JOCKEY Chris Hayes completed the full set of winners at Ireland’s flat racecourses at Laytown on Thursday, as he combined with retained trainer to win the Pride Of Place Maiden with Coeur D’Or (6/1).

Mark Phelan’s six-year-old son of Dubawi was having just his seventh lifetime start, and in a first-time tongue-tie, battled well for a head win over Yester.

Hayes and Weld contest today’s Matron Stakes with their Irish 1000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs and following Thursday’s notable achievement, the winning jockey reported: “It was nice to do and I got plenty of advice on how to ride the track from Kevin Prendergast and the boss (Weld).

“I thought he had his chance, the boss has sweetened him up and has done a few things differently with him. We thought Laytown would spark him into life, he probably wants to go a little bit further but he toughed it out well.

“They went quick and then steadied so I had to make a move after going two furlongs to get up behind the two leaders. I thought I was going to win a little better than I did but Colin’s (Keane, on Yester) pulled out more so it was nice to get it.”

Flat trainer Ado McGuinness and champion amateur jockey Patrick Mullins combined to win both races confined to amateur riders, beginning with Dream Today’s (7/4 favourite) success in the O’Neills Sports (QR) Handicap.

McGuinness later said: “He’s a good horse and he was well down on the grass ratings. He’s back to form and he likes good ground.

“He had a cracking run behind Harry’s Bar in Dundalk, he’s a good horse on his day and he will go back to Dundalk. Patrick was very good on him.

“It is great for the lads and he ran in Bart O’Sullivan’s colours today. Bart was a great supporter of ours and unfortunately his son James couldn’t be here today, but they are still our yard sponsors.”

Well-backed

Half an hour later and with the sea closing in, well-backed, long absent Cordouan (5/2 favourite) completed the double in the concluding Gilna’s Cottage Inn Race.

Absent since his maiden win in April 2021, Cordouan wandered in the final furlong here but jockey Mullins kept him going to eventually eek out a short-head win over easy-to-back 6/5 favourite (from 4/7) Alessandro Algardi.

McGuinness said: “I shouldn’t really have a horse like him here. We bought (for 32,000gns, last July) him out of John Gosden’s and he hadn’t run for over 500 days, so that is one of the reasons we were a bit wary of him.

“He’s a tidy enough horse and on his work at home, he’s a good horse and could be one for premier handicaps next year.

“I think there were a few problems with him and we have ironed them out.”

Sheehy’s first pro win

RACING began with Mikey Sheehy partnering his first winner as a full professional jockey, steering 20/1 chance Pretty Smart to win the Tote Always SP Or Better At Laytown Handicap, for trainer Pat Martin.

Sheehy rode his last winner with a claim on the Joseph O’Brien trained Federal in the Cambridgeshire on August 27th and today notched a first Laytown winner, making all on Pretty Smart.

Trainer Martin later reported: “She can be difficult leaving the parade ring and the last day in Naas, we had to get behind her like stalls handlers to get her to go out!

“We purposely didn’t ride her out onto the beach, we walked her out and she seemed to love it. I was pretty pleased with her whole attitude towards everything and she went straight out.

“She’s a sprinter, likes to go forward and we kept it simple.

“It’s great for Mikey (Sheehy) and I’m sure he will do very well, but to get that first one after losing the claim is important as it can be a mental thing.

“These colours mean a lot to me - they were my father-in-law’s colours and my wife has taken them over.”

Dividends

Trainer Ross O’Sullivan’s plan to keep Samrogue (3/1 favourite) for Laytown’s unique meeting paid dividends as he defied top-weight to effortlessly win the Tote Guarantee On All Irish & UK Handicap.

Having her first run since landing a 23-runner handicap at Cork in July, regular rider Conor Hoban eased down the four-year-old filly in the closing stages, for a hard-held win over Teddy Boy.

O’Sullivan explained: “The plan after she won in Cork was to go for this race. It was six or seven weeks away but we didn’t bother getting a race in between.

“She has very small feet, loves the quick surface and Conor said he was hacking everywhere. She’s very straightforward to train and a bit of space in between her runs doesn’t do her any harm.

First winner

“It is great to get a first winner in Laytown. Yvonne Lavin owns her with Brendan Cooney and they are great owners to have. They have been around a long time.”

TRAINER John McConnell and retained apprentice jockey Siobhan Rutledge combined for their first respective beach wins as Bringsty (11/1, for Rockview Racing Syndicate) arrived from last to first when landing the Tote Proudly Sponsoring Claiming Race.

Under a well-judged ride, Rutledge produced Bringsty from well off the pace to lead a furlong and score by a length and a half from Mosaaheb.

McConnell said: “It was the most obvious plan in the world to come here and he enjoyed it.

“I told Siobhan to keep him wide the whole way, as I don’t think he likes being crowded. It was a minimum trip for him, he warmed into it and enjoyed passing horses. He enjoyed not being bumped and hassled around the place.

“He has a funny head carriage but she said he was genuine to the line. He had a lot of form and there have been a lot of issues so he’s not going back up to what he was, but you could see his ability.”

McConnell claimed back Bringsty, whose asking price was set at €5,000, in the subsequent draw.