A LONG term plan came to fruition in near seamless fashion as the talented On The Go Again secured the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle to provide the Mulvany family with a victory to cherish.
Owned by Laurence Mulvany and trained by his son Michael, On The Go Again hadn’t run over hurdles since April but he has since been busy working his way up the ranks on the flat. A three-time winner on the level this season, the four-year-old had shown an ability to cope with most types of ground so the testing conditions weren’t a concern for him.
Furthermore the 7/2 favourite was given a fine ride by the trainer’s nephew Ross O’Sullivan (25) who was notching up the third victory of his career on his first ride as a professional jockey. On The Go Again, who won a Navan maiden hurdle last March, was disputing the lead from the fourth last and remained in the front rank thereafter. A quick jump at the last gave him a crucial edge over Mischievious Max and he contained that one’s renewed effort by a neck. The top-weight Ex Patriot ran an excellent race on his comeback to finish a further length and three parts back.
“We’re delighted, it’s a real family affair and today has been the plan for a long time,” said Mulvany, “We deliberately kept him to the flat over the last few months to protect his handicap mark,” said Mulvany. “He’s had a busy enough time of things lately so I’m not sure what we will do now but he might go back on the flat again.”
Earlier the John F. Maguire Beginners Chase was the scene of huge drama before it eventually went to the Charles Byrnes-trained Alto Esqua (11/2). This was a sorry race for punters with the first three in the betting all failing to complete and the final nail in their coffin came at the final fence where the second favourite Bamako Moriviere fell when holding a lead of some 25 lengths.
His departure was preceded by that of the market leader Capital Force who was poised in a close second when he fell at the fourth last. Meanwhile the early stages of this race saw the 4/1 short Roconga exit at the second. After all this drama Philip Enright and Alto Esqua came through for the most unlikely of victories over Hand Of The King.
‘I would have been more than happy with second but they are there to be jumped,” commented Charles Byrnes. “I’m delighted for his owner Martin White who has had plenty of horses with me and I’m pleased with how this horse jumped as he didn’t school great when we tried him over fences last year. I’d imagine he will go for a novice chase now.”
Easily one of the most popular winners of the week was the locally owned Youceeyouceecee in the Brandon Hotel Handicap. Few horses handle testing ground as well as Susan Finn’s charge and this enabled him to follow up his success on heavy ground at Roscommon last month. The 6/1 chance was drawn wide but that was rendered irrelevant when the race was started by tape and, after getting into a good position early in the straight, he finished out strongly in the centre of the track. Killian Leonard’s mount swept by the gallant front runner Alans Pride to score by three parts of a length.
“He’s been a great servant and I’m just thrilled for his owner Mairead O’Carroll and her brother Eamonn who hasn’t been in the best of health lately. This horse just loves that ground,” commented Susan Finn who indicated that the five-year-old would turn out again on Friday.
Another winner to emerge from that Roscommon fixture was the improving Knowing You who made it two victories from three starts in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
Dermot Weld’s charge showed a terrific attitude for Pat Smullen and she became involved in a protracted struggle for supremacy with Rosin Box and it was only in the last 100 yards that she began to gain the upper hand. At the line the Moyglare Stud-owned 11/4 favourite had a length and three parts to spare.
“She’s a progressive filly and she’s very genuine. She really stuck her head out in the last half furlong and she went to the line well,” reflected Smullen.
A step up to Group 3 level will be next for Tonkin who became Camelot’s first winner in Ireland as he put his rivals to the sword in the Jet O’Carroll Memorial Irish EBF Maiden.
The conditions made this a grueling test for these five juveniles but Tonkin looked quite at home. The 9/4 shot went to the front early on from Ronan Whelan and moved further and further clear in the straight to finish eight and a half lengths clear of the newcomer and favourite Harbour Approach.
“I like him and I knew he handled soft ground but I was nearly going to take him out,” reported Prendergast of the Rick Barnes-owned colt. “He’s closely related to Sugar Boy (a Group 3 winner for the trainer) and he reminds me a lot of him. He ran well first time out when he was second to a subsequent Group 3 runner-up (Kew Gardens) and the plan is to head for the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown next month.”
Jim Bolger’s South East came out on top in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden over a mile. Yet another winner for the Bolger-owned sire Vocalised, the 4/1 chance did battle with Maze Runner from the turn in.
The front pair’s duel carried them well clear of the others and the Jackie Bolger-owned South East was too strong for the market leader inside the distance as he came home with two and three quarter lengths to spare.
“He had some decent runs and Kevin said that he handled the ground well. He was the last one off the bridle and then he battled very well,” remarked the trainer’s representative Ger Flynn.
Michael Hourigan introduced a nice type in the bumper in Sand Fly (9/2) who made a winning debut under the trainer’s daughter, Laura.
The daughter of the classy mare Laetitia who is owned by Mary Hayes was best equipped to pick up off a steady pace in the closing stages of the Kerry Petroleum Flat Race. Quite a few of the runners were still in with a chance entering the last quarter of a mile but nothing could match Sand Fly who asserted early in the last furlong to defeat fellow newcomer Hussle Up by two lengths.
“She’s a well-bred mare and she’s done that very well but I’m sure what she will do next,” declared Hourigan.
ACTING STEWARDS
J. Moloney, E. Flannery, Mrs V. Cooper, M. O’Driscoll, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
STACEY’S PRIDE (C. Byrnes): This filly began her career with an encouraging third in the bumper won by Sand Fly. She was beaten less than four lengths and can surely improve off this initial experience.