RACHAEL Blackmore was back among the winners with a double at Tramore last Friday week evening, where 5lb claimer Conor Brassil also made a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure following a six-month absence due to a very bad break of his tibia.
By comparison Blackmore escaped relatively lightly with her recent nose injury and she brought her tally for the week to three with success for Andy McNamara aboard the 6/4 joint-favourite Torcello in the DFL Construction Ltd Maiden Hurdle, backed up by an overdue win for Henry de Bromhead’s fellow market leader Schmidt in the two-mile handicap hurdle.
Torcello, owned by the syndicate of the same name, registered a decisive four-length success over Count Simon when coming away from the penultimate flight the quicker, with the other joint-favourite Gold Seal weakening into third place.
Blackmore said in the trainer’s absence: “It’s great to get a winner for Andy because he was very good to me when I was starting off.”
The former champion conditional topped that when scoring on Gigginstown House Stud’s 5/2 favourite Schmidt< /B>, who finally broke his duck half an hour later when making virtually all the running in his race and rallying from the last to deny Littlestickarubarb in the closing stages by three-quarters of a length.
“He’s tough, kept finding and has a great attitude,” was the post-race comment from local handler de Bromhead. “Hopefully he’ll get further in time and we’ll see whether he goes over fences now or sticks to hurdling. He’s a nice horse and whatever he does over hurdles, he’ll be better over fences because he’s a real chaser in the making.”
BOYFRIEND WINS
Not to be outdone, Blackmore’s boyfriend Brian Hayes also got his name on the scoresheet thanks to Model Cloud who gave her trainer Michael Winters, who was undergoing an operation on his knee, a welcome fillip by landing a gamble in the 0-95 handicap chase.
Supported from 14/1 into 7/1, last year’s runner-up was never out of the first three in the colours of Winters’ brother Tony and gained the upper hand before two out, being driven out to beat Island Master by two and three-quarter lengths.
“Mick fancied her today,” said Hayes. “He said she’ll love that ground and to keep it simple. She’s been consistent and was due that on her form.”
Courtin Bb, one of only two horses his Cappoquin-based restricted trainer Paddy Duffy has in training, gave Conor Brassil his first win since his Fairyhouse fall when repeating last year’s success in the 80-95 handicap hurdle by four lengths at odds of 7/1. The favourite, Something Sweet, had to settle for fourth place.
Duffy, who is also the successful owner and breeder, commented: “She ran ‘stink’ in Limerick last Sunday week but that’s the first time she’s got her ground this year and it’s so hard to get it.”
MULLINS STRIKES
First blood on the card went to the Willie Mullins-trained 7/4 favourite Pleasure Dome who opened her account over fences under the trainer’s nephew Danny in the beginners’ chase. There was little to choose between the Makfi mare and Cotton Jenny at the penultimate obstacle, only for the hot-pot to blunder at the final fence, handing her rival a fractional advantage.
Pleasure Dome, however, found more on the run-in to prevail by half a length in the colours of John Turner, whose greyhound Jaytee Jordan was successful in the Oaks at Shelbourne Park the previous evening. Paul Hennessy accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Mullins remarked: “She’s probably not a natural jumper and was probably lucky to win that after nearly throwing it away at the last. Hopefully she’ll win another couple of chases but we’ll mix it on the flat and over hurdles for the summer. I just thought she might give John a bit of fun.”
The winning rider’s mother Mag Mullins experienced both the highs and lows of the jumping game when the blow of losing the GS Racing Club’s Motown Girl, who suffered a fatal injury on the flat in the mares’ maiden hurdle, was partially softened by Dumhach Thra’s runaway seven-length defeat of Hammerstein in the ladies’ pro/am flat race.
Motown Girl headed the betting for her contest, only to come down on the level with four flights remaining, bringing down Duke’s Girl in the process. Fortunately both their riders escaped injury and the locally-trained Kilbarry Angel (4/1) was the one who came out on top when pulling out more for amateur Sean O’Keeffe to give him his third racecourse winner and his first over timber by three and a quarter lengths.
Kilbarry Lodge Stud owner Con O’Keeffe has care of the beautifully-bred Kalanisi mare, who will probably have one more outing before being covered, for his wife Claire and renowned orthopaedic surgeon Tadhg O’Sullivan. He reflected: “She’s been knocking at the door but I didn’t fancy her because I was worried the ground might be a bit quick for her.”
Dumhach Thra, last seen finishing fourth in a Punchestown bumper back in December, trounced the field in the ladies’ bumper when justifying even-money favouritism under a positive ride from Jody Townend, both of whose winners on the track to date have come at Tramore.
Mag Mullins is also the successful owner of the four-year-old Milan gelding and she commented: “He’s a lovely horse and his mother won on good ground, so we said we’d wait for it. He couldn’t have done it any better and jumps really well. I think he could be a nice one.”
The Paulstown trainer added: “A few of the girls are gone and Katie O’Farrell was supposed to ride him, but she was banned today. Danny was the one who suggested Jody and she gave him a lovely cool ride.”
Fahey fined
THE fourth-placed Canford Lady was the subject of a running and riding enquiry in the maiden hurdle which resulted in her trainer Seamus Fahey being fined €2,000, jockey Mark Bolger suspended for five days and ordered to forfeit his riding fee and the mare banned for 42 days.
New facilities opened at Tramore
TRAMORE’S new entrance building and offices were officially opened at the meeting where all the races were sponsored by the construction firm of David Flynn. Next week the upgrade of the stable yard, which will see the number of stables increase to 84 boxes, was due to start.
Acting Stewards
E. Halley, V. Connolly, D.P. Hickey, J. McEnery, H. Hynes.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
COTTON JENNY (B. Jordan) Has evidently had a few problems in the past, but built on her Killarney third to shape well behind Pleasure Dome in the beginners’ chase. She showed good resolution here and looks capable of making her mark possibly over a more galloping track.