JAMES Ryan partnered three winners, for different trainers, as he took the riding honours on the card.
The 5lb claimer began his winning spree on Bergamasco in the Bar One Racing Nursery Handicap for juveniles. This easy-to-back 7/1 chance raced in mid-division over the mile and made headway into second a furlong out.
He soon grabbed the lead for Ryan and stayed on well to come in by a length for the JPD Partnership.
Trainer Jack Davison said: “We changed tactics today - we just said to James to jump and do everything he could to ride him cold and get him to settle
“Thankfully, they went a nice gallop. It was a super ride from James, though. He is very talented. Full credit to him and the horse.”
Next up for Ryan was 7/2 co-favourite Sioux Princess in division 1 of the Bar One Racing Apprentice Handicap over a mile and a half.
He raced this four-year-old filly close to the pace and sent her on a furlong and a half down. She then fended off Maura’s Gift by three-quarters of a length for trainer Michael O’Callaghan and owner Paul Callan.
The jockey said: “It is her ideal trip. A wide draw we were able to get her out and plenty of room to get rolling forward. She seems to love it up here, she is getting more and more confidence.”
Treble up
The treble came up on Ger Lyons’ Fairytale Princess (9/2) in the Bar One Racing Handicap.
This daughter of Camelot is now three from her last four on the Polytrack at Dundalk. She made all for Ryan and found generously to hit the line with half a length in hand.
Assistant trainer Shane Lyons said: “James is very intelligent off a horse and he tells us an awful lot, he thinks about what he says. He is a great asset.”
On Fairytale Princess, he added: “She is going through the grades and we won’t stop until she tells us she wants to stop. She’ll go through the programme on the all-weather and we will give her a break then for nice ground.
“It is great for Kevin and Ruth (Blessing, Woodridge Stables Limited).”
Two more for Halford and Collins
MICK Halford and Tracey Collins enjoyed a treble two days previously in Dundalk and added a double on this card.
Pittsford (16/5) got the better of a final-furlong battle with 5/2 favourite Banana by a head in the extended mile and a quarter maiden for owner Nicky Hartery.
Halford said: “He’s a big horse with a load of ability and he has just been a very slow developer. He’s just starting to get it together now and he’ll go further in time.”
Banana’s jockey Gary Carroll was handed a six-day suspension for excessive frequency with the whip.
The concluding Bar One Racing Handicap saw Limestone Red make the breakthrough at the sixth time of asking.
Billy Lee worked him to the front a furlong out, but his mount veered right in the closing stages and bumped Hasten Slowly. Lee got him back on an even keel and drove him home by a length at 5/1 for Mrs Caroline Hendron.
Collins said: “Cheekpieces and stepped him up in trip. He was just idling a little bit at home and we put the cheekpieces on him, and they actually helped him to go forward.”
The stewards looked into the aforementioned incident and handed Lee an eight-day suspension for careless riding.
Collared
For a long way it looked like 50/1 Mint Man was going to spring a shock in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race over six furlongs, however, Port Augusta collared him in the closing stages.
Port Augusta put in good late work for Gary Carroll to get up a neck at a well-supported 7/2.
Trainer Willie Browne said of the debutant: “He was a horse that was meant to be a breeze-up horse, but he put up a splint and we had to regroup.
“He has just a bit of class that got him through. He’s for sale.”
The winner scored in the colours of the trainer’s partner, Tracey Kearney.
Crypto success lands the Cash
CASH Or Crypto landed the spoils by the minimum margin for MRC International in the Bar One Racing Handicap over six furlongs.
The three-year-old gelding was punted down to 5/1 and raced prominently for Luke McAteer before picking it up a quarter of a mile out. The pair were strongly pressed by Volatile Analyst and Scott McCullagh inside the final furlong, but held on by a nose.
Trainer David Marnane said: “We sent him to the sales because that segment of the syndicate is to be finished off. We bought him back because I just felt there was more to come.
“He is obviously very quick to jump from that stall (15) and get across.
“I think there is a five (furlong race) coming up for him here as well. They were the two plans before Christmas.” Paul Flynn’s Golden Sandbanks resumed winning ways in division 2 of the Bar One Racing Apprentice Handicap for Aidan Gallagher, Fadhbarbith Unlimited Company and David G Walsh.
Swiftly
The six-year-old gelding wasn’t swiftly into stride, but Robert Whearty soon had him in mid-division and the pair made progress in the final quarter of a mile. They hit the front a furlong and a-half out and kept on best to see it out by half a length at 9/2.
“We are going to keep him on the flat until Christmas and then he is going to go over hurdles at Leopardstown on the third day over Christmas. He is going to try two and a half miles over hurdles,” Flynn said.