a winner at Nenagh last Sunday.