Meyler stars as Irish dominate down under After his success earlier in the week on 20/1 chance Celtic Prince at Murray Bridge, Kilkenny jockey Donogh Meyler dominated the final two A$45k legs of the Australia vs Ireland jumps series on Irish Day at Morphettville, Adelaide earlier today. He won the chase on 17/2 chance Pentomatic for Cranbourne, Melbourne trainer Eric Musgrove and followed up on the David Hayes-trained Dane Hussler, the 11/10 favourite in the hurdle. Those two successes ensured an easy win for Irish riders Meyler and Rachael Blackmore over their Australian counterparts and an emphatic final score line of 55 points to 35. Meyler, who became the first Irish jockey to ride three winners in the series, said:- “ I got a good early feel on both of them, they jumped well and stuck their necks out. But they race a bit differently over here, that’s for sure.” Pentomatic, an 8 y-o entire by Pentire, won by four lengths but Rachael Blackmore had no luck at all on the winner’s stable-mate Abebe which was sent off a short-priced favourite yet trailed in last of the five finishers. She partnered the well fancied Melbourne contender Transfixed in the hurdle but the 2/1 chance finished a well beaten sixth behind 6 y-o mare Dane Hussler, whose training team sent out Group winners Vega Magic and Formality at Caulfield and Randwick the same afternoon. The trophy comes back to Ireland again, and the two jockeys arrive home on Tuesday.
