Hello again and it’s great to be back. Fully charged up and ready to enjoy this first week back after my break and of course the Dublin Racing Festival at the weekend.
This week the weather has improved temperature wise but the rainfall has caused the problems. On Monday we lost Hereford and meetings at Exeter and Ffos Las have already been abandoned later in the week due to being waterlogged.
Maughreen was one of 3 winners on the Punchcestown card for Mullins and Townend. This mare is now favourite for the Mares Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham and generally quoted at 11/4. Not for the Major at that price I might add….
In other news it was nice to read Ed Bethell had joined the list of trainers to be used by HH Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. Well done and many congratulations. This is quite a statement by the owner and expect to see some well bred types flying the flag for Ed and his team this year.
Tuesday’s fixtures went ahead as scheduled but before racing, the sad news broke that the Ben Pauling trained Grade 1 winner, The Jukebox Man, was out for the season and would miss the festival. Over the Irish sea at Limerick we saw a first win for Sainte Tartare who was having just her third run at the age of seven. She took the mares’ maiden hurdle for WIllie and Danny Mullins by 21 lengths. The patience looks to have paid off with her and the Major will keep an eye out for her next visit to the races. The going at Chepstow was heavy but there were a couple of impressive winners on the card. Probably the most eye catching was Lagertha who took the mares novice hurdle by ten lengths under Gavin Sheehan for local trainer Katy Price.
Wednesday just had two all-weather meetings to report on and the Kempton evening card saw the return of Oisin Murphy back riding in the UK. He wasted no time in booting home 2 winners, one each for Andrew Balding and Roger Varian. The Godolphin owned Opera Ballo made a striking debut over a mile in the three year-old maiden for Billy Loughnane. This 600,000 guineas purchase took over two furlongs out and had over eight lengths to spare at the line. The Major thinks this colt by Ghaiyyath could be anything.
Southwell’s nine race card was not the best and the bookmakers must have taken a beating as seven favourites obliged. Wincanton survived an inspection and the Major was particulary taken by the first division of the bumper, where the Olly Murphy trained and Sean Bowen ridden There Runs Mary made a lovely debut. Abroad, over in Bahrain Jim Crowley rode two winners while Callum Shepherd and Neil Callan rode one each.
On Friday we learnt of some sad news with the death of prominent and longstanding owner John Hales aged 85. He owned some real stars of National Hunt racing over the years, his best probably being One Man who won two King George’s. He then dropped down in trip to take the 1998 Queen Mother Champion Chase. He owned two other Champion Chase winners too, namely Azertyuiop and Politologue. John also saw his colours take the Grand National with Neptune Collonges ridden by Daryl Jacob. RIP. In other sad news the Chairman of the BHA, Joe Saumerez Smith, announced he was stepping down from the role due to ill health. We wish him well.
In the Middle East Richard Mullen rode his 600th winner in Dubai on Hallasan in the Jumeirah Guineas Trial. His first Dubai success was 28 years ago, which incidently was owned by Godolphin too like Hallasan. Many congratulations. The Group 3 Dubai Millenium Stakes went to First Conquest also owned by Godolphin and ridden by William Buick. In Bahrain the George Scott/ Calum Shepherd combination won the feature HRH The Crown Prince Cup with Phantom Flight. The card also saw Tom Marquand ride 3 winners for local trainer Allan Smith. Back on home soil the Surrey National at Lingfield over three and a half miles provided a good winner for trainer Neil King and jockey Jack Quinlan. Sporting Ace raced prominently throughout and stayed on well after the last to win by a head from 7/2 favourite Passing Well.
Saturday saw day one of the DRF (Dublin Racing Festival) and four Grade 1 races to savour. Final Demand was an impressive winner for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the 2 miles 6 furlong Novice Hurdle winning by 12 lengths. In the Juvenile Hurdle Hello Neighbour came out on top for Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue. Over fences Majborough took the Irish Arkle for JP McManus, Willie Mullins and jockey Mark Walsh by 9 lengths despite some sketchy jumping. Let’s hope this one takes on Sir Gino at Cheltenham. The feature Irish Gold Cup was a third success in the race for the legend that is Galopin Des Champs who saw off all his rivals, eventually winning by 4 lengths. He has now won 11 Grade 1 races and bids for a third Cheltenham Gold Cup next month. Over at Sandown the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novice Chase was a close affair. Although only 4 runners went to post, only a short head separated the first two at the line with Handstands for Ben Pauling edging out Jango Baie for Nicky Henderson. A nice winner to end the week for the yard after the bad news regarding The Juke Box Man earlier in the week. Up at Musselburgh The Kalooki Kid won the Scottish Champion Chase for Nicky Richards and Danny McMenamin.
Day 2 of the DRF and again we were treated to 4 Grade 1 races. The Novice Hurdle over 2 miles had a very very impressive winner in the shape of Kopek Des Bordes who maintained his unbeaten record. This 13 length winner is now best priced 7/4 for the Festival opener, the Supreme Novice Hurdle. The Dublin Chase over 2 miles and a furlong was won nicely by Solness for Joseph O’Brien and Danny Mullins. He won by 2 lengths from Marine Nationale, with the favourite Gaelic Warrior a further 12 lengths back in third. The Graded Novice Chase was won by Ballyburn, who got back to winning ways over a longer distance than his previous run and defeat to Sir Gino at Kempton over Christmas. He beat the Gordon Elliot trained Croke Park 5 lengths and the further he went the better he looked. Finally, the Irish Champion Hurdle turned out not to be very informative after Lossiemouth fell at the 6th and left State Man to win eased down for his third win in this race. A great shame for the racing public but more importantly the horse walked away, as did jockey Danny Mullins. Also worth a mention here were the two Listed Handicap Hurdles on the card. They were both very competitive affairs and both won by Emmet Mullins trained horses, namely Vischio and Mclaurey, which was quite an achievement.
The Edinburgh National was a competitive affair as you would expect but only 5 runners completed. The winner Magna Sam took the race for the second time after success in 2023. The Alistair Ralph trained gelding raced prominently and won readily in the end under Brendan Powell by 9 lengths. The Listed Kachy Stakes over six fulongs at Lingfield was won a length and a half by Marshman for Nick Bradley Racing, Karl Burke and Clifford Lee.
On to next week. It’s good to back!