FRESH from captaining an international team of riders to victory in the 2017 Air Mauritius International Jockeys Challenge held at Turffontein in South Africa recently, Pat Smullen was successfully back on domestic duty at Dundalk.
Smullen could have hardly teamed up with a trainer in better form when getting the leg-up on Khwarizmi for David Marnane in the www.dundalkstadium.com Maiden (Plus 10 Race).
Marnane saddled a double under the lights here a fortnight previously, but despite that the Saeed Al Romaithi-owned Khwarizmi went off a very easy to back 12/1 shot.
That could have been due to the fact that the US-bred was berthed out widest of all in stall 14. With a visor on instead of the blinkers he’d donned when second over the course and distance on November 3rd, the winner got there on the line to triumph by a head.
Snow Patch just lost out having endeavoured to make all, and well-backed favourite It’s All A Joke finished half a length back in third. Darren Bunyan has care of Snow Patch and he also had the fourth, Clebourne.
“He has got a big frame and needs to fill into it. That might nearly be it for this year,” said Marnane.
A running and riding enquiry into the performance of ninth home Rego Park Lady saw the explanations of connections noted. Jockey Robson Aguiar was advised to ensure that he is seen to be more forceful in future.
Half-an-hour later David Marnane was expected to double up with 11/8 favourite Alfredo Arcano in the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap. However, that fellow had to play second fiddle to Oneoveryou (11/2).
The Michael O’Dea owned and bred Tagula mare was always up there forcing it in this sprint. She held on by three-parts of a length to credit talented youngster Ben Coen with his second win in the plate.
Oneoveryou was scoring in this event for the second year running, and successful handler Mark Fahey credited Coen for giving the six-year-old “a brilliant ride.”
The former pony racing star was to the fore again in the finale, but his mount, Asian Wing, couldn’t live with Tropic Thunder (15/8 favourite) in division two of the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Handicap.
Bought for £8,000 in September out of the Tony Martin yard, Tropic Thunder made it two from two for Anthony McCann, registering a one and three-quarter-length win on this occasion.
Conor McGovern was again in the saddle for Rita Shah, and the 5lb-claiming apprentice said: “Hopefully there’ll be another race for him down the line and we’ll have a bit of fun with him for the rest of the winter.”
There was another market-leader on the scoresheet, albeit one that shared favouritism, as Clear Skies (5/2), who continues to go from strength to strength, won the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
Fozzy Stack’s Thunder Speed (5/2) was well-fancied too, and though he ran a nice race he failed by two and three-quarter lengths and a neck to Clear Skies and Play It Cool.
That’s four in a row now for the beautifully bred Sea The Stars filly at Dundalk, since November 8th. Stepping up to a mile and a half here was no problem for the comfortable victor.
Aidan O’Brien trains Clear Skies for J.P. McManus, and the man on her back, Donnacha O’Brien suggested that attaining blacktype will be no problem. He also mentioned that the four-year-old could be a Winter Derby type.
Koybig (well-backed 11/8 favourite) is another giving connections plenty of fun, and he supplemented a win from 23 days back in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap.
Chris Hayes completed a brace on the evening as the Derek Leonard-owned and Pat Murphy-trained top-weight convincingly got home, once in the clear, by a length and a quarter from Complicit.
Hayes reported Koybig “caught a heel” in the straight, and he’s likely to be kept on the go once he remains in form.
The near 40/1 double was initiated for Hayes on Paddy Twomey’s first-timer Pillar Mountain (16/1) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (Plus 10 Race). Drawn on the outside in 14 he may have been, but Pillar Mountain moved smoothly into contention before proving a length and a quarter superior to the more experienced favourite, Bring On The Band.
“I sat on him once and loved him. Paddy rang me from the sales in Newmarket this morning and he filled me with confidence,” revealed Hayes.
“He told me to ride him like the best horse in the race. He’s a lovely horse, a nice prospect for next year.”
Hayes got a three-day whip ban earlier after failing by a short-head aboard Smart Stinger in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Maiden.
Eddie Lynam’s Peace Officer (5/2) got off the mark here at the seventh time of asking, seemingly benefiting from the addition of a visor. Oisin Orr rode the Colonel John gelding.
The Daniel MacAuliffe and Anoj Don Partnership-owned California Lad (9/1 into 7/1) provided Mayo trainer Fergal Birrane with a second winner when prevailing in split one of the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Handicap.
Denis Linehan powered the Aussie Rules gelding up in the closing stages for a three-quarter-length verdict over Jessamine. The win came at a cost for Linehan as he picked up a two-day suspension for using his whip with his arm above shoulder height. Shane B Kelly, rider of the third-placed Masalai, was cautioned for the same offence.
“We got him earlier on in the year from Harry Dunlop. He’s a finicky kind of horse and it just took a while with him,” stated Birrane.
“That’s the second winner I’ve had in the last few weeks and the horses are all going well. We’ll have a good few runners in the next two or three weeks and we have some lovely horses to come out.”
ACTING STEWARDS
L. Mc Ferran, R. Dore, J.T. Hunt, H. Lappin, H.T. Hynes
HORSE TO FOLLOW
PLAY IT COOL (A Oliver): There was much to admire in his effort when second behind the highly progressive Clear Skies.