Talented young Abbeyfeale jockey visits winners' enclosure at Leopardstown

ABBEYFEALE apprentice jockey Paddy Harnett gave trainer Donnacha O'Brien his third winner of the week and a 1-2 in the race 4/1 chance Amusement narrowly won the concluding 12-furlong handicap at Leopardstown on Sunday afternoon.

Although he ended up riding without his irons, highly-rated young Limerick horseman Harnett got the three-year-old home by a nose from her stable companion Teutates, another 4/1 shot.

The Philip Byrnes-ridden Banntown Girl justified her short price when winning the second division of the opportunity maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe on Tuesday.

Trained by Sonny Carey, the 8/13 favourite saw off the challenge of the Paul Nolan-trained Conyers Hill to win by three and a half lengths for owner/breeder Brian Hutchinson.

Another Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee landed the first of the meeting’s listed races at Gowran Park on Wednesday as the Paddy Twomey-trained Final Gesture ran out a thoroughly impressive winner of the 14-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vintage Tipple Stakes. He had an easy time of it on the French import which was sent off at odds of 4/1 joint-favourite and ran out a five-length winner from the Peter Lawlor-trained Joupe.

Lee bagged a second success as the Henry de Bromhead-trained Empress Of Beauty took the nine-furlong fillies and mares’ maiden. The 10/1 chance led inside the final furlong to beat the Joseph O'Brien-trained 7/1 chance Thunder Roll by a neck with O'Brien’s 4/6 favourite Perfect Portrait two and a quarter lengths further back in third place.

Castlemahon jokcey Mark Enright gave trainer Fozzy Stack saddled his sixth winner of the new Flat season as Two Stars landed the six-furlong maiden for three-year-olds at Cork on Friday evening. A 9/1 chance, he led from halfway and came home a length and three-quarters to the good over the Willie Browne-trained Roaming Star.

Ballingarry-based Richard O'Brien landed the concluding bumper at Downpatrick on Friday evening with the 3/1 chance Extrapolation. Ridden by Eoin O'Brien, the Michael and Joan Toomey-owned six-year-old made all the running to beat Gordon Elliott’s 2/1 shot Valsorpresa by 10 lengths with Willie Mullins’ 6/5 favourite Surf Club three-parts of a length away in third place.

The Rathkeale father and son team of Eric and Conor McNamara were winner at Cork on Saturday where the 8/1 chance Holiday In Kerry took the three-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle.

Owned by the Forever Optimists Syndicate, the seven-year-old had good recent runs at Clonmel and Ballinrobe to his name and he recorded his second career success with a two and a half-length win over the Eugene O'Sullivan-trained Kingston Kid.

Billy Lee enhanced the growing reputation of trainer Natalia Lupini as he won the near six-furlong handicap on Dandyville at Naas on Sunday.

Owned by the Dr J Syndicate, the five-year-old won back-to-back races at Dundalk in November and made a winning return to action when beating the Pat Murphy-trained Craft Irish by a cosy two and a quarter lengths, his sixth career success.

Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes gave Dermot Weld his first winner of the season when guiding Mashia to success in the concluding eight-furlong fillies’ maiden. A 10/1 chance, the Aga Khan-owned debutante impressed her trainer as she scored by a length and three-parts from the Aidan O'Brien-trained Unless.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Gowran Park – Wednesday, May 10 (First Race 1.20pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, May 11 (First Race 5.20pm)

Kilbeggan – Friday, May 12 (First Race 5pm)

Navan – Saturday, May 13 (First Race 1.45pm)

Killarney – Sunday, May 14 (First Race 1.55pm)