Lily of Killarney on song for Irish Tenors syndicate

Lily of Killarney on song for Irish Tenors syndicate

28 August 2013

DOWNPATRICK was positively bulging at the seams on bank holiday Monday with striking colours, short skirts and high heels in abundance for the track’s traditional Ladies’ Day meeting.

There were plenty of elegant outfits on display, none more so than that of the O’Rourke family from Banbridge who scooped the overall prize for being best dressed.

On the track Ruby Walsh was expected to get favourite backers off to a good start to the day when partnering even money chance Rossvoss in the opening maiden hurdle for his father Ted.

However, the signs were ominous a good bit from home with Walsh niggling his mount while Emmett Mullins took advantage to send Dr Schultz to the front at the second last flight before racing clear on the 13/8 chance to win by eight and a half lengths.

The winner is owned by top Irish amateur jockey Patrick Mullins, who happened to be at Epsom for a successful ride on Beacon Lady in the prestigious amateur derby.

Armagh trainer James Lambe had planned to send his runner Daytime Dreamer into retirement after racing in the handicap hurdle following some disappointing recent efforts.

It was a case of last chance saloon for the nine-year-old Diktat gelding who reversed the trend of poor efforts when getting the better of Davy Condon and Hold em Cowboy by three parts of a length in the hands of Lambe’s stepson Liam McKenna.

“I’ll have to have a rethink now after that,” said Lambe in the winner’s enclosure. “The good ground was a big plus and the kid gave him a great ride.”

Following the race the stewards suspended jockey Ryan Treacy for two days and ordered him to forfeit his riding fee, having been found in breach of Rule 212 in relation to use of the whip on Jabus.

Bahati Boy gave Dromara owner David Aiken a day to remember when proving a neck superior to the Willie Mullins trained Bowfinger in the maiden hurdle.

The 12/1 chance, trained at Katesbridge by Jerry Cosgrove and ridden by his son Paul, landed a bit of a touch for connections having opened up at 40/1 with Paddy Power in the morning.

“We only have him a few months and have worked hard to get him to settle. We were worried before the race as he got himself into a bit of a sweat but luckily things worked out well,” said Cosgrove senior in the winner’s enclosure.

Bottle Rattler made it two wins from two visits to the Downpatrick course when successful in the Downpatrick Handicap Hurdle at decent odds of 5/1 for Wexford trainer Philip Rothwell.

The JP McManus owned gelding was a winner of the bumper at the corresponding meeting last year and appreciated the application of first time cheekpieces to overhaul 2/1 favourite Jamsie Hall by four lengths in the hands of Mark Walsh.

Consistent sort Sam Da Vinci finally secured a race victory when taking the Fran Murrin Memorial Hurdle for Kilkenny trainer Tony Mullins. The Barry Connell owned Black Sam Bellamy gelding raised the loudest cheer of the day when landing the odds at 11/10 in the hands of Danny Mullins, two lengths ahead of Colin McBratney’s Butney Boy who put in a decent effort when attempting to make all under Ben Dalton.

“He lacks a bit of confidence but has the scope to make into a nice handicap chaser,” said successful trainer Tony Mullins.

The Irish Tenors Return Syndicate, which includes world famous Irish tenors Ronan Tyne and Anthony Kearns, celebrated victory in the Willie Murphy Jewellers Handicap Hurdle when 9/1 chance Lily of Killarney, fitted with cheekpieces for the first time, denied Michael Hourigan’s Limerick raider Friendly Society by two lengths under Davy Condon.

The victory came at a cost for Condon however, as he was suspended for two days for whip abuse, with Adrian Heskin suffering the same fate for his ride on runner-up Friendly Society.

In the final race of the day You Can’t Catch Me was an aptly named winner of the Meaghan Green Miss NI ladies bumper when making every yard of the running under Adrienne Foley for a one and three parts of a length success for Kilkenny trainer Kieran Purcell.

Waylander took second under Jane Mangan with 8/11 odds-on favourite Old Castletown disappointing a further 15 lengths back in third in the hands of Katie Walsh.

Next meeting: Friday, September 27.