Jack Kennedy stretched his lead over Paul Townend in the jockeys championship to seven when making all the running aboard Valsorpresa to win the opening Redweld Stables Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick.
Thunder Roll (3/1f) registered a second Listed win today as the Joseph O'Brien-trained, Rosegreen Partnership-owned filly landed Cork's featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Noblesse Stakes under Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The Jessica Harrington trained Birdman made an impressive winning racecourse debut when proving too strong for a sextet of opponents in the Cork Maiden at Mallow.
Solar Drive made a winning start to life in handicaps when staying on strongly under Wayne Hassett to claim the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap at Cork.
William Haggas’ Dubai Honour heads the British challenge as he bids for the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin’s Champions Day meeting in Hong Kong on Sunday.
My Racing StorySponsored By Tote
I'm from a place called Eadestown, just outside Naas, beside Punchestown racecourse. I had a pony when I was younger at home and I was kind of mad for a bit of speed! I got into Michael Halford's when I was 12 or 13. I rode out there on my school holidays and weekends for five years before I left school. There were some brilliant lads in Michael Halford's at the time like Sean Corby, who rode as an apprentice for a while, Shane Foley was stable jockey and Conor Hoban was apprentice there. You can see from Michael Halford's track record, he had some brilliant apprentices over the years including Gary Carroll. It was a great place to learn and I learned plenty. I was still very weak and green and I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to be good enough to be a jockey but, in fairness, it was the route for me. I had a crack at college in Carlow, but I didn't enjoy that - I only lasted about three weeks! I missed the horses a lot.
Weather has always been the number one topic of conversation in Ireland which is most odd considering we don’t actually get extreme weather events like other countries and for the most part we don’t even have seasons.
Up to last Saturday it had rained almost every day since July, but that hasn’t stopped our population discussing the weather incessantly. Weddings, funerals, business meetings, casual encounters in the street, every conversation starter is invariably about the weather.
Sandown jumps finale preview with Stephen Harris | Formscan
Emma Nagle is joined by betting expert Stephen Harris to preview the jumps finale at Sandown. Will Willie Mullins be crowned champion trainer?
By Gary Carson - ASK ANYTHING was originally set to carry top weight in this when it was cancelled earlier in the month but has less on his plate now after the addition of a couple of higher rated rivals. Gavin Cromwell's charge ran a cracker when last seen in a competitive novice handicap final at Navan last month and there appears scope for further improvement at this marathon trip from the Ask gelding. Frontal Assault is a significant addition to the field having run well to finish fourth in the Irish National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday. He's just a pound higher and is entitled to be a big player. Another Gordon Elliott-trained runner that could play a part is the mare Jumping Jet, who has a feather-weight with Carl Millar taking off 7lb.
