BEN Coen completed a first treble at Limerick on Saturday where the classic-winning jockey partnered winners for three different trainers.

Coen, who steered Sonnyboyliston to win last year’s Irish St Leger, began with a win on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Dha Leath who, appropriately, won the second half of the divided Every Irish Race Live On Racing TV Handicap.

Having his first run for Cromwell and running for Gerard Clarke, Mrs Duffy and Garvan Donnelly, the 7/1 winner arrived from off the pace to lead near the line and beat Plunkett by half a length.

Coen said: “It was her first start back this year and I thought the trip might be on the sharp side and the ground might be a bit quick. She is a hardy filly though and while I was flat out early on, she loves passing horses.

“When I passed the first one, she kept picking up and got there in the nick of time. She will be a fun filly for the summer over a mile or one mile, two furlongs. She is good and genuine.”

Energetic winner

Trainer Sheila Lavery and owner John Lavery provided the jockey with his second winner in the Establishment Bar Handicap, with Global Energy (13/2).

Afterwards the trainer said: “Robbie (Colgan, jockey) said the last day he is still green and the penny hasn’t really dropped with fully him.

“It is unfortunate on Robbie who injured his ankle schooling young horses in stalls and will be out of action for a few weeks.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does and he got away with that ground as he would like a bit more juice - there are lots of options with him.”

Right answer

Coen’s treble was completed in the concluding Racing Again May 26th Handicap, on the Tony Martin-trained Unanswered, for owner John Breslin.

The son of Intello was backed from 25/1 overnight and returned a 13/2 chance and in the race was again produced with excellent timing to beat Nusra by a length and a half.

Martin later commented: “He promises and has shown a lot but it is immaturity with him and he has had a lot of niggly problems.

“He has run over hurdles and is what he is, an upside-down handicapper. One day you win, the next day you don’t.”

TRAINER Fozzy Stack and jockey Mark Enright combined to win the opening two maiden races with the trainer’s own Baroque Artist (12/1) winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden before newcomer Fizzical (16/1) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Fillies) Maiden.

Having his second start, Baroque Artist needed a little luck in-running when removing himself from a pocket on the inner in the home straight but finished well for a half-length win over Marhaba Ashmayne.

Enright said: “He ran very well in Leopardstown first time out and loved that ground. He was still a bit green and nearly fell over himself coming down the hill just looking at things. He had to be brave to go between the gap.

“He is progressing, and is in Fozzy’s colours but I don’t think we’ll see him in his colours again. It was nice to get off the mark for the season.”

Frizzical fizzes

Fizzical caused an upset to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, scoring for owner/breeder Michael Begley.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner was held up in the rear division and made progress on the outer in the home straight to edge ahead close home and beat Sareeha by a head.

Enright reported: “She had been showing us plenty at home and did plenty wrong there, was slowly away and got lit up after a furlong but I’m very happy.

“She can be a little hot and wore a red hood beforehand but in fairness Sean Hennessy, the head man who rides her out, is a good horseman and came - I love to see him at the races!”

Breaking a winning Story

THE most valuable race on the card was the Limerickraces.ie Handicap which was won by the Richard O’Brien-trained Breaking Story (5/2 favourite), scoring for owner Ray Kazmierczak and jockey Nathan Crosse.

A debut winner in August 2018, the six-year-old son of Dandy Man was ending a 23-race losing spell and while clear with a furlong to race, runner-up Toshizou finished well to get to within three-quarters of a length at the line.

Afterwards Crosse said: “I rode him the last day in a good race at Cork and he was very keen with me and was always doing too much in behind.

Tactics

“I said to Richard that we should change tactics today and make the running, steady it up, as he has six-furlong pace.

“He kicked turning in and did it nicely. He jumped, travelled everywhere and is very honest.”

Princess surprises

Aurora Princess sprang another surprise in a colourful career winning the Every Irish Race Live On Racing TV Handicap (div I) at 25/1 for a fourth success, all under jockey Scott McCullagh.

The Jessica Harrington-trained, Yasushi Kubota owned/bred filly was mistaken for unraced stablemate Alizarine when ‘winning’ a Galway festival juvenile maiden last July, before subsequent disqualification, and was adding her 25/1 success to her 50/1 first win at Leopardstown last June.

McCullagh said: “She dropped back two furlongs to a mile today but that was her ground and is very genuine and wants to win.

“She got tired the last day having ran keen from a wide draw and the fast pace, with the visor on, helped today. Hopefully there’ll be more to come from her and it is nice to get another winner for Mrs Harrington.”

Sharp Needle

An hour later McCullagh’s father Niall McCullagh also rode a winner, on the Ken Condon-trained Needle Lace (13/2) in the carpetgallop.co.uk All Weather Maiden.

Condon commented: “It is great for David and Lorraine (Kelly, owners) as the last winner we had for them was when there was nobody here during covid times. Like everyone else they are delighted to be back racing.

“David bought her privately after one of the lads in the yard Adam Potts sourced her for us. Adam does a good job and fair play to him as she had nice all-weather form in the UK.

“I thought after Gowran, where she over-raced, that it was worth coming back in trip. She did well from a wide trip and looks like she has a turn of foot. I’ll keep her to a mile in handicap company and she has a nice pedigree.”