GALWAY Hurdle ‘bridesmaid’ Jesse Evans (5/2 favourite) gained a big-race success at Killarney on Thursday where the Noel Meade-trained gelding landed the featured GMIB Kingdom Gold Cup to provide 7lb claimer Robert Whearty with a first premier handicap success.

In the Galway Hurdle, the seven-year-old had previously finished fourth in 2021, second in 2022 and again second, when beaten by a head three weeks ago. On Thursday he travelled well before eventually beating Grecian Slipper by a length and a quarter. Meade wasn’t present and Whearty reported: “Jesse Evans is a top class horse and had a brilliant run in the Galway Hurdle the last day when he just bumped into one (Zarak The Brave).

“He gives you a savage feeling in a race, he just travels and finds plenty. Things worked out perfectly, I had a lovely position and had something to aim at turning in. He kept finding and finding and hit the line strong. I’m delighted for the owners (Jack Singleton) to get that win with him today.”

He added: “I’m apprenticed to Gavin Cromwell and ride out most days for him and ride out for Noel every Thursday. I’d never ridden Jesse Evans before, that’s my first winner for Noel and it’s also my biggest winner.”

Salt Lake City floats home

AIDAN O’Brien’s Salt Lake City (5/1) provided jockey Killian Hennessy with a listed winner, to add to a previous Group 3 success in 2020, when landing the Irish EBF Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes for Coolmore.

The Galileo-colt raced with the pace and eventually wore down Didn’thavemuchtodo to score by a head. Ballydoyle’s representative Chris Armstrong said: “He had a lovely run in the Minstrel Stakes, and he was a bit unlucky. He would have finished closer except that he just got held up at the wrong time. He went to Galway, and Galway just never happened for him as he just never handled the track.

“Aidan felt he would handle Killarney and Killian gave him a lovely ride. He kept it uncomplicated, floated around the bend, and just let him creep into it nicely. There’s only one winning post and he made sure he got the right one. It’s fantastic for Killian, he’s well able to ride and it’s just getting the opportunities. Every opportunity Aidan has given him, he has delivered on this year, and he has a fair strike-rate.”

Closing stages

Cork-based trainer John Murphy narrowly failed to record a treble at the fixture but managed two wins, beginning with bargain buy Space Age’s (7/2) success in the Bordeaux Racecourse Rated Race.

Ridden by Conor Stone-Walsh, who himself completed a double on the day, Space Age improved to lead in the closing stages to beat Sandy Creek by a neck. The strapping son of Make Believe was purchased by Murphy as a yearling for a scarcely believable €2,500 and afterwards he reported: “He was much smaller at the sales but kept growing. You get lucky sometimes but I love that type - good hardy horses. We didn’t do much with him at two (years old) but he is going forward now and is a nice horse.”

Murphy’s son George has a prominent role in the operation and expanded: “He stepped forward from every run and from his win at Tipperary the last day. His only disappointing run was at the Curragh in June when all of ours were under the weather. There didn’t seem to be anything amiss with the horses but they just weren’t firing at the time. We have no plan but he is a tall, big, good-looking horse who could even go up in trip.”

Team Murphy’s double was completed in the Gain The Advantage Series Handicap (division 1) with the similarly Hewins Hoare Partnership-owned, Jack Kearney-partnered Great Blasket (11/2), which followed up a recent Gowran win.

Murphy junior reported: “The horses are in great shape and he was good. Jack gave him a lovely ride, gave him a chance to get into it and they went through the line very well. He is tall and took a bit of time but is getting strong now and going a mile and two will be no issue to him.”

Jake Peter (18/1) denied John Murphy a treble in the Irish Examiner Apprentice Handicap, beating a pair of his horses Chatterbox and Barometer into second and third, with a last-gasp neck win.

Mark Cahill trains the nine-year-old for owner/breeder Frank McNulty and later commented: “He was never working as well for the past couple of weeks, Selena, my partner, rides him and Alan came in and work rode him and was delighted with him. We had him at Tramore last Saturday, but I messed up the vaccinations - I had them done, but hadn’t it up online in time. It worked out well though, as if he got in at Tramore he wouldn’t have ran today.

“He had been hitting the post since his last win (in 2019), but couldn’t get his head in front. It is great to get that one over the line and we have 10 horses in training at the moment.”

Nor Time Nor Tide waits for no man on handicap debut

THE Joseph O’Brien-trained Nor Time Nor Tide (6/4 favourite) won the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery, routing his rivals to score on handicap debut and completing an initial double for 7lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh.

The winner is co-owned by Annemarie O’Brien, John Magnier and Michael Tabor and afterwards Sean Corby, representing the winning trainer, said: “He had a good first run here, was a bit disappointing the last day, but we thought he was well capable of winning from his mark (77). A bit of yielding ground helped him and may not have let himself down at Dundalk the last day. Hopefully he will keep progressing now.”

Ano Manna (4/1 joint-favourite) registered consecutive Killarney wins in the Gain The Advantage Series Handicap (division 2) to add to a course-and-distance mile success in July.

A year-younger half-sister to winning trainer Johnny Feane’s Group 2-placed Rockingham Handicap-winner Ano Syra, Ano Manna defeated runner-up Skontonovski by a half-length. Winning jockey Leigh Roche reported of the Charlotte Musgrave-owned winner: “I was a lot closer to the pace than I wanted but we went no pace. We were drawn wide but we jumped and I let her roll forward. I was able to dictate from there on and she was able to hold on so it was ideal. She travels well and would have needed something to bring her along further but her ability got her through.”

Improve the lead

The concluding Executive Helicopters QR Race saw eminent amateur jockey Derek O’Connor record a first racecourse winner for trainer Denis Hogan on the Justin Carthy-owned Almuhit (13/2).

The son of Sea The Stars was another winner on the day to improve to lead in the closing stages, scoring by a half-length from Minella Mate. O’Connor, on just his second racecourse ride for Hogan, later reported: “I have ridden point- to-point winners for Denis, but haven’t ridden much for him on the racecourse. Almuhit has lots of ability, but things just have to happen for him.

“He is able to dominate his position in a race and he actually has a turn of foot. The leaders quickened and then we quickened secondly and it suited well. I think Denis (Hogan) has the Cesarewitch in mind for him.”