Abbeyfeale's Paddy Harnett among winners in bumper spell of success for Limerick jockeys

IRISH Champions Festival was kind to both Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes and Ballingarry' Billy Lee with both men riding Group 1 winners over the weekend.

Hayes was among the heroes at Leopardstown as he partnered one of the equine heroines of the year, Tahiyra, the 5/6 favourite, to a thrilling success in the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes.

Dermot Weld’s charge added to her Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas win and her victory in Royal Ascot’s Coronation Stakes with a thoroughly convincing one and a quarter-length success over English raider Rogue Millennium with the Lee-ridden Just Beautiful, trained by Paddy Twomey, half a length away in third place. 

Lee had earlier won the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes on the Natalia Lupini-trained 3/1 chance Kitty Rose which built on her winning debut at Naas to score a two and a half-length win over Aidan O'Brien’s 13/8 favourite Content.

On the second day of Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh on Sunday, Billy Lee was a Group 1 winner once again as he partnered the Charlie Bit Me Syndicate-owned Moss Tucker to land the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes for trainer Ken Condon.

The syndicate is headed up by former Irish rugby international Donal Spring who famously played at number eight on the Munster side that beat the All Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978. Moss Tucker is named after Spring’s former teammates Moss Keane and Shannon rugby legend Colm Tucker and the five-year-old raced to his eighth career success when edging out the Clive cox-trained Get ahead by half a length.  

Abbeyfeale’s Paddy Harnett gave trainer Adrian Joyce his first winner since temporarily taking over Denis Hogan’s licence when Barnhill Rose landed the second division of the seven-furlong handicap at Roscommon on Monday. Owned by Patrick Kelly, the 7/2 favourite led early in the straight and she held off the Thomas Coyle-trained Manhattan Dandy by half a length.

Billy Lee matched Colin Keane’s double with two winners of his own at Cork on Wednesday to keep the champion jockey’s lead in the championship to ten at the end of play. While Keane rode winners for Emmet Mullins and Ger Lyons, Lee was on the mark on the Paddy Twomey-trained 1/2 favourite King Cuan in the auction series race for two-year-olds.

Owned by the Red Lily Racing Syndicate, he was having his first start since May and easily accounted for the Lyons-trained Pipsy by four and a quarter lengths. Lee followed up in the six-furlong handicap on the Edward Lynam-trained 11/4 favourite Collective Power.

The five-year-old, also owned and bred by the Dunshaughlin trainer, led early inside the final furlong to beat Joseph Murray’s Furnace Creek by a comfortable two and a quarter lengths. It was just as easy for the Austin Leahy-trained Han Solo which won the seven-furlong handicap under Jamie Powell.

Owned by the trainer’s daughter Susan, the 10/1 chance made all the running as he scored by a length and three-parts from the David Marnane-trained Jered Maddox, a 33/1 shot.

Having filled the runner-up spot on four occasions, the Chris Hayes-ridden Astar was a deserving winner of the fillies and mares’ maiden at Clonmel on Thursday evening. Trained by Dermot Weld, the Newtown Anner Stud-owned 8/11 favourite made all the running and ran out a one and a quarter-length winner form Jessica Harrington’s 22/1 chance Stariam.

Kilmallock trainer Pat O’Donnell won the two-mile handicap with the 2/1 favourite Extensio. Ridden by Joey Sheridan, the six-year-old added to last month’s maiden hurdle success at Roscommon was an easy two and a quarter-length win over the Noel Meade-trained Sheishybrid.

Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce rode his fourth winner since returning to action when taking the seven-furlong handicap on the Mick Mulvany-trained Velvet Skies at Down Royal on Friday. The Frank McNulty-owned 5/1 shot headed Jessica Harrington’s The Bear Trap over a furlong from the finish to win by three-parts of a length.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Galway – Tuesday, September 12 (First Race 3.20pm)

Laytown – Tuesday, September 12 (First Race 4.45pm)

Punchestown – Wednesday, September 13 (First Race 1.15pm)

Tramore – Wednesday, September 13 (First Race 2.30pm)

Naas – Thursday, September 14 (First Race 1.55pm)

Ballinrobe – Friday, September 15 (First Race 3.05pm)

Downpatrick – Friday, September 15 (First Race 2.15pm)

Navan – Saturday, September 16 (First Race 2.10pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, September 16 (First Race 1.15pm)

Listowel – Sunday, September 17 (First Race 2pm)