CIMEARA, bought out of Jim Bolger’s yard at the Champions Weekend sale for €500,000 after winning a Group 3 race last season, made her first start for Joseph O’Brien a winning one with success for her Chinese owners Sun Bloodstock in the Listed BetVictor Noblesse Stakes at Cork on Sunday.
Champion jockey Donnacha O’Brien had the leg-up on the 7/1 shot, who is from the same family as the mighty Goldikova, and she made the first down-payment on her price tag with a surprise defeat of the late-finishing favourite Who’s Steph.
“We didn’t expect her to win, to be honest,” said her trainer. “But she was a good filly for Mr Bolger last year and it’s nice to get her started. She’s a nice staying filly and her form last year was over a mile and six (furlongs), so we’ll probably step her up in trip.
“The main objective now would be to win a Group 2 with her.”
Churchtown House Stud owner Tom Gaffney, who is also the racecourse’s chairman, received a welcome boost when his wife Marie’s unconsidered 20/1 chance Lady Wannabe, who she owns in partnership with Barbara Murphy, proved two lengths too strong for market leader Alezia in the BetVictor Fillies’ Maiden.
The Camelot filly’s sister made 1.2 million guineas as a yearling and her handler Fozzy Stack acknowledged: “Her mother was quite good and she was tough.”
Lady Wannabe responded to pressure from Chris Hayes to get her head in front in the final 100 yards, after which the trainer observed: “She stuck it out well and I’d say we’ll be chasing blacktype for her.”
IN FORM
Dermot Weld’s team has hit the ground running this season and his purple patch continued with the success of Wentwood 10/1 for the Australian husband and wife team of Glyn and Jane Davies in the Follow BetVictorRacing On Twitter Handicap.
Ben Coen’s mount held the late thrust of the favourite Constantinople, who met with trouble in running, by a short-head.
Weld remarked: “It was a typically competitive handicap and he got a good ride from Ben. I wasn’t sure if he’d got up because the second was finishing so quick, but today was the plan and I picked this race out for him some time ago. We’ll look for the next sponsored mile-and-a-quarter handicap, probably over Guineas weekend.”
Nickajack Cave, from the Ger Lyons stable, made the best possible start to his career by winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at the first time of asking in the hands of Gary Carroll.
The 25/1 long-shot, owned by the three-way partnership of David Spratt, Sean Jones and the trainer’s wife Lynne, got on top in the closing stages for a head win over Bar Room Bore. Market leader Kattani had to settle for third.
Shane Lyons reflected: “Gary said he showed a great attitude and that’s as quick as he wants it. He showed great resolution turning into the straight and will improve a lot from that. What we’ll take out of the race is his attitude and there’s a premier handicap in him.”
HOMEBRED
Jim and Jackie Bolger and their son-in-law Kevin Manning combined to register a narrow success with their homebred Vocalised filly Gasta who came home well in the Follow BetVictorRacing On Twitter Handicap to wear down the front-running Charcor virtually on the line by a short-head, at a price of 6/1.
Bolger’s travelling head lad Ger Flynn commented “She was lucky in running and Kevin said the gap opened at the right time. Jim has been very good to the apprentices in the yard this year, giving them opportunities in Dundalk and they’ve been plying their trade on her but it was nice to get Kevin back on board.
“She’s been consistent and has come down a bit in the ratings, but getting her out the gates is the main thing. It was a messy race, but she got her bit of luck today.”
Tom Madden’s one-and-a-quarter-length win on Conor O’Dwyer’s 4/1 shot Jon Ess in the Corkracecourse Apprentice 45-70 Handicap was an emotional one for the six members of the Brinkleys Syndicate who own the horse as they were all good friends of the late John Shortt, the jockey he is named after.
The trainer was on duty at Fairyhouse but his wife Audrey said of the five-year-old, who was winning his fourth race on the level: “We let him off after Christmas and he’s grown and come back stronger. He means a lot to us and he’ll probably go back over hurdles at some stage because he was bought as a dual-purpose horse.”
Former flat jockey Ted Durcan, who is now operating as a bloodstock agent in Newmarket, bought The Names Jock on Brian Gleeson’s behalf and, as his trainer John Kiely acknowledged after the Famous Name gelding had built on his Navan second to justify 11/8 favouritism in the Mallow 45-65 Handicap by one and a quarter lengths for Billy Lee: “And it doesn’t look like he made a mistake.
“He probably needed the run in Navan but he’s a nice horse and I hope he’ll improve – he’ll go jumping hurdles eventually.”
HORSE TO FOLLOW:
NJORD (S. Lavery):
Seen doing his best work at the finish on his handicap debut when running on strongly into third close home in the 45-65 handicap after encountering traffic problems. Should improve as it was his first outing since October and his first since being gelded.
Acting Stewards:
C. O’Mahony,
G. Coughlan,
J. Kennedy, M. Carroll, M.F. O’Donoghue