Limerick jockeys hit top form on the racetrack

RATHKEALE conditional jockey Calum Hogan rode his first winner since St Stephen’s Day at Limerick when partnering the eight-year-old Woodstream Lad to land the two and a quarter-mile handicap hurdle at Downpatrick on Tuesday last.

Hogan missed a little over five months with a shoulder injury he picked up on the final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and he rode his first winner since his return to action when bringing the Philip Rothwell-trained eight-year-old, an 8/1 chance, home a 14-length scorer from the Thomas Coyle-trained 16/5 shot Divilabother.

The 10/1 chance Red Hugh O’Donnell led on the line to win the eight-furlong maiden for Ballingarry’s Gillian Scott at Killarney on Tuesday. Owned by the Red Hugh O’Donnell Syndicate, the four-year-old was ridden by Seamie Heffernan and he pipped Stephen Thorne’s front-running 9/2 chance Ocean Manifest by a head.

Perhaps an easier winner to find was the Richard O’Brien-trained Spanish Temptress which landed the three-year-old handicap over the same distance in the colours of the Phoenix Rising Syndicate.

A strong 13/8 favourite in the hands of champion jockey Colin Keane, she led two furlongs out to beat David Marnane’s 5/1 chance Jasmine Affanalis by two and a quarter lengths.

Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes jumped into second place in the jockeys’ championship with a double at Leopardstown on Thursday evening. He scored a surprise success on the Bill Durkan-trained newcomer Time Bender in the seven-furlong auction series maiden.

The 33/1 chance was well on top, despite veering to his right in the closing stages, as he beat Noel Meade’s 14/1 shot Joltin, ridden by championship leader Colin Keane, by a length and three-parts.

Hayes then teamed up with Meade’s four-year-old Tatum won the concluding 12-furlong handicap. The Peerless Partnership-owned 11/4 favourite led two furlongs from home and dug deep to hold Harry Kelly’s 20/1 chance Louiescall by a head leaving Hayes on the 42-winner mark.

Championship leader Colin Keane is on 50 winners, while Billy Lee, sidelined through injury, has 40 winners to his name.

Meanwhile, Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce and trainer Michael Mulvany teamed up to win the seven-furlong apprentice handicap with the Clearys Syndicate-owned Electric Beauty. A 14/1 shot, she made much of the running to win by a neck from Jessica Harrington 2/1 favourite Vega’s Muse. It was Joyce’s 11th success of the season.

Ballingarry trainer William O’Doherty landed a 14/1 success as the nine-year-old Swelltime won the two and a half-mile opportunity handicap hurdle at Killarney on Thursday evening last. Ridden by Jake Coen, he made it six wins in all when leading before halfway to beat the Harry Kelly-trained Corkbeg, a 7/1 shot, by four and a half lengths.

A runner-up with Cocovic to the Joseph O'Brien-trained Nitty Gritty in the earlier maiden hurdle, Rathkeale trainer Eric McNamara landed a winner as the Hurling Mad Syndicate-owned Say It So took the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle. A second winner of the week for Callum Hogan, the 9/1 shot led at the third-last hurdle to beat O’Brien’s 5/1 chance Shaboozee by two and a quarter lengths, his fifth career success.

Bruree-based Enda Bolger won the opening division of the near three-mile handicap chase with the 5/2 favourite Tippin And Tappin at Killarney on Friday. Owned by the Storytellers Syndicate, the Darragh O'Keeffe-ridden six-year-old led at halfway and saw off the late challenge of John Ryan’s 7/1 shot Zolpharine to score by three-parts of a length.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Ballinrobe – Tuesday, July 22 (First race 4.42pm)

Naas – Wednesday, July 23 (First race 5.07pm)

Wexford – Wednesday, July 23 (First race 2.08pm)

Wexford – Thursday, July 24 (First race 5.35pm)

Leopardstown – Thursday, July 24 (First race 5.20pm)

Cork – Friday, July 25 (First race 5.05pm)

Kilbeggan – Friday, July 25 (First race 4.50pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, July 26 (First race 2.15pm)