It was the Irish based jockeys who ran out victorious over their UK based counterparts in the Walsh Western Jump Jockeys Challenge at Limerick on Saturday evening. The home team were 56-34 point winners with Grand National winning jockey Robert Power the only winning jockey on the Irish team.
Power was aboard nine-year-old More Sport in the www.walshwestern.com handicap hurdle as that gelding passed the judge in front for the first time in twelve starts. Owned by Bobby Cotter and trained by his son Kieran it was a long overdue victory according to the Portarlington based trainer.
'He has had a lot of problems over the years and it was my father who wanted to persevere with him. We will look for a similar race with him now and then go chasing. That is our first winner out of a newly built yard so it is good to get off the mark.'
Noel Fehily got the first and only win for the UK based jockeys when he got up in the dying strides on Phillip Fenton's Off The Mark in the second race. In the colours of John Doheny Fehily held up the odds on favourite before challenging in the straight. Sendar led them round the bend before finishing second, with Janeylad also staying on but the winner finished best of all to prevail by a neck with a further 16 lengths back to the fourth horse.
'He was giving us heart attacks in the stand,' laughed Fenton afterwards. 'He ran a bit keen on the second circuit but finished the best of the runners and we might go for a winners of one in Galway and I think there might be better to come.'
Adrian Maguire saddled a closing race double when Maree Prince made it two on the trot when making virtually all the running to win the penultimate race on the programme with Conor Maxwell in the plate. The gelding by Taipan followed up on his last run when winning by ten lengths at Tramore to score by five here from Stepping Out Well in second.
His trainer said, 'He did it well but we fell lucky here tonight. I think he is better over fences, however he is not as good as the handicapper thinks he is and that stopped me from running him at Ballinrobe on Monday.'
While the concluding qualified riders flat race was won by Maguire's Oscar Night with Mickey O Connor up completing the near 27/1 two timer.
'It is nice to win one with him as he looked a winner when falling the last time at Kilbeggan. We might look for a winners of one but I think he could be special when he goes chasing. He has schooled over them and that is where his future will be.'
Tipperary trainer Michael Murphy and Niall Madden combined as Apt To Run scored for the third time to land the Roadbridge Summer Hurdle over two miles. Well backed in the morning (14/1-13/2) Apt To Run tracked the leaders under Slippers Madden before going on after the second last. Second favourite Piltown was niggled along down the back but stayed on well to get within a length of the winner. Favourite Bahrain Storm was a further three lengths back in third.
'He has been in great form lately and will head for the GPT at Galway as that has been the long term plan for a long time. I don't think two miles on the flat will be any trouble to him and we will run over hurdles before then. I could not believe this horse was 16/1 this morning and some of the owners had nice bets at 16s and 14s,' remarked the winning trainer.
The most impressive winner of the evening came in the opening race as Star Wood had an easy 15 lengths to spare over her rivals in the mares maiden hurdle. Tommy Tracey was on board the daughter of Montjeu as the pair made every yard of the running to give Tracey his fourth winner since last Sunday.
Gowran trainer Michael Fitzgerald saddled the 5/2 favourite who was easy to back in the ring before hand, 'We were very confident tonight she would win as she did and I would be hopeful she is going to go on and be a very decent mare this season. Her only other run over hurdles came in a Grade 3 at Down Royal last season where she finished fifth behind Grangeclare Lark. She made a novicey mistake and could have been a lot closer only for that. I will be in no rush to go back over hurdles and I might run her here again next Friday in a filly's handicap on the flat,' said the winning trainer.
Bernie got off the mark for the season at the fourth attempt when obliging in the feature Braddish Builders Handicap over two miles and three furlongs. Trained by Edward O Grady and ridden by Denis O Regan the gelding just held the rejuvenated challenge of The Ginger Man by a head at 12/1.
By Niall Cronin
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