DARRAGH O’Keeffe took the riding honours at Limerick on Tuesday with a 21/1 double on the first of three extra meetings put on in May to help alleviate balloting problems for National Hunt horses. This all chase fixture was well-supported with two handicaps divided to form an eight-race card, although 12 horses were taken out as ground conditions dried out to produce officially good going on the evening.
The former champion conditional jockey was seen to good effect aboard Downthecellar in the two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase, with the Edward O’Grady-trained 9/2 chance getting on top in the closing stages to beat Optum by a length and a half.
“That win has given me enormous pleasure and there’ll be a little party in Derbyshire where Mrs (Christine) Plumbly lives. This is her first horse and her first winner and her husband is probably, right now, going down to the cellar!” said O’Grady before adding: “They have been patient with the horse and he jumps well and likes good ground.”
Stormy Master was also opening his account in division two of the two-mile-three-furlong handicap chase, travelling well in first-time blinkers to lead at the penultimate fence before driven out by O’Keeffe on the run-in to hold off the veteran Capture The Drama by a length.
The 3/1 favourite is trained for Liam Hackett by his son Ray, who said: “He can travel well but what he finds when it comes to the business end is the thing. The fences seem to keep him interested and I might just keep him to chases.
“The conditions recently changed as once a horse is rated under 95 over hurdles, and have had four handicap runs, you’ll qualify for handicaps off one chase run. That’s why he qualified today and while he has disappointed so many times, it’s a matter of codding him into winning and it worked out grand. He’ll be kept going non-stop for the summer and, wherever he gets in, he’ll go.”
The first division of that race went to the unrelated Sean O’Keeffe aboard Black Samurai, who gained a fortunate success as he was about a length off Greenway Machine when that rival fell at the last.
The well-backed 3/1 favourite took full advantage keeping on well to beat Wade Harper by three and a quarter lengths.
“I put the hood on him today but Sean told me to leave it off the next day as he was idle with it. He is a fine big strong horse and still fairly novicey. We’ll tip away in that league for the summer,” said Sean Aherne, who trains the gelding for Eoin Barry.
THE three beginners’ chases held the most interest with an eye to the future, and the most impressive performance came from Antey over an extended two miles and three furlongs. Susannah Ricci’s gelding is probably best remembered for supplying Katie Walsh with a retirement winner at the Punchestown Festival three years ago but has been let down since by some poor jumping over fences. However, he got it all together here when impressively making all under Brian Hayes to readily justify odds of 2/5.
“It was a nice schooling session for him and that might give him confidence going forward. Today suited as there was no one taking him on and we had an easy lead. He does have a good technique but when he is under a bit of pressure he can lose concentration,” explained Hayes.
Blistering
Templemore trainer John Ryan has made a blistering start to the new season and brought his tally to six winners as Fairyhill Run - owned by Ryan’s cousin Tom Meagher - also made most to land the two-mile-six-furlong beginners’ chase.
After the 3/1 favourite beat Fill The Tank by nearly 10 lengths under Danny Mullins, Ryan commented: “She was only just beaten in a listed hurdle here but is way better over fences. She is a big scopey mare and (stablemate) Waitnsee will have to watch out! She is a fast jumper, is well able to gallop and will run in all those blacktype races for the summer. I think that’s her trip.”
Everybreathyoutake, trained by Denise Foster for Pioneer Racing and previously successful in a point-to-point and three times over hurdles, made a bright start over regulation fences in the three-mile beginners’ chase.
The 11/2 chance was patiently ridden by Keith Donoghue, leading two out and kept on strongly to beat the odds-on Not Available by a convincing five and a half lengths. Foster said: “He had a little setback and that was a lovely first run back. He had plenty left and will be a lovely horse over the summer. He is a novice for the whole season.”
LUKE Dempsey partnered his third winner in the past fortnight as Railway Muice, owned by the Make Pigs Fly Syndicate and trained by Paul Flynn, opened his account at the 33rd attempt in division two of the two-mile-six-furlong handicap chase. “He’s been frustrating to say the least but it is nice to get his head in front,” said Dempsey after the 12/1 shot was prominent throughout and held off the late surge of Cash Me Outside by a neck.
“I was placed on him a few times and he goes well on that ground. He might pick up another one and maybe over hurdles as well.”
The addition of cheek-pieces did the trick for Mister Bells in division one. Owned by Jim Coffey’s Softco and trained by Paul Nolan, the seven-year-old gelding attracted support at 16/1 in the morning before sent off at half those odds and got on top on the run-in to beat Olive D’haguenet by a length and a half in the hands of Jordan Gainford.
“He handled the trip and loved the ground. His jumping let him down the last day but he jumped very well today and put it all together,” said the talented 7lb claimer.