THE diminutive Sirici ran above expectations in Thursday’s Listed Coolmore Pride Of Dubai Tipperary Stakes when bouncing back from two below-par efforts, most recently in the Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot, to cause a 14/1 upset under Chris Hayes.
Her trainer Fozzy Stack admitted: “I was just hoping she’d get placed,” but she confounded his opinion by nailing it close home on the stands side for a neck success over the odds-on favourite Actress.
Stack said: “The ground was too soft for her in Naas and in Ascot we probably didn’t make enough use of her, so today we said we’d go back to basics.”
Sirici, owned by Michael Slevin from Mount Temple outside Moate, was formerly trained by David Wachman who also used to train the dam. He retains a share in the daughter of Choisir who is now the winner of two races and a listed contest.
Stack pointed out: “She’s small and probably barely gets five furlongs, so we’ll have to see if they want to keep her in training next year.”
Irish Derby heroes Seamie Heffernan, his boss Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Sue Magnier had earlier gained some compensation for the defeat of Actress with a comfortable success via the long odds-on favourite Berkeley Square in the Glenvale Stud Irish EBF Maiden.
Sent off the 1/5 favourite, the second foal of the Irish 1,000 winner Homecoming Queen was soon second behind Swing Till Dawn and moved into a challenging position a furlong and a half down.
Quickening up nicely, the Galileo colt got on top in the final 100 yards and coasted home two and three-quarter lengths in front of his rival.
O’Brien said: “He had two lovely runs and might come back here for the listed race. Obviously he’ll get a mile this year and be a middle-distance horse next year. It was nice to get a lead around here and he’ll have learnt a lot. They’ve done a lovely job on the ground.”
The Willie McCreery-trained Snowstar crossed the line a neck in front of Comhghaideas in the five-furlong maiden and Billy’s Lee’s mount kept the race following a stewards’ inquiry.
Godolphin’s 5/6 favourite won with a bit in hand and her trainer commented, shortly before the winner alright signal was given: “I’ve seen the head on and he (Kevin Manning on the runner-up) didn’t stop riding. She’s a filly who’s improving all the time and even quicker ground would suit her. We won’t rush her, because she’s small and took time to come to hand.”
Alans Pride headed the betting for the Costello’s Tavern 45-65 Handicap, but was collared inside the final furlong by Dick Brabazon’s 8/1 shot Path Of Silver who was unleashed with a winning burst by Oisin Orr to take the hotpot’s measure by half a length.
The Strategic Prince filly, who was overcoming a bad draw for the second time in succession, was following up her Killarney success for the five member Cafe Du Journal Syndicate from Sallins.
Her trainer remarked: “She’s a sister to Silver Code and I thought, starting off, I might get a win out of her in a claimer, but she’s improving and she’s tough. We’ll have to rethink her programme from now on.
“She had a wide draw in Killarney, too, and we said we’d deliberately stay wide as a trial for cheekpieces, but it was still a lot of ground to give away. We might have to go back there and throw her into one of the better handicaps off a low weight.”
The remaining races on the card were devoted to the National Hunt brigade and Mark Walsh, the current number two rider to J.P. McManus, was fortunate to escape with a fractured cheek bone and stitches to a gash above his eye after taking a heavy fall from Itsallhappening in the three mile handicap hurdle won by Chosen Hour.
Dylan Robinson was taken to hospital in Waterford for X-rays on his wrist after a fall of Whitango in the second division.
The evergreen Plinth, from the Joseph O’Brien stable, who is in the same ownership, delivered his challenge under Jody McGarvey at the penultimate flight and drew away from the last to strike by three and a half lengths at a price of 16/1.
The front-running market fancy Ivan Grozny faded into third place.
O’Brien paid tribute to his flagbearer, who has been pencilled in for another tilt at the Galway Hurdle, by saying: “He’s a great little horse who never disappoints and Jody gave him a great ride. He actually ran fairly well in the race one year, but isn’t on the right side of the handicapper. Still, he’s entitled to take his chance and jumps well and tries. We actually thought, coming here, this trip was a bit sharp for him as he has got older, but he really quickened up.”
Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh, out of luck with Ivan Grozny, enjoyed better fortune later in the day through George Creighton’s 13/8 favourite Timi Roli in the two and a half-mile maiden hurdle. The hot-pot made every post a winning one to come home on a tight rein, 11 lengths clear of An’ball.
Walsh stated: “His experience is a big addition on these summer tracks and he jumped like a buck. I loved the way he jumped today and, whatever he does this summer, he’ll win plenty of chases next summer.”
Killavullen-based T.J. Nagle saddled 20/1 outsider Chosen Hour for a three and a quarter-length victory over Colette’s Choice in division one of the three mile 80-95 Handicap Hurdle.
Homebred by his Knockanore owner Maggie Erangey, the Danny Mullins-ridden longshot was fitted with first-time cheekpieces for his handicap debut and “they were a big help,” according to Nagle.
He said: “He was unlucky not to win a four-year-old maiden at Dromahane when he fell at the second last and needed to step up in trip. He likes this good ground.”
Pass The Ball was eased right down in the second division to justify 3/1 favouritism for owner J.P. McManus and the father and son duo of Niall and ‘Slippers’ Madden by eight lengths, after which his trainer reported: “I might find another little hurdle race for him and then he’ll go over fences.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. McLernon, E. Irwin, D.H. Gavin, P. Dowling, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
TENNESSE WALTZ (D. Marnane): He finished strongly in fourth behind Path Of Silver in the 45-65 handicap on his first outing for three months and could be worth keeping an eye on.