McNamara saddled Hot Port (8/1), a former point-to-point winner, to score over fences in a Beginners Chase at the penultimate leg of the meeting.

“He loves that good ground and will probably go to Galway now for a winners’ of one handicap,” revealed McNamara.

The double was completed when Secret Squirrel (16/1) took the Handicap Chase, at handsome odds of 16/1.

He had a portion of luck on his side, however, because Basic Principle (10/1) looked all over a winner approaching the final fence.

That horse ballooned the obstacle, however, and Secret Squirrel rallied to lead on the flat and then hold the late rush of She’s Supersonic (8/1).

At the start of the festival, Brian Moran of Askeaton trained his first winner on the track when Fortune Seeker (14/1) won the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park-Killarney Racegoers’ 25th Anniversary Maiden Hurdle.

She made all the running, under a strong John Cullen drive, and was always carrying far too much for her rival.  Commented Moran: “She had been knocking on the door for long enough.  She stays and is tough and her future is over fences.”

Moran, who rode as an amateur, won a Maryland Hunt Cup in America aboard Young Dubliner and also partnered Dorans Pride to land his bumper at Ballinrobe.

The highlight of the Tipperary two-day festival was the Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle with victory secured here by Eric McNamara’s Larkwing (7/2), marking a winning return to the track after an absence since disappointing at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

“We left the horse off after he disappointed in the County Hurdle,” McNamara reported.  “We gelded him straight away and then brought him back with today’s race in mind.”  The trainer has no immediate plans for Larkwing.

In-form Chris Hayes recorded his first stakes-race win in Lady Chryss O’Reilly’s famous black-and-white colours when steering the Kevin Prendergast-trained Dimenticata(14/1) to a thrilling victory over Sharleez (6/1) in the listed €50,000 Belgrave Stakes at Fairyhouse.

Covered up for a late challenge, last year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up had to battle hard to get the better of Sharleez by a head.

The next target for the filly is the listed Sweet Mimosa Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment