HENRY de Bromhead, who left the course before the controversy surrounding the void race involving his Stars Over The Sea erupted, had earlier been in a happier frame of mind following Our Dougal’s deserving five-length success for Andrew Lynch in the Dawn Hi + Lo Milk Beginners Chase, 12 months after making his debut over the larger obstacles in the same race.
Owned by Jimmy and Lorraine Mangan from Dublin, the 9/4 joint favourite led from start to finish and had the race in the bag when the runner-up All The Answers went through the top of the final fence. The other joint-favourite Bilko finished third.
“He really deserved that,” said the Co. Waterford trainer. “He’s had some cracking runs and was good there. He’s a big horse and still only filling his frame, so there’s plenty of fun to be had with him. He jumped impressively there and Andrew gives them so much confidence jumping. I’d say he’ll go for the Grade 3 novice at Galway because his owners like to go there.”
A return trip to Ballybrit is on the agenda for last year’s amateur flat handicap scorer Swamp Fox who has a choice of engagements and warmed up with a decisive victory for Barry Browne in the Dawn Milk Run Handicap Hurdle.
Sporting the pink and grey diamond livery of Horse and Jockey hotelier Tom Egan, the well-touted 8/1 chance was in front before the final flight and only had to be kept up to his work to beat the good thing Is She Diesel by two and a half lengths.
Murphy stated: “He’s just a game, courageous horse and all he does is eat, sleep and race! He just has the right attitude to racing and always wins at a good price. Barry’s claim was a big help and he’s in the amateur handicap, the Galway Hurdle and the mile and a half race on the Friday night. All the options are open.”
Rookie trainer Joseph O’Brien was in blistering form at the Kerry fixture and mopped up a well-received treble for his principal patron J.P. McManus via Le Richebourg, Immortal Bridge and Santiago De Cuba, the latter in the Christy Lucey Transport Limited Flat Race.
Le Richebourg, who was sent off a short-priced favourite to complete a May/July Festival double in the Killarney Welcomes Bordeaux Novice Hurdle, lived up to his billing when making it two from two over jumps.
Jody McGravey had the leg up on the 8/13 favourite and was always sitting pretty in Timi Roli’s slipstream on the French-bred half-brother to Grands Crus and Gevrey Chambertin.
Despite getting in close to the penultimate flight where Royal Hawk suffered a fatal injury, Le Richebourg flew the last and eased away to justify his market position by six and a lengths.
O’Brien, who was quick to thank everyone, particularly the Order of Malta, for their combined efforts in assisting his sister Ana on Tuesday evening, said: “That was a good performance. They went very slow early on, but sprinted over the last three and he was good at the last.
“His bumper form was top-class and Jody gave him a lovely ride. It’s early days, but he’s a nice horse and hopefully he can progress. We’ll try and mind him and he won’t run on anything better than that (officially good).”
The same connections were back in the winner’s enclosure an hour later, after Immortal Bridge’s well-punted success for McGarvey in the Killarney Grand Live Music Venue 80-116 Handicap Hurdle.
Backed from 4/1 or better into 2/1 favouritism the Fastnet Rock gelding swept to the head of affairs before the last and was one and three-quarter lengths too good for his stablemate Hallmark at the finish.
O’Brien reflected: “They both ran well and Jody gave the winner a lovely ride. He was a decent horse on the flat and seems to have taken to hurdling, but he’s a lazy horse. He wears blinkers, but I don’t think he’s ungenuine. The second was a bit unlucky and he’ll go for another handicap.”
O’Brien and McManus rattled off a treble courtesy of newcomer Santiago De Cuba’s impressive victory under Derek O’Connor in the bumper, a race in which the favourite Special Ted could finish only third.
The well-supported 15/8 winner opened up inside the distance and went right away to defeat his stable companion Chess Grand Master by two and three-quarter lengths. His trainer commented: “It was a very good day and the winner is a lovely horse. Derek gave him a lovely ride and I was very happy with the second as well.
“I knew, coming here, he wasn’t too far behind Tower Bridge, the horse that beat Willie’s in Ballinrobe and he’s a nice type of horse. He was in Ballydoyle for a short time and he’ll go for a winners’ bumper.”
The talented Kennedy clan from Dingle were out in force to cheer home 12/1 shot Touch Of Gold in the Europe Hotel & Resort 80-102 Handicap Hurdle. Ridden by Paddy Kennedy who got a lovely run down the inner the Going For Gold’s four-year-old stuck to his guns to hold For Pedro by one and a quarter lengths, with market leader Nulife back in fourth.
The jockey’s older brother Michael trains the winner and was celebrating his first success in this sphere. The 30-year-old only has a couple of horses for the track at his Innishannon base, but a lot of young horses for point-to-points.
He took out the licence two years ago and commented: “You need to produce her with a late burst and Paddy was lucky he got a clear run. She’ll probably go to Galway now.”
Crocodile Dundee and Dark Outsider looked set to fight out the finish of the Dawn Omega Milk 0-102 Handicap Chase, but neither had any rely once overhauled in the closing stages by Ronan McNally’s 10/1 scorer The Trigger who took the spoils for Philip Enright by one and a half lengths in the colours of the trainer’s English patron Ryan Potter of the No Cream Bun Partnership.
McNally, who combines training five horses with running a kitchen business, said: “He was very disappointing the last day when I thought he would have won in England, but he just needed to be produced late.”
Suspension
Jamie Codd picked up a three-day ban for improper riding on The Abbey in the eighth race.
ACTING STEWARDS
P. McLernon, O. Kearney, J. O’Shaughnessy, P.D. Matthews.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
MINDSMADEUP (J.G. Sheehan) – Lots of positives, including good market support for the six-year-old who was having his first outing for his new trainer in the 80-116 handicap hurdle. A good showing was anticipated on his first start for eight months and he was not disgraced in third.