Winners aplenty on the track for Limerick racing enthusiasts

ABBEYFEALE apprentice Paddy Harnett was in the saddle as Navajo River took the spoils when getting up in the closing stages to deny Joseph O'Brien’s 8/11 shot Fisherman’s Beach by a head at Roscommon on Tuesday last.

Just three-parts of a length away was the Comer-trained Dark Miss, another 200/1 chance. Comer sent out 300/1 winner He Knows No Fear, ridden by Chris Hayes, to win a Leopardstown maiden in August 2020.

Ballingarry jockey Charles Byrnes and his son Philip were among the winners at Sligo on Wednesday where the gambled-on Redwood Queen landed the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle. Backed from 100/30 to 5/4 favourite, the Cathal Byrnes-owned six-year-old led after the final hurdle and was pushed out to beat the Gordon Elliott-trained Up And Out by three-parts of a length.

Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes was in the saddle as Dermot Weld’s Harbour Wind won the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening. The Moyglare Stud-owned and bred three-year-old was sent off at odds of 9/2 and scored in great style as he beat Jim Bolger’s Young Ireland by an easy three and three-parts of a length.

The JP McManus-owned Norwigi backed up his recent Roscommon success when winning the two-mile five-furlong handicap chase at Killarney on Friday evening. With Jody McGarvey in the saddle, the Enda Bolger-trained eight-year-old went clear from the second-last fence and held off the fast-finishing A Mere Bagatelle to win by a length and a quarter at odds of 4/1.

At Killarney on Saturday afternoon, Askeaton trainer David Fitzgerald won the opening division of the opportunity handicap hurdle with the Gavin Brouder-ridden General Clermont. The 5/1 chance survived a mistake at the final hurdle to beat the Eoin Griffin-trained Mr Social by an easy 13 lengths for owner Derek Mara.

Bruree-based Enda Bolger notched up his second winner in as many days as Stealthy Tom took the Listed handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs. Another eight-year-old in the McManus colours, the 5/2 favourite led at the second-last fence and was quickly clear, winning by an easy 10 lengths from the Tom Gibney-trained Mr Saxobeat in the hands of Mark McDonagh.

Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee was among the big winners at the Curragh on Saturday evening where the Alymer Stud-owned Letsbefrankaboutit landed the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes on just his second start.

The Paddy Twomey-trained 2/1 favourite headed the Diego Dias-trained front-runner Mansa Musa, ridden by Chris Hayes, inside the final furlong to win by half a length. Hayes bagged a notable success of his own half a length and hour later as he scored a last-gasp win on the Dermot Weld-trained Coeur D’Or in the Irish Cambridgeshire Handicap.

The seven-year-old had taken the big mile handicap at the Galway festival by a head on his previous start and a neck was the winning margin on this occasion as he got up to pip Johnny Murtagh’s long-time leader Blues Emperor, ridden by Wesley Joyce, at odds of 8/1. 

Upcoming Fixtures:

Bellewstown – Tuesday, August 29 (First Race 4.05pm)

Bellewstown – Wednesday, August 30 (First Race 4.05pm)

Cork – Wednesday, August 30 (First Race 2.15pm)

Navan – Thursday, August 31 (First Race 2.35pm)

Down Royal – Friday, September 1 (First Race 4.25pm)

Wexford – Friday, September 1 (First Race 4.15pm)

Navan – Saturday, September 2 (First Race 2.15pm)

Tipperary – Sunday, September 3 (First Race 2pm)