1960

THE Irish Derby of 1960 will go down in history mainly for the reason that it was won by a horse, Chamour, who had been the cause of the most noted trainer of this time, Vincent O’Brien, being disqualified for a period of 18 months because of the finding that the horse had been given a drug on a previous occasion.

How outlandish it now appears that a horse of Chamour’s calibre should have been ‘doped’ to win a maiden plate worth £202 has been stressed to the fullest extent. Ever since O’Brien’s disqualification, any winner from the stable, now in the charge of his brother Phonsie, has been vociferously acclaimed to show that the racing public think that Vincent O’Brien has been very unjustly treated.

On Wednesday the success of Chamour was greeted by a quite unprecedented ovation for the winner of a race in any country. In beating the 3/1 on favourite Alcaeus, who had finished second to St Paddy in the Epsom Derby, Chamour accomplished a noteworthy feat. Against that, there can be little doubt that Alcaeus did not give his true running, being unbalanced for the greater part of the race. The winner and the third horse, Prince Chamier (also trained by Phonsie O’Brien), are by Chamier who, not very popularly, won the Irish Derby on an objection in 1953.

The result of the race must also have given immense satisfaction to the owner of Chamour, Mr F.W. Burmann, a German in business in England, who has always expressed the utmost confidence in Vincent O’Brien. Chamour was bred at the Ballykisteen Stud out of the mare Cracknel, and was sold by them as a foal for only 500 guineas to Mr Jack White. He was subsequently submitted as a yearling at Ballsbridge by Mr Tim Hyde, where he was bought by Vincent O’Brien for 1,100 guineas.

Cracknel was 23 years of age when she foaled Chamour. She died very shortly after and it was necessary to get a foster mother. This was a carthorse, who was in foal, and she fulfilled her duties admirably.

Wyer and Harty combine at Tralee

1985

TRALEE kicked off with their two-day meeting on Tuesday evening, but unfortunately there was a scarcity of runners. Only 47 horses contested the six races, highlight of which was the £4,000 Friends Amateur Handicap. Victory went to the Eddie Harty-trained Larry’s Bottle who, despite drifting in the market to 5/1, won much as he pleased.

Larry’s Bottle cruised to the front a furlong down, but for some reason veered right across the track towards the near rail. On reaching the rail, rider Lorcan Wyer was able to straighten him up quickly and the combination stayed on strongly to beat Ayres Rock and Hetty Green by four lengths and two lengths. Eddie Harty will send him to Galway to make his fencing debut.

Dermot Weld had a disappointing time at Ascot, but on the domestic front he can do little wrong. Following a double at Navan on Saturday, Weld repeated the feat when successful with Kauai Princess and Ce Soir. Kauai Princess was backed to 7/4 on in the Kerry Maiden and the daughter of General Assembly won much as she pleased. Only four went to post in the Mount Brandon Maiden and once again the Weld/Michael Kinane partnership were to the fore. Owned by Mrs Sonia Rogers, Ce Soir crossed the line two and a half lengths to the good over Giorradana.

Kerry tracks slow to get stalls

1980

PRESSURE from various sources to introduce starting stalls at Tralee and Listowel is unlikely to succeed, at least for this year. Economics and difficulties regarding manning are the reasons given for the continued absence of the stalls.

The two-year-old race at Tralee on Tuesday night again showed how essential stalls are if horses are to have a fair chance at the start of sprint races. Hopefully for the Kerry tracks, the Racing Board and the Turf Club will get together again to treat the situation as a matter of urgency. ‘Walk-in’ starts will be in operation from July 1st and this could see an improvement. If not there is the prospect of flat races under a mile being scrapped from Tralee and Listowel programmes.

Theme Music, trained by Tommy Lacy, provided Christy Roche with the first leg of a double when she held Royal Miracle and Royal Sermon by a length and a head in the Ardfert Maiden. Twelve fillies lined up for this five-furlong dash but they scattered in all directions as the tape went up. Royal Aunt, one of the leading fancies, whipped round and took no part. The Roche double was completed on 1/3 chance Good Cheer in the seven-furlong Ballyheigue Maiden.

Best long-distance mare for 50 years

1935

MR T McDonogh’s smart five-year-old mare, Irish Fun, will go for the Paris Hurdle Race in 1936, all remaining well with her. She won the two-mile King’s Plate at the Curragh last Wednesday in 3mins 41.2secs. Irish Fun was begotten by Irish Battle out of Acclida, by Acclaim. She was bred and raced by Mr Martin McDonogh, and on his death passed to her present owner, who is a brother of the deceased sportsman.

In the opinion of Senator Parkinson, Irish Fun is the best long-distance racemare in this country in the last 50 years. She is very accomplished as a hurdler, and the Senator told us that her peculiarity as a jumper is her desire always to make the running. She is ever so much more flippant at hurdling when permitted to stride along in front.

Rock Star delivers at the Curragh

1930

OUR principal classic of the year was won (as many an Irish Derby has been won before) on Wednesday by an Irish-bred, English-owned and trained colt, Sir Matthey Wilson’s Rock Star, who only one month ago finished second to Glannarg in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

Rock Star was bred by Mr Dennis Flynn. He sold the colt when a foal to Mr E.F.Barry, and Mr Barry sold him privately to Sir William Wilson. The colt’s dam is Rockmills who was a four-year-old when she foaled the Derby winner.

Rockmills was bred by Major L.B. Holliday at Cleaboy Stud, near Mullingar, and Mr Barry bought her for 16 guineas when a yearling at Messrs Goff’s Sales at Ballsbridge. She never ran.

Rock Star’s sire, Sherwood Starr, is at Mr E.F. Barry’s stud at Ballinahown. He fee is only 19 guineas – so we have a classic winner from a low-fee sire, and a 16 guineas dam!

There must surely be something in Irish breeding, the secret of which is unknown to those writers who are at pains to point out that nothing good in bloodstock comes out of Ireland – or if, perchance, when breeders do produce high-class winners once in a while, the reason they do so is to be sought for outside Ireland.