JESSICA Harrington completed a double at Cork on Saturday where the classic-winning trainer sent out both Marshall Jennings and Boston Bruin to win under respective jockeys Tom Madden and Shane Foley.
Marshall Jennings (12/1) bagged the featured €26,000 Buy Tickets Online And Save Handicap, which was the seven-year-old gelding’s fourth career win.
Ridden by Madden, the Fiona Carmichael-owned son of Lawman was held up behind the leaders before making headway early in the straight.
He met some traffic problems with two furlongs to race but once switched to challenge, improved to lead close home and beat Annie Fior by a neck.
Harrington wasn’t present at the fixture but her daughter and assistant Kate Harrington later commented: “I didn’t think he was going to get a gap turning into the straight but it opened up for him. It’s great for Tom (Madden).
“I hope the handicapper isn’t too hard on him. He’ll go for all those big handicaps and he used to want a dig in the ground but as he has got a bit of age, he can go on any ground now.”
DOUBLE
An hour later Harrington doubled her score when Boston Bruin (100/30) in the colours of Mill House LLC landed the Buy Annual Membership Today Maiden (div 1) on his seasonal reappearance.
He had reached the frame on three starts as a juvenile last year and today came out best in a three-way photo-finish when beating Fivestar Lynch and Zarandi by two heads.
Harrington commented: “He is a good horse and ran into a few good ones last year and it’s great to get his head in front today. He will improve for that and Shane said he took a good blow a furlong down and he should improve for it.”
Aidan O’Brien bagged one winner at the fixture, with regally bred Gentile Bellini, under Seamie Heffernan, in the Join Us Here Again Tomorrow Maiden.
In the colours of the Coolmore Partnership, the son of Dubawi is out of top racemare Sky Lantern, and he set his owners back 2,000,000gns as a yearling. Although unsuccessful in two starts last year, this time he made all for a smart one-and-three-quarter-length win over Karakhan.
Heffernan later stated: “He had two nice runs last year and always looked like a horse who was going to improve with more time. He gave me a nice feel.
“Aidan will make him into a stakes horse, and where he’ll end up we’ll see.”
CLOSE FINISH
O’Brien’s sons Joseph and Donnacha combined to win the Racing Home For Easter Festival Handicap with Isotope (7/1), who won in the colours of the brothers’ mother Annemarie O’Brien.
He was making his turf debut and beat Bodhicitta by a neck. Afterwards, winning trainer Joseph O’Brien reported: “He had a good run in Dundalk and the form has worked out well. Donnacha said he won nice enough and had a little look in front.
“He should continue to progress and he is bred to get a little bit further. Today was his first run on grass and it opens up a few more options. He can jump a hurdle in time too.”
Paddy Twomey has the Irish 2,000 Guineas in mind for his Decrypt following the colt’s smart win in the BetVictor Bet 5 Get 30 Offer Race.
Ridden by Bill Lee, Decrypt quickened well for a comfortable three-length win over Manjeer, and following the race Twomey said: “He is a nice horse and I had this race in mind from a long way back. I was looking for it in the calendar and last year it was a furlong further and I was only ever going to come here.
“He has length and strength and I asked Billy (Lee) and he said he would get a mile no problem. We’ll see what we’ll do and I have an idea in my head what to do with him but I wouldn’t be frightened with the idea of running him in the Guineas; he definitely wouldn’t run before the Guineas.”
Racing began with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden where the Dermot Weld trained Georgeville overcame a disappointing recent run at Naas to score under jockey Oisin Orr, carrying the colours of Khalid Abdullah.
He raced with the pace and stayed on strongly to beat Shennan by two and a half lengths.
“He did it nicely and had better ground than he had at Naas. At Naas nothing went right for him, he was drawn very wide, got a little bit of interference early on, the ground was very testing on his first run of the year and he put it all behind him today,” said Weld.
“Potentially he is a stakes horse but ideally I’d like to find a winner of one race next. I wouldn’t be afraid to go another two furlongs.”
Local trainer John Murphy has high hopes for his home-bred Opening Verse (12/1) who showed nice ability to win the Buy Annual Membership Today Maiden (Div 2) on his second career start.
Ridden by Niall McCullagh, the colt stayed on well to beat Limit Long by half a length, and afterwards Murphy reported: “We have always been very fond of this fellow. We were disappointed with him the first day and thought he’d be in the first three but he missed the break.
“He is very fast and I’d say he’ll get better with better ground and he could be anything.
“We’ll probably hold on to him for a while as we bred him and want to do best for the mare. His half-brother was third in the Qatar Derby and he is from a fast family. We will see what the handicapper does but might go for a blacktype race straightaway with him.”
The corkracecourse.ie Handicap was won by the Willie Martin trained, Willie Byrne partnered Time Stands Still (11/1) who beat 50/1 runner-up Tio Esteban by three lengths. Time Stands Still recorded her third career success in the colours of Stephen McGuinness.
Martin’s son and assistant Michael said: “She ran really well in a 0-80 at Leopardstown and had it won everywhere bar the line, and then went to Naas and had no draw out on the stands’ side. She came here today and won easy going away.
“That’s her third win. She is a very good filly when she is right. We’ll tip away for the summer and she’s quite versatile ground-wise.”
Suspension
HUGH Horgan was suspended for one race-day following his ride on Aaron Boy in the Racing Home For Easter Festival Handicap, as the stewards were satisfied he was in breach of Regulation 10.3(h).
HORSE TO FOLLOW
ZARANDI (D.K. Weld): Again failed to justify strong support in the seven-furlong maiden but looks a likely type to progress with racing and should get his turn in a similar maiden next time.
ACTING STEWARDS
C. O’Mahoney, J. Powell, J. O’Donoghue, F. Ward, L. Walsh.