Royale Rocker gets his career off to aflying start with an impressive win at Ballindenisk Reports, pages 4-5
‘Jewel Hope was bought by Godolphin for 350,000gns as ayearling but was let go last year and was picked up by the Monbeg operation for 25,000gns’ Page 2
‘You won’t get rich but you’ll ha RY alks about his port, page 3 ave afew great days’
The trainer of Bartlemy Boy ta longtime love affair with the s
Another weekend, another smart 4YO winner!
EAGLEWARRIOR, bred byJohn Flavin,wonthe 4YO Geldings Maiden at Tattersalls by5 lengths for Colin Motherway
ALONG season ends next weekend with the two-day fixture at Ballingarryand Sunday’sInchydoney card.Overthe lastfew months,we’ve seenahighstandardinthe fouryear-old maidens and there’sbeen no sign of theseracesbecomingany lesscompetitiveinthe final weeks
Thereweresix races in the age groupatthe weekend meetings at Ballindenisk and Tattersalls.The winners were amix of newcomers and horses with one or twoprevious outings CormacDoyle took adivision of the geldings’maidenatboth venues Although the stable’s Ballindenisk winner,Jewel Hope,wasn’t bred with point-to-pointinginmind, he did the job well, steppingupfromafirst outingatCurraghmore.
Ason of theDerby winner Masar outofamarebyHalling, he was boughtbyGodolphin for 350,000gns as ayearling butwas let go lastyear without runningonthe Flat andwas pickedupbythe Monbeg operation for 25,000gns Hisdam,Great Hope,won twice forJim Bolger andhas asolidrecord as abroodmare.Her main claim to fame is that herwinningdaughter Reckoningisthe dam of Ascot Gold Cupwinner Subjectivistand SirRon Priestley, another high-class Flat stayer for Mark Johnston. Oneofher progenywon over hurdles for Jonjo O’Neill, so there’sgood reason to believeJewel Hope canpay hisway under jumpsrules.
HisstablemateTimmys JetAway battledwellfor DarraghHiggins to getthe better of the RobJamestrainedBeMyFortune at the Tattersalls meeting, with the pair drawing30lengths clear of the third. This one’s pedigreeiscertainly geared towardsjumping, since his dam is an unracedhalf-sister to the top-classFernyHollow, winner of the Champion Bumper at Cheltenhamand aGrade 1winner over fences Hissire, JetAway, hashad agood seasoninpoints with 20 wins, puttinghim thirdonthe listbehind runawaychampionWalk In ThePark (48) and Getaway(27), who were alsoresponsiblefor first-time-out winners at the weekend.
TheDenis Murphy-trainedWalk In
TheParkfillyMoonlightParadise stuck to her task well to takethe mares’ maiden at Tattersallsunder Shane Cotter.She’s outofClassic Theatre, aKing’sTheatre mare who wonfourraces for Henryde Bromhead. Meanwhile,Getaway geldingRoyale Rockertook the second division of the geldings’ maiden at Ballindenisk for Sean Doyle.
JonathanFogarty, whohas been havingagood runofformwith his youngsters,saddled Time To Give to winthe mares’ maiden at Ballindenisk.Withthe help of a positive ride by BarryO’Neill, she put the experience of twoprevious runs to good use. She’sout of Give It Time, aKayfTaramarewho wasasmart hurdler for JessicaHarrington. She should have agood future on the track.
TheFogarty stable hashad its best season with 18 winners at an excellent35per centstrike-rate, and is finishingthe campaign strongly with fivewinners in the four-year-old category over the last four weekends Alsoenjoyingagoodseasonis experiencedformer Flat apprentice MichaelKenneally, who broughthis scoreto13with adouble for Colin
Eagle Warrior,a sonofWings Of Eagles,showed the benefit of his debutatInch in winningthe first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. He’s ahalf-brother to the HenrydeBromhead-trainedmaiden hurdle winner Taponthego,who finishedfourthinthe Martin Pipeat CheltenhaminMarch
RobJames began the dayone winner behind BarryStone in the reopenedbattle for the eastern region title.Atthe end of the last month –despite Robridingafourtimer at Fairyhouse–Barry led21-20, and everyone thoughtthat wasthe closeofbusinessfor the season in the area.However,the addition of Sunday’sfixture haschanged the picture.
After finishingsecond in both divisions of the four-year-old geldings’maiden, Robdrewlevel when Coral Sunset,carryingthe Dawn Runcolours, took the five-year-old mares’ maiden. Barry decidedtogiveuphis remaining ride,sothe pair nowshare the honours
On the women’stitle front, Toni Quail extendedher lead to four when ridingLonghouseStar to winthe last
race at Fairyhouseafter her main rivalPandora Briselden could manage only thirdinthe novice riders’ race wonbyJosh Berryonthe former Christian Williams-trained Five Star Getaway.
Well-respected Michael Cullen will be sorely missed
Therewas asad link to the victoryof Royale RockeratBallindenisk,since he joined the Monbeg teamafter beingsoldatlastyear’s Derbysalebyformer trainer MichaelCullen, who diedlastweek.
‘Michael
wasa popularand respected figure at thesales andinthe racing worldgenerally,and had areputationfor producingwellturned-out horses’
Michaelwas apopular and respectedfigure at the sales and in the racingworld generally, and hada reputation for producingwellturned-out horses. He wasone of the leadingpersonalities in point-topointinginWexfordbeforeanew generation came on the scene,and he trainedsuccessfullyfor the track after learninghis trade in his native county with the greatPadge Berry. Michaelwas activeinpoint-topoints when Iwas startingas arider.Iremember StandingObligation from thosedays. He waslater atalented hurdler for Martin Pipe.
Michaelalso trainedalovelymare calledAmerican Jennie,who wona point-to-pointand went on to winseveral good prizes on the trackwith Davy Russell riding. Sheisthe dam of American Mike, second in the Champion Bumper and aGrade 2chase winner for Gordon Elliott. Michaelfoughta longbattle with MotorNeurone Diseaseand will be much missed
Trixie Barry (below)onthe joy he gets from trainingasa hobby
IHAVE beencalledTrixie since Iwas achild. Iwas up to mischief when I wasyoung and a neighbour calledme Trixie Barry; it’s stuckever since.
I’ve hadponies and been ridingall my life. Idid abit of showjumping, pony club and a lot of huntingwith the Coolnakilla,our localhunt.
WhenIleftschool Istarted playingrugby and driftedaway from horsesfor six or seven years,but Iwas drawnback intohorsesagain and I’ve been at it ever since
Inever rode as ajockeybut rode plenty on the pony racingcircuit.Ihad no greatsuccess butIdid ride a few winners.
I’ve held my permit, or restricted trainer’s licence as it’s callednow,for morethan30 years and probably hadinthe region of 14 winners inside the rails
‘Whentheygowell, there’sno better feeling. You won’t get rich, butyou’llhaveafew
wayitturnedout.Headingto Killarneylastweek, wherehe wonthe hunter chase, I thoughtthat he wasin exceptional formand Ifancied him very much to be in the first three.Itwas agreat day and nice to be able to supply Shane Cotter with his first trackwin.
My family haven’t hadthe same interestinhorses Ido.
My late father Richardwas a junior minister for Fine Gael and my sister Myra wasa Fine Gael TD.Interestingly, it is the only time aparentand child have representedthe same constituencyatthe same time BartlemyBoy hasbeenastar for us.Hewon his maiden last year at Ballindenisk and we broughthim to the Cheltenhamsale. We hadno customer for him so hadto bringhim home again. It wasall luckafterwards, the
ROBJAMEStook advantage of a unique setofcircumstances to claim ashare of the spoils in the eastern region at Tattersalls. Rewind four weeks andBarry Stone held off adetermined James at Fairyhousetoclinch a firsttitle by onewinner,despite James’s four-timer That should have beenthe final dayofthe season in the re gion, wi th no fix tu re s scheduledwithin the Leinster province throughout May.
However, when the Tralee fix tu re in Co un ty Ke rr y, scheduled for lastSunday, was abandoned, the Ward Union hunt wasallowed to runa replacementfixture at Tattersalls the same afternoon, reopeningthe easterntitle race
James wasnot goingtopass up asecondcrack at thetitle However, it proved afrustrating dayinitially. Despiteridingin the firstfiveraces he managed only acouple of seconds Then, in the sixth race,his luckchanged.Coral Sunset,a
IboughtBartlemyBoy as a store andnamed him after a firstcousin of mine,the late Denis Barry, who used to own apub in Bartlemy. Poor Denis hada fall off ahorse about15 years agoand wasparalysed from the neck down.Hewas alivewhen we boughtthe horse,but sadly passed in December 2022.
My good friend DanDooley, who is ahalf-brother of Denis, owns ashare in him with me.
There’sarace at Listowelon June 2and if theground is safe he’ll probably runthereand thenI’ll leave himoff.We’re planningtokeephim and have abit of fun with him point-to-pointingand hunter chasing.
Ifarmpart-time,but I’m alsoanauctioneer by profession. That’s what pays the bills.We’re just in the horsesfor the fun.
Ihaveanauctioneering
practice which specialises in sellingand leasingagricultural land. I’mverybusywiththe dayjob and thereare no signs of slowing down.I’llkeepit goingasmyyoungestson, Richard, mighthaveaninterest in the businessatsome point. He’s doinghis Leaving Cert this year.
We trytokeepfiveorsix horses in training, as that’s a manageable number for us I’m66yearsold and stillride everyday alongwith my 21-year-old sonCathal, who hasagreat interestintraining.
My nephew David hasa licence as well and hada couple of winners lately. David is the huntsman with the Coolnakillaand his gallop is just up theroad from me in Rathcormac, so we do mostof ourworkonhis gallop
We’reverylucky down this wayasI’m close to all the local schoolinggallops at Dromahane,Boulta and Glencairn. It’s proper point-topointcountry with everything on ourdoorstep
We’vehad agood year betweenthe trackand point-
to-pointing. ThemareLucky Vivwon tworaces on the track for us and Fairye Forthwon at Dromahane.He’ll be offered at the Doncaster sales this week.
If we can’t, or don’t,sell themwekeep them to runin handicapsoverthe summer It’s an enjoyable hobbyfor me, and we do it allourselves. We geta greatkickout of it and, although we don’t make moneyfromit, it’s worththe effort.
I’ve mostly trainedmyown horses, buthad some with Liam Burkeyearsago.Afew
years agoI hadagood horse, Sweet As A Nut who went to Cheltenham for the Hunters’ Chasebut unfortunately he wasplagued with injury. Thebesthorse Ieverhad wasSraid Padraigwho wona point-to-pointfor me at Carrigtwohill beforeTony Martin boughthim for Barry Connell. He wasareal good horse, butsadly brokea legon the gallops
My best dayinracingwas when Ihad my firstwinnerat Thurles,with Colls Corner, just beforeChristmas 2008. Johnny Allen, who is nowdoingvery well in Australia,rodehim.I usethe localjockeys whereI can. We gota nice touch from him that day. Pointinghas changed–it’s gone professional. Back in the day, we’d runhorses and school them as we went. Now theyhavetobe100 per cent ready, schooled, galloped,fit Cork andWaterfordusedtobe the centreofpoint-to-pointing, nowit’sWexford. Some of the handlers thereare as good as anyprofessional trainer Overheads,likeinsurance, areputtingthe small manout ofthe game.Syndicatesand partnerships do help,but it’s all aboutthe trade now. Still, we’reatit. We love it Whentheygowell, there’sno better feeling. Youwon’t get rich,but you’ll have afew great days.
TRIXIE
horsehetrains himself,made a winningdebut in the five-yearold-a nd-up wa rd smares’ maiden to bringhim levelwith Stone
In agrand sportinggesture, Stone gave up his ride in the concludingrace as the pair shook hands and elected to sharethe spoils It confirmed afirst titlefor Stone,while the result brought James’s title haultoseven, includinga second successive shared victoryinthe region, having shared last year’s title with Jack Hendrick. Thereisnow just one more regional riders’ title –the
southernregion –tobewon, and that will be decidedbythis weekend’s season-ending fixturesatBallingarryand Inchydoney.
Jamie Scallan hadentered lastSunday’sBallindenisk fixture with atwo-winner cushion over BarryO’Neill. However, he wasoutscored 3-1 at the County Corkvenue, leavingthe pair all squareahead of the final twodaysofaction. Scallan, 28, is chasinghis first title to cap what hasbeenthe To mh ag ga rd ri der ’s be st campaign.
His 34 winners countrywide arealready 13 more than his
best of 12 months ago, while O’Neillhas wonthe title twice in 2021 and 2022.
Inchidaly Robin in line to be British champion Winged Leaderhas already wrappedupthe champion point-to-pointtitle for the second year runninginIreland. However, that honour on the British pointing scene looks set to be aclosely runaffair.
InchidalyRobinisone of two horsestiedonseven wins,a featthat is all the moreremarkable given that the eight-yearold wasrunning on these shores as recentlyasMarch
Bred by the South Westmea th’s po in t- to -p oin t secretary, SusanScott,the Robin DesPresgelding had wonanunplaced maiden at TattersallsinOctober 2022 for Cork handler Alex Ottfor his only Irish success After aspellunder rules,he struggledbetween theflags this season, failingtomakean impact in both open and winners’grade,pulling up on his latest startfor Ott’sstable in awinners-of-one at Bandon in early March. When appearingfor the first timeinBritain27dayslater under the care of owner-trainer
Luke Price,hekickedoff a sequence of victoriesina restrictedrace at Larkhill. Sixfurther victories followed, culminatinginhis latest winat PeperHarow,near Godalming, Surrey,lastSaturday. That all came without havingtobe pitchedintoopencompany owingtothe structureofthe British pointingsystem Worryinglyfor the British pointingsphere, his seven successive victories have been achieved without facingmore than four rivals in arace,with the averagefield size for the races he hascontested coming in at amere2.86.
THE Se an Doyle -t ra ine d newcomer Royale Rocker has a bright future on the evidence of this victory on his debut, despite displaying notable greenness.
He lan de d the sec ond division of the Goffs Spring Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden in determined fashion with a well-timed ride from Jamie Scallan.
Brian Lawless set out with the intention of making all on Johns Gain, who led until overtaken by Mon Sheriffe well before the second-last.
Royale Rocker was making smooth progress, however, and the son of Getaway picked up the running approaching two out, only to come off a straight line after the fence. That gave James Murray on Mon Sheriffe hope of his first win of the season, but Royale Rocker would not be denied and the €17,000 Derby sale acquisition beat Mon Sheriffe by three lengths with Night Scope 25 lengths behind in third.
The half-brother to Grade 1-placed hurdler Campeador and Olly Murphy’s Listed winning hurdler Fingle Bridge was bought for the Monbeg Partnership owners from the late Michael Cullen at the Derby sale last year
Th e vict or y pu t so uth Wexford rider Scallan at the head of the southern regional championship on 14 winners but by the end of the afternoon he was joined by Barry O’Neill, who partnered a three-timer, which earned him the Dan Kissane Memorial Cup for the meeting’s leading rider O’Neill got the ball rolling on the Jonathan Fogarty-trained Time To Give in the Ballymaloe, Sherry Fitzgerald and Tattersalls Ireland May P2P and HIT Sale four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Last month’s Dromahane debut third, a maternal granddaughter of Startino, who was third in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, made most of the running to see off Hello Johnjoe by two and a half lengths
His second winner came on
Star performance
Royale Rocker overcame greenness to win snugly on his debut
the Colin Bowe-trained Axel Bleue in the first division of the Coolmore, Johnson Perrot fiveand six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The recent Fairyhouse fourth was holding long-time leader Bigcitylights, who was four lengths adrift in second, when Em met Mu llins ’ ch ar ge unseated Andrew Burke Ott at the last.
“He made a mistake with me when he ran at Fairyhouse and should be a lovely horse for the summer,” O’Neill said of Axel Bleue, a €40,000 Derby sale graduate, who is out of a halfsister to Sw into n Hurd le runner-up Knight In Purple
Th e ha t- tr ic k ca me on Bowe’s Practice Run in the Pipelife Renewable Heating Solutions winners-of-one
The six-year-old, a debut winner of a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Fairyhouse in April 2023, bounced back from pulling up on his re tu rn to poin t s duty at Curraghmore last month by leading from two out to beat Barton Sky by a widening seven lengths.
“He loves this ground and will probably run again next weekend before going to the Fairyhouse sale the following Thursday,” O’Neill said.
On an excellent afternoon for County Wexford stables, the Cormac Doyle-trained Jewel Hope landed the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Jewel Hope, a Flat-bred whose stakes-placed half-sister Reckoning is the dam of Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist, made amends for pulling up on his debut at Curraghmore by leading from four out under Sean Staples to account for Legend De Touchete by 25 lengths Classic Dance was destined for second when falling at the last.
Anyoneforsnacks, trained by Darragh Berry, who had
finished third on his previous start at this venue two weeks earlier, earned a trip to the Goffs UK sale in Doncaster by landing a division of the fiveand six-year-old geldings’ maiden. He disputed the lead for Brian Dunleavy virtually throughout before asserting from the last to beat Jetovango by one and a half lengths
Owner-trainer Jim O’Neill’s Connies Hill fulfilled the promise of her Durow debut third by getting on top from the last under Jack Hendrick to beat newcomer Something Fa bu lo us in the Ge ane y Property Developments fiveyear-old-and-upwards mares’ maiden.
The Garrett Ahern-trained Mount Rinjani landed the McCarthy Commercials and Carey’s Tool Hire five-year-oldand-upwards confined hunt maiden after coming clear on the run-in for his owner Patrick Pyne’s grandson Jack Collins to beat Owbeg Sunshine by two lengths
ON THE wee ke nd of the French Champion Hurdle, a Grade 1 prize won in 1984 by the great racemare Dawn Run, it was fitting that the red-andblack silks of her owners, the Hill family, were back in the winner’s enclosure with the debut victory of Coral Sunset
Owned by Ben Hill, grandson of Dawn Run’s owner and occasional rider Charmian, the Pillar Coral mare battled gamely to challenge long-time leader Prophetess Miriam at the final fence in the Keith Donoghue Jockey five-year-old-andupwards mares’ maiden.
That rival came a cropper, allowing Coral Sunset to return 22 lengths clear of Western Copper under her handler Rob James
“She’s a lovely, straightforward mare who jumps very well,” James said. “She will be retained by her owner and the plan is that she will now go to Henry de Bromhead to be trained.”
The victory made up for a pair of seconds earlier on the card for James, as Be My Fortune, a horse he also trains, came up a length short of Timmys Jet Away in th e second division of the Gavin Cromwell Racing four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
James’s mount had led the field into the home straight, but Darragh Higgins timed his challenge to perfection, as his game son of Jet Away struck the front after the last to supply Cormac Doyle with his ninth success of the season.
Colin Motherway was the only trainer to saddle a double, and the Kinsalebeg handler’s op en in g wi nn er, Eag le Warrior, was his first of the season when he won the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Wings Of Eagles gelding was favourite for his debut at Ballyknock a month earlier, but having managed to finish only sixth, he more than made up for it under in-form Mikey Kenneally by beating the British-bred Briskalo ridden by James
The Dungourney rider was also in the saddle on Motherway’s Frankie’s Freebie when they landed division two of the Ian Donoghue Racing fiveye ar -old -an d-up wa rd s geldings’ maiden.
The Pour Moi gelding had finished a 17-length tenth in a point-to-point bumper at Cork on Easter Monday, but he took full advantage of a winnable
Star performance Eagle Warrior faced a strong challenge in the home straight, but showed a likeable attitude for an all-the-way success
opportunity to beat Button Rock by two and a half lengths
“Mikey gave him a peach of a ri de the whole wa y, ” Motherway said. “He had a couple of runs previously, but things just probably didn’t go right for him, and my horses weren’t firing at the time.”
It could easily have been a hat-trick for that combination as their Is She Real finished best of all in the Gordon Elliott Racing four-year-old mares’ maiden.
The Yeats-sired newcomer just ran out of time, as she was forced to settle for a dead-heat in second with Poetry Motion, a length adrift of fellow firsttimer Moonlight Paradise for Shane Cotter and trainer Denis Murphy.
Toni Quail now has one hand on a first ladies’ title after extending her lead to four with victory on the Sam Curlingtrained Longhouse Star in The Un der wr itin g Ex ch an ge winners’ contest
Successful by a narrow margin at Loughrea seven days earlier, the pair had fewer anxious moments at Tattersalls as they decisively kicked clear of the home bend to beat Gale Force Jet by 16 lengths
“I elected to ride him the same way I did at Loughrea last week as he enjoys making the running,” Quail said. “I’m now fo ur cle ar in the lad ie s’ standings going into the last weekend and I’d just like to thank Sam for all the support he’s given me throughout the season.”
Five Star Getaway was the second winner on the card to have also been in action a week earlier at Loughrea Johnny Berry’s 11-year-old, who had bee n force d to se tt le for runner-up at the Galway venue
on his return to the pointing fields, showed the benefit of that effort by beating a rejuvenated Tech Talk in the Rowan Engineering Consultants open for novice riders
The one and a half-length success was a third of the season for Josh Berry, son of the winning handler
“It was his first run for a while at Loughrea last week and he was just touched off,” Johnny Berry said. “He came from Christian Williams’ yard. That will be him for the season now but that’s Josh’s first
winner back since breaking his collarbone, and he will be able to ride him in these races next season.”
Eo in Ma hon and Ia n McCarthy enjoyed Punchestown Festival success together with Fountain House in the Bishopscourt Cup, and the pair had further cause for celebration this season when they combined to win the second division of the five-year-oldand-upwards geldings’ maiden with Cave Bridge. The Court Cave gelding was a length and a half too strong for Loggans Sky.
tt tFilly ex OffThe Hook (GETAWAY) owned by A. H. B. Hodge
Colt ex Jesse’s Oscar (OSCAR) owned by James Browne
Colt ex Cordowna (SCORPION) owned by TheBeeches Stud