THE Melbourne 10 brought plenty of colour and craic to Laytown on Wednesday and made off with three winners on the 150th anniversary card at the beach.
The English syndicate put together a team of 10 horses for the day, between recent purchases and a few leases for the occasions.
Things didn’t go to plan in the first couple of races despite being doubly represented and it was odds-on shot Florencio who got the raiders off the mark in the O’Neills Sports 100 Years Amateur Handicap.
Lisa O’Neill took the mount on the 10/11 shot and they led travelling well two furlongs from home.
The Jamie Osborne-trained gelding kicked on over a furlong out to record a one-and-three-quarter-length win over Markhan.
When asked for a quick word Osborne replied: “Relieved! I was surprise he was odds-on in handicap but we bought him because of his split mark and it worked.
“The beach is very different to English all-weather so there is always a doubt, but the heat is off now.
“We still have three shots left. The first two weren’t as good as we hoped and Kody Ridge (ran loose) was a disaster.”
O’Neill added: “He was well thrown in. He travelled and took me there a lot sooner than I wanted to.
“I ended up having to go for him when I did as I didn’t want to be a sitting duck and wait for someone to come to me, so I kicked on.
“Jamie said he stays well so thank God it worked out in the end.”
DOUBLE
O’Neill was on board again half an hour later when Waqaas completed a quick double in the orange and blue colours.
The 90-rated gelding, sent off an easy to back 5/4 shot, needed a strong drive to record a head victory over Royal Admiral in the seven-furlong Hibernia Steel amateur race after the pair fought it out from the two pole.
Osborne said afterwards: “After the first two races it was a bit of deja vu but any day with two winners is a good one.
“We’ll be back next year, the boys love it. It’s an annual event for us and there’s going to be no shying away.”
O’Neill added: “The lads are here to enjoy themselves so it’s great for them. They were very good to give me the rides.
“This lad took a bit more work than I thought he would. That’s just his type but he got there in the end.
“He’s idled a little bit and had a little bit of a run around but he got the head down on the line and that’s the main thing.
“Kate Harrington was very good to get me the rides. It’s fantastic to ride a double here, I know a lot of the people around here, and my mam and dad are here too so it’s great.”
STAYED ON
Mounmental Man made it three on the bounce in the Bohan Hyland and Associates Handicap when scoring at 10/1 under Colin Keane.
The nine-year-old was to the fore throughout and kept on well under pressure inside the final furlong to score by half a length from Confrontational.
Ian Barrett of Melbourne 10 Racing said: “It’s the wrong thing to say but I’m just gutted that Dougie Costello didn’t win! He had the choice of all the horses.
“All credit to the trainer, he claimed this horse for us the other day and he said buy this one, it’ll go on the beach.”
Osborne added: “My daughter Saffie was representing me at Lingfield the other day and he won the seller. I told her to go and stand by the ring and bid.
“She was very nervous about it. She was more nervous about bidding at Lingfield than she was about going for a gold medal at the European Championships!
“Thankfully she got it right and we came here and sneaked in at the bottom of the handicap. I honestly thought we had Dougie on the right one (Letmestopyouthere) so it shows what we know.
“I only have the horse around a week.”
STRONG FINISH
Thirteen proved a lucky number for the Joe Murphy-trained Bay Of Skaill as she made the breakthrough in the opening Gilna’s Cottage Inn Maiden.
Gary Carroll hit the front under two furlongs from home on the Bated Breath filly and the 4/1 shot kept on strongly in the closing stages to post a two-length win over long-time leader Lady Nathaniel.
“It’s a long time coming. She’ll be back here next year, well find something for her and maybe the Melbourne 10 might want to buy her!” joked Joe Murphy junior.
“She’s not winning out of turn. She had some very solid form as a three-year-old, our horses haven’t been right all year and are only starting to come into form now. She loved the quick surface.
“She has looked a winner a few times in the past and didn’t get luck in running one day in the Curragh.
“We’ve no plan for her. She’ll probably go to Dundalk and if the ground stays good we’ll keep her busy.
“I’m delighted for the owners. We’ve had two winners this season and both of them in the same colours (of Patricia Mullane). We’ve one set of happy owners anyway.”
The best-backed winner of the day was the Denis Hogan-trained Cyrus Dallin in the ScotchHall Shopping Centre Claiming Race.
The 9/4 favourite travelled well to challenge two furlongs out, under Hogan, and kicked for home passing the furlong pole to record a length-and-a-half success.
“It was an average contest, he was travelling well amongst them but that’s low grade stuff,” said Hogan.
“It’s great to get the boys (Westerners Syndicate) into the winners enclosure, it’s hard to get in there.
“The boys came to me in May and we bought a horse out of Ascot. He got hurt very early on and I replaced him straight away with this lad.
“Hopefully we don’t lost him but at the same you run the risk when you run in a claimer. The boys have had a good day out and had a good few quid on him so it’s job done for us anyway.
“They are a great bunch of lads and I think it’s their first time venturing in to one. This summer they got together, they are all from Mayo and they’re well connected to some other owners we have.
“Some of them are in the pub trade so I’d say it will be busy tonight.”
The winner was later claimed by Keith Clarke while the runner-up, Pulsating, was claimed by Conor O’Dwyer.
SECOND WINNER
Sarah Lynam had a day to remember at the beach as Tyrconnell gave her a second career success in the concluding @melbourne10racing Handicap.
The 13/2 shot was produced to lead inside the final furlong and deny My Good Brother, who was leased by the sponsors for the race, by half a length.
“That’s my second winner so it’s absolutely brilliant. He’s been a little bit frustrating but I think he has a bit of ability and a bit of pace so hopefully he’ll keep going forward from here,” said Lynam.
“He was jumping puddles and it was a nail-biting finish. Danny (Sheehy) gave him a good ride because things weren’t going to plan, in the stalls and at the end, but it worked out well.
“It’s very hard to get him into a race and I was surprised that he got in. It’s tricky for horses like him and you have to take the races when you can.
“I thought it might be an easier field on the beach but I thought that was quite a competitive race.”
ACTING STEWARDS
C.P. Magnier, M. Cosgrave, J.R. Craigie, H. Ferguson, P.D. Matthews.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
BAY OF SKAILL (J.G. Murphy): Could be capable of picking up a handicap off her current mark