APPRENTICE Dylan Hogan is fast making a name for himself and earned the plaudits at Limerick last Sunday with an opening race double via Dandys Gold and Hailstone.
Patrick Prendergast, trainer of the latter, had plenty of words of encouragement after the son of Dream Ahead, fitted with a first-time visor, had made amends for his costly defeat at Cork two weeks earlier to triumph in the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Twitter Handicap.
Grangecon Stud owner Rick Barnes was present to see his homebred 100/30 favourite take full advantage of the drop in class this race presented after finishing a good second to Gino Severini in the Madrid Handicap at Naas.
Hailstone made most and opened up from a furlong and a half down to win going away by an impressive five and a half lengths from Dinky Inty.
“Dylan gave him a beauty (of a ride) and gave him a breather,” the Curragh handler said, adding: “And his 7lb claim really helped. He had the run of the race, the fast ground that he likes and the visor set him alight a bit.
“You could argue this was no Madrid Handicap and that wasn’t the form that saw him finish second, but it was a different day and he was just running against lesser horses.”
Hogan was also seen to good effect with his handling of Dandys Gold, who set the standard in the Book Online At www.limerickraces.ie Fillies Median Auction Maiden with a number of placed efforts to her name. She duly obliged when justifying 2/1 favouritism by three quarters of a length from Malibu Magic.
The winner, bred by her Newbridge owner George Halford, is one of only a handful of horses Willie Fitzpatrick trains from his Rathangan yard and he commented: “Today was the first time she’s run on good to firm ground and she handled it well.
“I’ll give her a short break now because there are some nice handicaps coming up. She’ll go into the higher handicaps now and I’ll be looking for big improvement.”
A WIN FOR WEXFORD
Former champion apprentice Ronan Whelan kept his boss Jim Bolger happy when bringing Club Wexford home the half length winner of the Family Fun Day May 21st Handicap. Jointly owned by former Wexford All-Ireland winning hurler Dave Bernie, who was represented by his son Mike, and the trainer’s wife Jackie, the 9/4 favourite raced keenly but responded generously once he saw daylight to wear down the front-running Fit For Function inside the distance to score with a bit in hand.
Whelan said on his return: “We were always waiting for him to do that. We were afraid of the ground, but it’s safe and he’s a grand horse. Things just haven’t fallen right for him until now.”
Jessica Harrington can do nothing wrong at the moment and completed an across-the-board double courtesy of the 100/30 favourite Hyperdrive in the mile and three furlongs Michael English Plays Live At Limerick Racecourse July 27th Handicap.
Tom Madden’s mount nailed victory on the line by a neck at Epitaph’s expense to give the rider his second success of the season. He reported: “He travelled great. The ground was probably a shade quick for him, but I liked the way he battled. I’d say he’ll go further again.”
Alfredo Arcano headed the betting for the Jackie Chan Allstars Play Live At Limerick Racecourse June 17th Rates Race but had to settle for fourth, as the honours went instead to the Ger Lyons-trained 3/1 second favourite Rock In Peace who got on top for Gary Carroll in the final 150 yards to claim the spoils by three-quarters of a length.
This three-time winner carries the blue and white spotted colours of the trainer’s long-standing Carrickmacross patron Sean Jones, and Andrew Duff, one of the trainer’s two assistants, said: “That was a nice performance and Gary said he’s learning to settle.
“He’s been running in Dundalk all winter and likes that sound surface. He’s only a small little horse, but he’s thriving on racing and we’ll keep him going in handicaps.”
Michael O’Callaghan’s apprentice Sean Davis was also seen to good effect aboard 7/2 chance Bay Hill, from the Christy Roche stable, when delivering his challenge between horses inside the distance to take the €20,000 4 Of Us Play Live At Limerick Racecourse June 23rd Handicap by a length.
The 18 year-old Maynooth native was riding his first winner in the J.P. McManus silks and remarked: “He was very good there. He travelled really well, picked up well and did it fairly easily.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Homesman, with Ana O’Brien in the saddle, did himself and two of his rivals no favours in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden confined to three-year-olds when veering across the track to his left and setting up a domino effect.
The War Front colt, sent off the 11/8 favourite, was straightened up on the rail by his pilot, who had her whip in the correct hand, and crossed the line a neck in front of Modern Approach, with Steel Prince a further length away in third.
A stewards enquiry was quickly announced but, to the surprise of many, the result was allowed to stand on the grounds that, while interference had taken place, the stewards could not be satisfied that the winner had improved his finishing position as a result.
They did, however, suspend Ana O’Brien for one day for careless riding after taking her good record into account.
O’Brien snr has care of Homesman for Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Joseph Allen and stated: “He’s a big, green horse – a massive horse – and a big baby still.
“He went the last furlong on the bridle and we think and hope he will progress.”
Acting Stewards
J. McGuire, C. Powell, M.J. Doyle, K. Walsh, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
LOOKING GOOD CAROL (Joseph G. Murphy): Equipped with a first time hood she went close to reproducing the promise of her debut run when running on late from well off the pace in the fillies’ maiden to finish with purpose in fourth.