Claire Barry
THE Jessica Harrington-Robbie Power alliance plundered two of the three chases on the card at last Sunday’s Limerick Family Fun day where Neverushacon backed up Duckweed’s success in the winners of one when gifted the beginners’ chase.
The 13/2 chance, who carries the colours of Mrs Harrington’s Grangecon neighbour David Scott, was left clear to collect by eight and a half lengths from the favourite The Plan Man after Akito came a cropper at the final fence.
However, his trainer pointed out: “He was always travelling today and jumped brilliantly in Ballinrobe two runs ago, his first run for a good while. He had a wind op during the winter and the ‘gallop’ he had at the Curragh the other day put him right.
“Unfortunately his owner is away at the moment and I don’t know if there’s a novice chase in Killarney or Galway, but the next novice chase there is, he’ll run in it. He’s a very big horse, nearly 17hh and, as he gets older, he’ll get through soft ground.”
Stable-companion Duckweed initiated the brace when kept up to his work by Power to land the Supermacs Dooradoyle Chase. Home-bred by his owner Kieran Guinness, who is located between Mullingar and Athlone, the 9/4 winner took command at the final obstacle to beat market leader On Fiddlers Green by one and a half lengths.“He jumped well and three miles is what he wants – the trip was too short for him the last day,” said Mrs Harrington. “He’ll probably go to Kilbeggan for the Midlands National.
Trainer Henry de Bromhead may have been out of luck with On Fiddlers Green in that contest, but he didn’t leave the course empty-handed thanks to the success of the always-prominent 14/1 shot The King Of Brega in the Galway Plate Trial Handicap Chase.
Formerly trained by Paddy Downey, and in the ownership of the two-member BMW Partnership, the nine-year-old led from five out and kicked before the turn-in, opening up from two out to slam the favourite King Leon by 12 lengths, and credit his 21 year-old Waterford-born rider Dylan Robinson with his first winner over fences.
The King Of Brega is currently rated 123, which makes his participation in the Galway Plate unlikely. De Bromhead remarked: “He’ll maybe go for the Blazers instead.”
“I’m just so pleased for Dylan who gave him a brilliant ride. I just said ‘go out and be positive on him’ and he let him bowl along. He served his time with Jim Bolger and came to us last year. He’s a brilliant rider and schools really well over a fence.”
Thomond O’Mara struck with the 2/1 joint-favourite Hudson’s Bay in the Limerick Racecourse Family Fun Day Maiden Hurdle. Improving rapidly from mid-division under Philip Enright in the home straight, the six-year-old Teofilo gelding delivered his challenge with two flights remaining to touch down in front at the last.
Racing in the colours of Golden, Co Tipperary native Bart Murphy, who works in the property business in San Francisco, Hudson’s Bay went on to account for Seven Nation Army by one and three-quarters of a length.
Murphy, who comes home for the summer every year, is not back in Ireland yet, but his wife Eileen and son Denis were on hand. O’Mara has only half a dozen horses for the track these days, preferring to concentrate on preparing horses for the breeze-up sales, but said of his winner: “He had a good run the last day where he jumped very green and raw. He jumped a bit slicker today and showed natural improvement. He’ll go to Killarney now.”
Trainer Edward O’Grady is currently away on holiday and missed seeing his 3/1 favourite Time For Mabelcollect by four lengths in the hands of Andrew Lynch in the Johnny Brady Country Music Night 21 July Rated Hurdle.
Jointly owned by M. Patrick Klein and M. Michel Henochsberg, the son of Soldier Of Fortune had been knocking at the door and Lynch commented: “He was unlucky in his last couple of runs over hurdles and we thought we were riding him too handy.
“I dropped him in the last day and he came home well, so Edward said to do the same again today to use his speed and he won well. He jumps well and there should be a nice little handicap in him.”
Fleurys Fort, from the Leslie Young yard, brought up a hat-trick of wins for his Birr owner Seamus Marshall, of Super Furrow fame, whose wife Margaret bred the 8/1 shot, when containing the game challenge of Shake The Bucket by half a length for Ryan Treacy in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com 80-109 Handicap Hurdle. Marshall has yet to see his six-year-old Robin Des Pres gelding win, but the Templemore trainer reported: “That’s four wins since October and he’s improving anyway. He’s in a 0-123 handicap at Roscommon on Tuesday and we could be tempted. He’ll go chasing when he starts to struggle over hurdles and jumps well.”
There was a pulsating finish to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race, involving the J.J. Slevin-ridden Polar Present and Inchiquin High, who were virtually inseparable passing the line.
However, the judge gave the nod to the Seamus Fahey-trained Polar Present by a short-head, much to the delight of his first-time Vicarstown owner Kevin Miller, who bought the daughter of Presenting to go breeding with. Fahey reflected: “We were hoping she’d run well because the form of her two bumpers was pretty good, but today’s bumper was a step up again. She battled well and as she passed the post I wasn’t sure if she’d got there, but my brother Brendan rang me to tell me she had! We’ll look for a winners’ bumper for her now and I think she’s going to improve again with another year under her belt.”
Lame
VEDETTERIAT was reported to have finished lame in the fourth race.
O’Connell injury
JOCKEY Brian O’Connell suffered a shoulder injury in the first race at Limerick and was due to undergo X-rays to determine the extent of the damage.
Arlington entry
JESSICA Harrington, who hopes to be double-handed in the Guinness Galway Hurdle with Modem and Rule The World, is thinking of aiming her star filly Bocca Baciata at the Beverly D Stakes in Arlington.
Acting Stewards
J. Moloney, Mrs F. Ward, B. Murphy, P. McLernon, S. Quinn.
Horse To Follow
SEVEN NATION ARMY
(H. De Bromhead) Back in maiden company, he was no match for Hudson’s Bay over two miles, but the duo pulled 12 lengths clear of the third which suggests that a similar race may be on his radar.