Jack Kennedy sits out weekend with injury

JACK Kennedy expects to be back in action at Galway on Monday after taking four days off to recover from a couple of heavy falls.

Kennedy, who is based with trainer Gordon Elliott, was left limping after a fall at Tipperary on Sunday but he still turned up at Ballinrobe on Tuesday where he rode three winners from four mounts. However, he suffered another crushing fall in a chase at Limerick on Wednesday when his mount Indigo Breeze appeared to roll over him.

Speaking to The Irish Field yesterday, the Kerryman said: “My feet and ankles are very sore but I should be good to go on Monday. The yard is in flying form – long may it continue – and we have a big team going to Galway next week. We also have runners in Perth but I think I will be in Galway for the week.”

Kennedy has yet to win the Plate or Hurdle at Galway. His potential Plate mounts include leading fancies Ash Tree Meadow and Hurricane Georgie, while in the Hurdle he could be aboard the well-fancied Party Central.

ThoroughBid sale generates £71,000

POSTMARK, a three-year-old gelding rated 75 who won at Ffos Las earlier this month, topped yesterday’s ThoroughBid online sale when bought for £50,000. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Postmark was sold to Avon Racing.

Joseph O’Brien and owner Peter Brant sold the three-year-old filly Flash Bulb for £10,000. The daughter of Camelot finished third on her most recent start in a Gowran Park maiden. Her stable companion Ghasham, a Churchill three-year-old colt rated 86, failed to sell after bidding stopped at £72,500. In total seven of the 12 horses offered for sale changed hands for a total of £71,000.

Schones win award

LA Petite Coco’s success in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes recently has earned Bernd and Ute Schone the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month title for June. The Schones are based in Rhode, Co Offaly, and raced La Petite Coco themselves before selling her to Team Valor.

Curragh aim for Sonnyboyliston

SONNYBOYLISTON will be targeted at a defence of the Comer Group International Irish St Leger title he won in 2021 by Johnny Murtagh.

The five-year-old announced himself as a player in the long-distance division when making a successful raid on the Ebor at York last August and then plundered Group 1 honours on his first ever attempt at that level when always doing enough in the 14-furlong Curragh contest.

His only other outing since came when second in the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia in February.

“We’re going to target the Irish St Leger,” said Murtagh. “He’s had a few little issues during the year, but we think we have him back on track and the Leger would be his main target.”

The trainer also provided an update on his high-class two-year-old Shartash, who was last seen picking up the Group 2 Railway Stakes.

The Aga Khan-owned son of Invincible Spirit got the better of the Coventry Stakes fourth Blackbeard on that occasion and will now return to that same venue in search of Group 1 glory.

Murtagh added: “He’s a very exciting horse. He could run in the Phoenix Stakes next time and is also in the National Stakes. He’s bred to stay a bit, we’re going to stick at six (furlongs) next time, but I’m sure we will try seven by the end of the year.”

Derby runner-up moves

DERBY runner-up Hoo Ya Mal has joined George Boughey for a possible crack at the St Leger before he departs for Australia later in the year. Formerly trained by Andrew Balding, he was bought by new connections on the eve of Royal Ascot for the princely sum of £1.2 million.

He outran his 150/1 odds at Epsom when finishing just two and a half lengths behind Desert Crown and will eventually join trainer Gai Waterhouse, with the Melbourne Cup a likely target. Before then, however, Boughey has been tasked with a possible tilt at the St Leger.

Boughey said: “It’s very exciting to have a horse like Hoo Ya Mal in the yard. His work has been good and we are looking at the Gordon Stakes [at Goodwood next week] next before a possible tilt at the St Leger, before he heads to Australia with Gai Waterhouse for the Carnival out there.”