IT was truly a day to cherish for trainer Willie Austin and jockey Trevor Ryan as they joined forces for a double. In Ryan’s case this was his second brace in just under a month while Austin was enjoying the first double of his career. For good measure, the trainer also bred and owns Red Lemonade and her elder half-brother Highest Benefit.
The double made it four winners from his last nine runners for Austin and he struck first with Red Lemonade (10/1) in the 80-95 rated two-mile handicap hurdle.
After showing definite promise when fifth to Fan De Blues at Thurles last month, the six-year-old top-weight turned in a very willing effort.
Red Lemonade lost the lead to Musical Ava on the run-in but she got back on top in the closing strides to score by a head with Knockraha Boss looking a shade unlucky back in third.
The winner can surely progress further after just four career starts.
It was later the turn of the 10-year-old Highest Benefit in the 0-95 rated handicap chase over just short of two and three quarter miles. On his first outing since April, the 8/1 chance looked to be travelling best for most of the final circuit before eventually handing out a two and a quarter lengths beating to the well-backed favourite Golden Sunset.
AT the meeting which launched the Irish career of Laurina back in 2017, Willie Mullins unveiled another potentially high-class mare from France in Dolcita in the mares’ maiden hurdle.
Laurina was a 1/4 chance when winning this same race and Dolcita, who also carries the colours of Sullivan Bloodstock, was returned at 8/13 for what looked quite a useful affair.
Paul Townend stuck close to the pace on the daughter of Saint Des Saints who then moved to the front with two to jump before picking up with some purpose to hand out an 11 lengths’ beating to the bumper winner Rescue Package with Uisce Solas, another bumper winner, a further four lengths away.
Fairyhouse target
“She’s shown me that sort of ability at home and I was hoping that she could put in a performance like that,” said Mullins. “We’ll try to a follow a route similar to the one we took with Laurina and she might go to Fairyhouse next month for the Grade 3 Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle.”
Appropriately on a day that featured a race named after his father, Henry de Bromhead got amongst the winners when Une Lavandiere (14/1) made all the running for a commanding wide-margin success in the mares’ handicap hurdle.
The Camphor Syndicate-owned mare was ridden by Rachael Blackmore and was showing marked progress on her unplaced debut for the yard at Clonmel last month.
She relished the testing ground to record her first win since September 2017 and is now likely to mix it between hurdles and fences.
Ton up and a 514/1 treble for Gordon Elliott, as blinkers help transform Ferocious
GORDON Elliott came into this fixture with a chance of reaching the 100-winner mark for the season although he reached his latest century in somewhat unexpected fashion as the 25/1 shot Ferocious won the Maureen Mullins Award 2019 Maiden Hurdle over two miles five furlongs.
This Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding didn’t show much in a couple of bumpers but a switch to hurdling, first-time blinkers and heavy ground showed him in a much more positive light.
Five O’clock was the 1/4 favourite but he had to work somewhat to get on terms with Ferocious in the straight and he couldn’t match Jack Kennedy’s mount on the run-in. Ferocious got home by a length and a quarter and showed enough to suggest he could make a reasonable staying novice.
Elliott and Kennedy then struck with Three Is Company (10/1) in the Harry de Bromhead Award 2019 Beginners Chase for horses rated 109 or less over hurdles.
A nine-race maiden coming into this race, the Vincent and Maneerat Caldwell-owned five-year-old had shown ability in the past and he finished seven and a half lengths ahead of Tokyo Getaway after striking for home with a circuit to run. Shakeytry was still in with every chance when he came down with two to jump.
Elliott went on to make it a treble as the Gigginstown-owned One Down (4/5) progressed from a pleasing debut fourth at Navan a month ago to win the lady riders’ bumper under Lisa O’Neill.
This well-related Arcadio four-year-old enjoyed a relatively straight-forward success as he mastered Yabo with over a furlong to run and then came clear for a two and a half lengths triumph over Fitness Du Sud.