AN excellent week’s work in the Kingdom continued for the smart broodmare Zariyna, whose son Zariygann (6/1) maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles with a decisive success in the two-mile Seamus Mulvaney Bookmaker Novice Hurdle.
The Mick Halford and Tracey Collins-trained four-year-old is a half-brother to Zaynab, who also won over hurdles at the first time of asking at the Harvest Festival last Sunday for Gordon Elliott.
The mare’s most prominent offspring, six-time Grade 1-placed and dual Grade 2 winner Zanahiyr, attempted to make the week even better in the Guinness Kerry National, but couldn’t lay a glove on the brilliant Flooring Porter, finishing fifth.
As for Zariygann, the future looks bright for the Joe O’Flaherty-owned gelding by Sea The Moon. He looked like he was likely going to get the upper hand over 5/6 favourite Gaucher before that rival made a mistake at the second last, and he sealed the deal with two assertive jumps over the final two flights under Jack Kennedy.
Speaking after the six-and-a-half-length win, Halford said: “He did it well, you’d have to be very happy with him.
“My own lad, Tommy, rides him schooling at home and he was jumping better - he seemed to have come forward from his last start at Roscommon.
“Jack said he settled lovely today, did everything well, met all the hurdles well. He jumped and galloped away through that soft ground nicely. He’s got the pedigree, the size and scope. He carries the weight and jumps well. We’ll keep taking baby steps and see where it brings us. Jack liked him, and he’s ridden enough good ones to know.”
Ewing steps up
Kennedy missed out on a double when his intended ride Shecouldbeanything ran out a ready winner of the Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa Mares Novice Chase as even-money favourite for Gordon Elliott and Michael Hanrahan.
The champion jockey was unseated from Beaufort Scale in a handicap hurdle two races after his win on Zariygann, and an IHRB spokesperson said he was taken to Tralee Hospital for “further precautionary assessment” on a possible rib injury.
Sam Ewing, who has been enjoying a superb start to the season, deputised on the now seven-time winner, who proved six and a half lengths too strong for Pink In The Park.
Ewing said: “She did it well and is a tough mare. She enjoyed the ground and jumped very well. She’s so straightforward and I was just a passenger. She’s a fairly high-class hurdler and hopefully she can win some nice chases in the future.”
PATIENCE might just be about to pay off for connections of the talented Sea Of Sands on the evidence of his clearcut victory on hurdles debut for Willie, Patrick and Jackie Mullins.
Sent off the 15/8 favourite on his first start since joining the champion trainer - and his first start outright for 776 days - the German recruit by Sea The Stars travelled strongly and won by five lengths without being asked any serious questions.
The six-year-old’s jumping has some room for improvement, though he clearly has an engine. He won the 2021 German Derby Trial (Group 3) at Hoppegarten and had a peak Timeform rating of 107 in his native land.
He is entered in next month’s Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket, set to run off a mark of 97 if going there.
Willie Mullins said: “It was a nice start. We got him from Germany, but he’s had a lot of issues. He just started to come right in the last couple of months, so I thought we’d pick out a nice maiden hurdle for him.
“He did it nicely. He jumped the first well, but I think that was probably the only one he jumped well! He’s probably got to learn. He was just a bit keen, as a lot of those flat horses are. We’ll look at mixing it with him.
“There might be a nice flat race in him before the season ends. He has an entry for the Cesarewitch and possibly could go there if he comes out of this all right.”
Kali collects
A wet afternoon couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Byrne family from Athy, Co Kildare, when their home-bred King Kali got off the mark at the 11th attempt in the Brandon Hotel Handicap Hurdle over two miles and two furlongs.
Trained by Sean Byrne and owned by Paula Murphy, who bred the eight-year-old alongside Eadaoin Byrne, the 8/1 winner didn’t go unbacked (priced up at 18/1 in the morning, though there were some non-runners) and cleared away in decent style to win by two and a half lengths under Kevin Sexton.
Sean Byrne Jr, representing the stable, said: “He was very good. We declared him on the chance that rain might come, and when it did, it really suited him. He had been running well in handicaps earlier on in the year and, on his form, I thought he had a right chance.
“We’re waiting a while for him, so it’s nice to get a win with him. His mother was a very good mare for us, Oilily, and that’s the second one that’s won out of her now.”
ERIC McNamara is well-accustomed to winners at Listowel and clearly got a kick out of seeing his J.P. McManus-owned 10-year-old Donkey Years getting back to winning ways at the Harvest Festival.
It was a first win for the useful stayer since a valuable handicap chase at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, able to capitalise on an attractive hurdles mark relative to his rating over fences.
Mark Walsh rode the 17/2 chance with confidence and was able to eke out a two-and-a-half-length success in the three-mile Devon Inn Dan Sheehan Memorial Handicap Hurdle, despite not being foot-perfect at the final two flights.
McNamara said: “He’s been a good servant over the years and is so much better handicapped over hurdles than fences, so it was nice to get one with him.
“He had promised a couple of times when he was placed, but was just very disappointing the last day [when down the field at the Galway Festival]. He showed a nice bit of sparkle there. Mark said he was even keen at one or two points in the race. I’m delighted to have a winner in these colours too.
“I’d like to have one crack at the Munster National with him. Maybe before today I might have struggled to be allowed to enter him, but he will be entered now, that’s for sure!
“He doesn’t want the ground too soft, because his wind is not the best; he’s struggled with that over the years. If it was any softer, we would have thought about pulling him out, but this seems like summer soft ground.”
Champagne sparkles
The long journey from close to Newry down to Listowel was made very much worthwhile for trainer Pat Collins, when Champagne Kid ran out a convincing winner of the Listowel Vintners Association INH Flat Race under Rob James.
Owner Gary Rushe’s five-year-old had posted some encouraging showings in defeat at Clonmel in April and May, and showed improved form to win in good style at the fourth attempt.
Stable representative Sean Collins said: “We thought he was going really well at home and had this race picked out for him since his last run at Clonmel. It’s worked out really well. We wanted that rain.
“We just have three horses in at the moment, so this is a special win. For a set-up like ours, if you can have a winner at a summer festival like Galway or here, it’s what you dream of. We’re based three miles outside Newry, on the Co Armagh side.
“This horse is by Vadamos and we’re delighted to have a winner with the sire, because we have supported him and have sold a few foals by him. We breed a few, but it’s been hard in the past year or so, trying to move stock on. Hopefully, in a couple of years, it’ll be back going strong again.”