JOCKEY Kevin Brouder’s whirlwind start to the new season continued apace as he made it five winners in as many days on Dynamic Allen in the Molson Coors Laffy Bar Mares Handicap Hurdle.
After riding six winners during the 2017/18 campaign, Brouder notched up 14 victories last term and his winner a day start to the first five days of the new season means that has already laid strong foundations for his best campaign to date.
Unfortunately, the winning rider took a heavy fall at Cork the following afternoon which resulted in him being brought to hospital.
In the colours of local trainer Brian Hamilton, who was recording his first victory since June, Dynamic Allen was the 5/1 favourite to build on a second at Fairyhouse a month previously.
The six-year-old finished out strongly over the last half mile to defeat Shimmer And Shine by three lengths. She looks like one that can be placed to further advantage this summer.
ELLIOTT STRIKES
Over the last two seasons Gordon Elliott has operated at a level stakes profit with his Downpatrick runners and he was again on the mark at the track as Coolongolook (6/4), a dual flat winner for Luca Cumani, captured the C Russell Auto Sales Maiden Hurdle.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned four-year-old was making his first appearance for three months and he enjoyed a relatively straight forward success under Jack Kennedy to come home almost five lengths clear of Walking In Memphis.
“He’s a grand horse and after his first run we decided to keep him as a novice until the new season got underway,” said Elliott, whose dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll paraded during the evening. “Hopefully, he’ll have a good summer and get to some of the festivals.
“I’d expect him to improve from this and in the longterm he might be one for something like the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel.”
Fresh from springing a 33/1 surprise under Kate Kelly in the charity race at Punchestown, the Keith Watson-trained Manomine bagged the 80-95 rated Portman Dental Care Handicap Hurdle. The 10-year-old was allowed to go off at 16/1 but he did not go ignored in the betting and he produced a brave effort from the front under Andrew Ring to record his first victory in two years.
Manomine sports the Ulster National-winning colours of Amaulino and is owned by Jimmy Matthews and his family (Big Five MS Syndicate).
FIRST FOR HEALY
It was an evening to remember for amateur jockey Cathal Healy who partnered his first winner on the track when the David O’Brien-trained My Oakclahome (5/1) picked up the Molson Coors Maiden Hunters Chase on his racecourse debut.
The Denis Tarrant-owned six-year-old, who won a Lisronagh point-to-point in late March and will keep going through the summer, got the better of a lengthy tussle with the game front-runner Nabraska.
Seeyouinvinnys (15/2), who ran respectably behind the Cheltenham winner City Island on his penultimate start, left the form of his unplaced run at the track in late March well behind as he got up in the final yards of the Roadstud Installations Maiden Hurdle.
The front-running Monition looked to have done enough when he skipped into a clear lead after the last but he was worn down by the MRM Partnership-owned gelding and Sean Flanagan who was the second busiest jockey in the country last season.
Noel Meade indicated that the son of Carlotamix will be left off for the summer.
Well Joey made it two wins from three starts for trainer Paul Stafford as he bolted up in the Randox Health Tiger Roll Handicap Chase.
The Michael Keegan-owned gelding was the 13/8 favourite to follow up a victory at Hexham last time and he produced a better jump at the final fence than the chasing Canadian Steel which set him for a nine-length triumph. This was a first success of the season for the conditional jockeys’ championship runner-up Adam Short.
Legacy Thor and Ben Crawford won for trainer Stuart Crawford (left) and owner Charles Johnson Photo Healy Racing.
CRAWFORDS COMBINE
Stuart Crawford and his brother Ben picked up the Molson Coors-sponsored bumper with Legacy Thor who justified 2/1 favouritism to build on his second to Multifactorial here last time.
The Chris Johnson-owned son of Gold Well readily outpointed the front-running Gotthenod to win by five lengths. He is closely related to his trainer’s Aintree winner and Cheltenham third Legacy Gold and he will go novice hurdling at the end of the summer.
Suspensions
Dylan Browne picked up a one-day whip ban for his riding of Pats Pearl who chased home Manomine in the handicap hurdle.
Conor Orr also received a one-day whip ban after partnering Canadian Steel into second in the handicap chase.
Cathal Healy was given a three-day whip ban for his efforts on the victorious My Oakclahome in the hunter chase.