THE Tilly Conway-owned and bred Santa Rossa is now Galway-bound following her win under Darragh O’Keeffe in the featured Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary last Thursday week.
Trained by Dermot McLoughlin to beat last year’s winner of the two-mile race, Sole Pretender, by three lengths, the eight-year-old Jeremy mare was recording her third success over hurdles.
Her two bumper wins included the Coolmore-sponsored Grade 2 mares’ contest at Leopardstown in February 2019. Santa Rossa is the second of eight recorded foals, and the only runner to date, out of the unraced Almutawakel mare Panther Moon.
Solerina
On the same day at Perth, the concluding conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over two and a half miles was won by the Gordon Elliott-trained, Corey McGivern-ridden Keepthefaithinme.
That six-year-old Getaway gelding, who was winning for the first time on his 10th start (was placed three times in bumpers), was bred by Berry Farms, and is the second of six recorded foals out of the unraced High Chaparral mare Lady Bishop, a daughter of the brilliant Solerina.
The Barbara Hanna-bred Rocked Up got off the mark when winning the mares’ maiden hurdle at Market Rasen last Sunday on her seventh track start. Trained by Jonjo O’Neill, whose son and namesake was in the saddle, the six-year-old Westerner bay is the sixth of nine recorded foals out of the Inchinor mare Rock Gossip whose first was the four-time winner Pride Of Lecale (by Multiplex).
On the flat, the McCracken Farms-bred Facteur Cheval won the Listed Tattersalls Prix de Saint-Patrick at Chantilly on Saturday in the colours of Team Valor International. Trained by Jerome Reynier, ridden by Gerald Mosse and winning for the third time in three starts, the three-year-old Ribchester gelding is the second of four recorded foals out of the unraced Shamardal mare Jawlaat who comes from the family of Tantheem, Motamarris, Santiago, etc.
Jockeys’ wins
Staying on the level, but on the jockey front, there were wins in the period under review for Oisin Orr (three), Patsy Cosgrave (three), Barry McHugh (two), Dylan Browne McMonagle (one) and Martin Harley (one).
Over jumps, the reigning champion jockey, Brian Hughes, moved on to the 34-win mark for the season when the Charlie Longsdon-trained Present Storm won at Worcester on Monday.