JODY McGarvey enjoyed an excellent Easter Festival at Fairyhouse where a neck beating in the final race on Monday denied him a winner on all three days.
On Saturday, the Coleraine native won the RYBO Handicap Hurdle on the Oscar gelding Hearts Are Trumps (12/1), who is trained for J.P. McManus by Des McDonogh, the eight-year-old bay scoring by half a length from the same owner’s Magic Tricks (7/1). Hearts Are Trumps, McGarvey’s only ride on Saturday, was McDonogh’s sole runner at the Easter Festival.
Top double
Sunday was a red-letter day for the jockey as, from just three rides, he recorded a Grade 1 double. First up, he landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final on the Shark Hanlon-trained bargain buy, Skyace. Later, back in the colours of J.P. McManus, he won the Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase on the Willie Mullins-trained Janidil.
McGarvey just narrowly failed to leave Fairyhouse with another winner when the Karl Thornton-trained Lord Lariat went down by a neck to Uisce Beatha in the concluding Fred Kenny Lifetime Service To Racing Handicap Chase.
The McManus-owned, Padraig Roche-trained winner was ridden by Co Tyrone-born Simon Torrens who, at Cork on Sunday, landed the Baroneracing.com Hurdle on the Norman Lee-trained Sole Pretender.
Donegal’s McMonagle
On the flat at Cork on Saturday, there was mixed luck for Co Donegal’s Dylan Browne McMonagle. The 5lb-claiming apprentice won the five-furlong handicap on the Michael Browne-trained Logo Hunter but then took a nasty-looking tumble when Comfort Line slipped up in the 10-furlong handicap.
McMonagle was merely wearing a bandage across his nose when recording his seventh success of the campaign on Wednesday at Gowran Park where the Eddie Lynam-owned and trained Sister Lola landed the seven-furlong handicap.
Hughes’ battle
Across the water, Brian Hughes’s battle to hold on to his British champion jumps jockey title continues today at Aintree. On Thursday morning, the Co Armagh native was just one win in front of Harry Skelton (134-133). Both were heading to the Liverpool track that afternoon but, yesterday, while Skelton remained at Aintree, Hughes had six rides booked at Sedgefield.
MUCH was written and said about Richard Johnson following his surprise retirement last Saturday while less but just as complimentary comments were given to Mark Grant who retired at the same time.
We particularly liked this Tweet from dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer and Downpatrick Racecourse director Noel Chance: “I’m delighted that my son-in-laws @dickyjohnson77 & @MarkGrantRacing have hung their boots up in one piece. I shared one my best days racing with Richard & I’ve had great enjoyment out of watching Mark ride! They are very talented horsemen, but most of all they are great guys!”
That day Chance shared with Johnson was when the Stephen Reel-bred Zaffaran gelding Looks Like Trouble landed the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2000. Eighteen years later, Johnson again won the Gold Cup on the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River who was bred by Fred Mackey.