Limerick jockeys and trainers in rich vein of form on the track

SHANAGOLDEN jockey Chris Hayes was the dominant jockey at Down Royal on Monday last where he bagged four winners, for the second time in his career, from five rides.

Edward Lynam gave him the first leg of a terrific four-timer with Gobi Star taking the opening five-furlong maiden. In the colours of Trevor Dalzell, the strong 9/4 favourite led well inside the final furlong to beat the Sheila Lavery-trained Aurora Nova by half a length.

Limerick jockey Hayes was back in the winners’ enclosure straight away as the Jack Davison-trained All In The Hips landed the nursery handicap over the same distance. Three and three-parts of a length was the winning margin as the 100/30 chance beat Ciaran Murphy’s 7/4 favourite Wakai Umi in great style.

Another Meath trainer to help Hayes along the way was Noel Meade who added to his Roscommon success earlier in the afternoon as Encosta took the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden. The 5/2 chance had a little in hand as she beat the Johnny Murtagh-trained 9/4 favourite Alabama Pearl by two and a quarter lengths.

Hayes completed his four-timer as the Edward and Patrick Harty-trained Gegenpressing won the handicap over the same distance at odds of 6/1. He beat John McConnell’s Fastman by three-parts of a length.

 Curragh-based trainer Ken Condon kept the winners flowing for Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee as Accomplished won the seven-furlong maiden at Cork on Tuesday. Owned by Gary Hadden and Avalon Carli, the strong 4/6 favourite made much of the running to win by a cosy two and a quarter lengths from the Pat Foley-trained Tango Flare.

Chris Hayes added to his Down Royal gains when winning the eight-furlong handicap on the Dermot Weld-trained Giladah. In her trainer’s own colours, the 11/2 shot came from off the pace to score a last-gasp shorthead success over the Andy Oliver-trained 4/1 favourite Band Width.

Billy Lee brought his tally for the season to 80 winners with a narrow success on Andy Oliver’s The Highway Rat in the opening five-furlong conditions’ race at Dundalk on Friday evening. It was tight on the line with the 10/11 favourite prevailing by a nose from the Michael Browne-trained Logo Hunter.

Ballingarry trainer Charles Byrnes was a winner on the card at Gowran Park on Saturday where the JP McManus-trained Pairc Na Ngeal landed the two and a half-mile handicap chase.

A second winner on the day for Mark Walsh, the 7/2 shot survived a mistake at the third-last fence as he romped to a seven and a half-length win over the Gordon Elliott-trained Old Town Garde.

Aidan O'Brien was first off the mark at Killarney on the same afternoon as the Emmet McNamara-ridden Gulf Of Mexico took the eight-furlong maiden. An easy-to-back 5/2 chance, he made most of the running under Rathkeale jockey McNamara to score by an easy one and a half lengths from the Fozzy Stack-trained Sea Legend which was ridden by Castlemahon jockey Mark Enright. 

At Killarney on Sunday, Darragh O'Keeffe took the riding honours with a treble and his haul included two winners for veteran Patrickswell trainer Michael Hourigan. Henry de Bromhead, however, supplied the first of his three winners on the card as the well-supported 11/10 favourite Toss Again easily took the rated novice hurdle.

The five-year-old made all the running and was clear between the final two flights as he beat Eric McNamara’s Alvaro by eight and a half lengths. The Denis Reddan-owned Winning Rascal was the first of the O’Keeffe winners for Hourigan as he took the near three-mile handicap hurdle at odds of 100/30 favourite. The seven-year-old got the better of the Paul Tobin-trained Twoplustwo Equals by a neck.

O’Keeffe and Hourigan were winners again as Sanibel Island won the handicap chase over the same distance. The well-supported 5/1 chance was left in the lead at the final fence and came home a two and three-parts of a length winner from the Gavin Cromwell-trained Arverne.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Tipperary – Monday, October 3 (First Race 1.45pm)

Galway – Tuesday, October 4 (First Race 1.15pm)

Navan – Wednesday, October 5 (First Race 1.50pm)

Thurles – Thursday, October 6 (First Race 2pm)

Downpatrick – Friday, October 7 (First Race 1.57pm)

Dundalk – Friday, October 7 (First Race 5.30pm)

Fairyhouse – Saturday, October 8 (First Race 2.10pm)

Curragh – Saturday, October 8 (First Race 1.25pm)