A HELICOPTER trip from Killarney to Kilbeggan reaped rich rewards for J.J. Slevin and Cian Quirke as they claimed five of the eight races between them at the midlands venue last Friday night.
The flight was organised by Sean Mulryan for Slevin to partner Choice Of Words in the Hurley Family Mares Beginners Chase and she duly collected to give the jockey a double on the card.
Martin Brassil’s charge went to post a 4/11 shot in the two miles and three furlongs contest having been collared late on at the course on her previous visit.
The Yeats mare was produced to dispute two from home and had to knuckle down in the closing stages to post a length and a half winning margin over the staying on Jungle Prose.
“She actually looked more exuberant about her jumping the last day when she was second here,” said Brassil afterwards.
Tougher
“It was a bit tougher today. I thought that the slower ground would be a help to her but maybe the pace was slow enough on that ground and then she just had to work a little bit.
“She might be better going a bit further.”
Slevin had also struck earlier on the card aboard the Michael Rice-trained Jinxs Link in the first division of the Massey Ferguson Farm Equipment Handicap Hurdle.
The Dylan Thomas gelding looped the field to lead at the last and stayed on well in the closing stages to post a five-length win over Maggie Walsh.
“He settled well, I was just afraid of the ground because he was running on good ground,” said Rice of the 16/5 winner, owned by Patrick McCooey.
“He might win another one of them and he has a good flat handicap mark.”
Dream time for treble-winning Quirke
CIAN Quirke hitched a ride on the helicopter with Slevin and it proved a profitable move as he bagged a treble on the card.
His first winner came in the second division of the two miles and two furlongs handicap hurdle when Kellie’s Dream also ran out a cosy winner.
The Andy Slattery-trained mare swooped into the lead after the second last and was in control down to the final flight as the 5/2 favourite recorded a four and three-quarter length win over Silverstrand.
“I have to thank J.J. and Mr and Mrs Mulryan for getting me up here. They organised it for J.J. so it was great to give me the trip up too as I had a couple of nice rides to come up for. Thank God it’s after paying off,” said Quirke, who was wearing the colours of Dr Ronan Tynan.
“She’s a nice mare and we were expecting that today. She’s still green, she only had a handful of runs under her belt for her age so she’ll improve away.”
Quirke went on to land the final two races on the card to complete the first treble of his career.
Pakens Rock recorded back-to-back victories at the track when claiming the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Handicap Chase. Barry Murphy’s charge moved smoothly through to lead before the last in the two miles and three contest and kept on well in the closing stages to post a half-length win over the staying on Junior Rattler.
The 15/2 winner will return to Galway where he has won four times in the past with Murphy saying of Raymond Healy’s 10-year-old: “He might get into the Blazers, he’s entered in the Galway Plate just because he won the trial here and gets a complimentary entry.
“There is a hurdle race there as well and I wouldn’t rule that out. He’ll run once I’d say, whatever we get into we’ll go for that.”
QUIRKE completed a night to remember when guiding admirable veteran Seskin Flyer to success in the concluding 0-95 handicap chase over the same trip.
The Pat Carey-trained gelding was prominent throughout and asserted going to the last to record a three-and-a-half length win.
“He’s a grand, honest old horse and he’s been a great servant,” said winning owner Liam Phelan, who was leading up the well backed 6/1 winner.
A red-letter day for Corcoran and Butler
TOPPY’S Boy was a poignant winner of the opening Tom McCormack Memorial Maiden Hurdle when springing a 66/1 shock.
The Carlotamix gelding was held up in the two miles and two furlongs contest before coming with a strong surge on the run-in to record a three and three-quarter length win over Edge Of My Seat.
It was a first racecourse winner for trainer Una Corcoran who had taken over the licence from her father ‘Toppy’ a couple of years ago.
The Cashel handler revealed the winner was the last foal her father bred: “He was a great man, he was an amateur jockey himself – a superman. He gave it to us all and he was a good man. He was known as a rogue!
“I’ve always done it with Dad, hence the name of the horse. He said ‘I hope I get to see him run someday’ but he died about a week later. He was on him today.”
First winner
It was also a big day for Dillon Butler as he partnered his first winner aboard Thornleigh Frank in the Tote Handicap Hurdle over two miles and two furlongs.
The Mark Fahey-trained gelding went to post 11/4 favourite as he set out to follow up on a recent success at Downpatrick.
Butler let Gerry McPolin’s gelding slide into the lead after the second last and he always looked in control in the closing stage as he posted an easy 15-length win over Natural Look.
It was a third win on the night for champion sire Yeats.
“I’m delighted for Dillon, it’s his first winner and he’s only had a handful of rides. He’s with me a few months. He’s a great lad, works hard and he deserves the win,” said Fahey.
“Where we go next with the horse I don’t know. He’s had two quick runs so we might give him a little bit of a break and see what comes up later in the year.”
Opened account
Sundial was another cosy winner on the card as he opened his jumping account in the Tote Maiden Hurdle.
The Padraig Roche-trained gelding was making his first start since finishing fourth in the ‘Boodles’ at Cheltenham and went to post a 10/11 shot.
Mark Walsh disputed on the J.P. McManus-owned gelding before kicking on before the last for a five-length win over Mr Dibbs. “You’d be expecting him to do that. He’s a grand little horse, he had a few good runs last year and ran well at Cheltenham,” said racing manager Frank Berry.
“He’ll tip away for the rest of the summer and it’s grand to get that out of the way.”