DYLAN O’Connor made his racecourse breakthrough on Sporting Hero for Denis Hogan and the Winning Chance Syndicate in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap at Dundalk.
The 10lb claimer had the 7/2 favourite tracking No Speed Limit and rode him to the front a furlong out. The five-year-old gelding kept on well to pass the post with two lengths in hand.
Hogan said: “I’ve known about Dylan for the past year or two with the pony racing circuit, I’ve been keeping an eye on him. When Sean Bowen moved away to the UK, I was always looking out for someone to take on. He is a son of top amateur, Mikey O’Connor.
“I was asking one of the valets two weeks ago where I would get a good apprentice, and one of them asked me to ring Mikey O’Connor, as Michael Halford was after retiring and this chap was signed on to him. I signed him up straight away to get him.”
Hold-up tactics
Hightimeyouwon, the even-money favourite, led home a 1-3 for Stephen Thorne and Shamrock Thoroughbreds in the Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Claiming Race over a mile.
From eighth halfway, Jack Kearney made headway in the final quarter of a mile and the duo took over at the furlong pole. They closed the race out well by a length and a quarter from Comfort Line, with stablemate, Shoot To Kill, back in third.
Stephen Thorne said: “We just told him (Kearney) to ride him as he found him, but he employed the hold-up tactics the last night he won and did something similar today.
“His class is above these but, unfortunately, there was no programme for this horse coming up. There’s limited races, limited opportunities for him and we know he doesn’t operate as well on the turf, so we said we would just take advantage of this race.”
There was a friendly claim on runner-up Comfort Line.
TIBERIUS Thunder was a winning debutant for Amo Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar in the Put The Fun In Fundraising At Dundalk Maiden over a mile. The Night Of Thunder colt was very strong in the market and was sent off 8/15 favourite under Wayne Lordan.
He came off the bridle approaching the straight, but did respond to Lordan’s urgings and worked his way to the front in the final 100 yards. He was driven out to score by three-parts of a length from Waterford Flow.
Trainer Adrian Murray said: “He’s going to improve a lot, there is a huge engine there. First day at school, sure he has never been anywhere.”
When asked if he sees him as a stakes horse, he replied: “He will probably go for a winners of one in Naas on the second week of the flat. We will probably supplement him for the Guineas as well, maybe both (Guineas), I’m not sure yet. He has a bright future.”
Back on song
New headgear saw Notforalongtime bounce back to form in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap. Robbie Colgan sent him after Mullacash Buzz and he wore down the leader in the closing stages to go on by half a length at 11/1 for owner/trainer, Laura Hourigan.
Colgan said: “I rode him the last day (eighth in Dundalk) and I thought he might have saved a little bit for himself, he wasn’t beaten too far. I thought the blinkers might sharpen him up a bit and he only had a couple of lengths to make up. They just helped him travel and concentrate.
“Laura does great with him and has him in great form. He would be always bucking going out to the start. She keeps him happy and healthy.”
Ohmyviette (11/4) took the honours for Willie Browne and Sam Coen in the Happy Valentine’s Day Rated Race.
He is still a work-in-progress, but the Sioux Nation gelding showed good resolution, when he took over a furlong down. He then fended off Lyle The Crocodile by a neck at the end of six furlongs.
Coen, sporting the colours of Leidiana Marques, said: “I think seven (furlongs) wouldn’t be a bad idea for him, he is tough and gutsy. He is going to keep progressing and he is going to come on.”
AIRD grabbed her first victory at the 12th time of asking in the DundalkStadium.com Maiden over a mile and a half. She took closer order for Billy Lee entering the straight and arrived into the lead two furlongs down.
She stretched clear inside the final furlong to put the race to bed by four and a half lengths at 11/5 for Henry de Bromhead and owner Dr S.P. Fitzgerald.
“When they steadied down the back, I was just able to get a nice breather into her and she relaxed so well,” said Lee. “I thought I was going to have a bit more pace than say some of the jumpers. She has picked up well and she has got the job done.”
Pedal to the metal
Signor Ferrari is enjoying the extended 10-furlongs in Dundalk and followed up on last month’s success in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap. Luke McAteer was on board again and the pair were happy to soon slot in behind Serengeti Sunrise.
McAteer switched him out to lead two furlongs from home and the four-year-old gelding rolled home best of all to score by three-quarters of a length, from Trishuli River, at 11/1 for owner Dorothy Heffernan.
Trainer Pat Murphy said: “The last day, I thought he got a bit lonely in front and, just at the 100 yard marker (today), I thought for a second if something came they might just catch him.
“Luke got one into him and he did tough it out well.”