Limerick jockeys and trainers visit winners' enclosures

OUT of luck on an odds-on favourite in the preceding race, Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee made it to the winners’ enclosure at Dundalk on Wednesday last when the Willie McCreery-trained Morning Approach took the eight-furlong handicap.

Limerick jockey Lee lost out when Edward Lynam’s 4/5 chance Cross Border was soundly beaten into second place in the six-furlong maiden by the Fozzy Stack-trained Never Cry Never but he went a place better just 35 minutes later when 9/1 shot Morning Approach led inside the final furlong to beat Luke Comer’s Roman Place by a length and a half.

Taraj, ridden by Shanagolden jockey Chris Hayes, came good at the third time of asking with a cosy success in the opening eight-furlong maiden at Dundalk on Friday. The only winning favourite on the night, Dermot Weld’s 11/8 shot skipped a few lengths clear early inside the final furlong to beat Donnacha O'Brien’s 9/4 chance The Old Nine by two and a half lengths.

Billy Lee was back in the winners’ enclosure when partnering No Speed Limit to land the six-furlong handicap. Trained in County Tyrone by Patrick McKenna for his son Conor, the eight-year-old made all the running to beat Seamus O’Donnell’s Theriverrunsdeep by half a length.

The Enda Bolger-trained nine-year-old Birchdale recorded his first win since taking a big handicap chase at last year’s Dublin Racing Festival with a smooth success in the Risk Of Thunder Chase over the banks’ course at Punchestown on Sunday.

With Simon Torrens riding in the JP McManus silks, the 5/2 favourite hardly put a foot wrong as he raced to a three and a half-length victory over the Richard O’Keeffe-trained 16/1 chance Vital Island. The winner might turn out again at Cheltenham in a couple of weeks’ time.

Conditional jockey Mark McDonagh and trainer Eoin Griffin won the three-mile handicap hurdle with Jody Ted. A strong 2/1 favourite on the back of a runaway win over fences at Limerick in late October, the nine-year-old had a little in hand as he beat the Henry de Bromhead-trained 9/2 chance Gabbys Cross by a length and a half.

Upcoming Fixtures

Tramore – Tuesday, November 28 (First Race 12.30pm)

Dundalk – Wednesday, November 29 (First Race 3.50pm)

Thurles – Thursday, November 30 (First Race 12.10pm)

Dundalk – Friday, December 1 (First Race 5.30pm)

Fairyhouse – Saturday, December 2 (First Race 11.40am)

Fairyhouse – Sunday, December 3 (First Race 11.55pm)