SOME four years after he won the Irish Cambridgeshire with Elusive Time, Takashi Kodama got back amongst the winners as the promising Tosen Wish got off the mark at the second attempt in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden.
Owned by his Japanese-based breeder Takaya Shimakawa, this son of New Bay shaped up nicely on his debut over this extended five furlongs earlier in the month.
The 100/30 chance travelled very nicely through the race for Ronan Whelan and over the course of the last furlong he knuckled down splendidly under pressure to get the better of the more experienced Neo Soul by a neck.
“I’ve trained for 15 years and I’ve been on the Curragh for 25 years and I have thought about giving up a few times but every year I say one more year and maybe after this I will train for another year,” said Kodama.
“He’s owned by my main client and the mare is in foal to Highland Reel and she will ship to Japan in a few weeks. I’ll see how the horse is in a few days and talk to the owner and rider about where he might go.”
Huddle again
Huddle Up, who only made his second start of the season when third to Half Nutz at Naas on Sunday, took the quick return to action in his stride as he justified 3/1 favouritism in the five-furlong handicap.
The 79-rated three-year-old showed a fine attitude for Nathan Crosse as he challenged Pretty Boy Floyd from well over a furlong out but it was only in the final yards that he found a way past to succeed by a short head.
Crosse picked up a seven-day whip suspension for his efforts.
The winning trainer Willie McCreery indicated that Huddle Up is likely to remain under his care for next year when he should make a decent sprint handicapper.
Pita Pinta rewards patience
A PERFORMANCE which pointed to her potential in an alternative code came from Fozzy Stack’s Pita Pinta who impressed in a useful three-year-old 10-furlong handicap.
The Sir Francis Brooke-owned filly won a juvenile maiden on dire ground this time last year but was restricted to just two runs in 2021 before lining up here. A sixth a Listowel last month offered some promise for this daughter of Sir Percy and she made light of her 20/1 starting price with a display for National Hunt potential.
Chris Hayes’s mount cut down the front-running Hell Bent inside the last furlong and she kept on strongly to prevail by three and a quarter lengths.
“She stays well and likes this ground and the owners were very patient with her through the dry summer,” commented Fozzy Stack. “She’s entered again for Galway on Monday. Hurdling might be something we could look at too.”
Irish success
Both divisions of the 45-65 rated one-and-three-quarter-mile handicap produced clear-cut winners and the first of these came when Tony Martin’s Belgoprince secured his first success since coming to Ireland.
The second reserve was travelling notably well for Luke McAteer as the field swung into the straight and he stayed on stoutly over the last furlong and a half to defeat Broken Ice by three and a quarter lengths. The Tohali Partnership-owned winner was allowed to go off at 14/1 despite shaping quite well when fourth to Wojood at Thurles earlier this month.
“Tommy Linehan who owns him runs a great pub in Trim and he comes in and rides out every morning including this horse,” reported Martin.
Yamato wins
The other division of the staying handicap went to John McConnell’s Yamato who translated his good run of form over hurdles back to the flat.
The Singing The Blues Syndicate-owned gelding went off at 20/1 despite his last three runs featuring a victory and a runner-up finish but he made light of his position in the market under Rory Cleary as he defeated Aprils Moon by just under four lengths. This made it 40 winners for McConnell in 2021
The Grade 1-winning hurdler Jeff Kidder had to settle for third.
HE was a beaten 15/8 favourite in the race 12 months ago but this time Jesse Evans obliged as the Noel Meade inmate justified his position as the 1/3 market leader in the one-and-three-quarter-mile maiden.
As is his wont, the Galway Hurdle fourth travelled nicely through the race for Colin Keane and he was firmly in contention as the runners approached the last couple of furlongs. It wasn’t long before he moved to the front and he stuck to his task in likeable fashion to defeat the bumper winner Ardla by two lengths.
“He’s better in a stronger run race and may go to Naas next weekend for the November Handicap,” reflected Meade, who trains the winner for Jack Singleton.
Another trainer whose team are in great heart is Ken Condon and he added to his tally when Cheveleys got off the mark on his third start for the trainer in the near six-furlong 45-70 rated handicap.
An 11,000gns purchase in August, this Caroline Fennessy-owned three-year-old was adding to the Redcar novice event he landed for Michael Dods during the summer.
Well-backed
Billy Lee produced the well-backed 16/1 shot with a steady effort over the last couple of furlongs and the pair found a way past the front-running Drummond Warrior (whose rider Sorcha Wood picked up a three-day whip ban) on the line. The winner will turn out again at the Curragh on Tuesday.
Billy Lee then added to his haul as the first-time blinkered Elanora (15/8) won the five-furlong maiden from the front. This Joe Keeling-owned filly was a more than deserving winner having posted a host of solid efforts in her 10-race career and she got home by a length and a quarter from Mickey The Steel.
This gave Michael Grassick his ninth winner of a season which has seen him win with six of the 10 horses he has run on the flat.
“I was worried the trip might be a bit short but the blinkers really sharpened her up today and she’s the only one that I was disappointed hadn’t won this year,” stated Grassick. “We’ll put her away until next year and hopefully she will end up a stakes filly but she’s still well handicapped.”