Slow start for Irish in Australia The Irish team of jump jockeys were upstaged by their Australian counterparts in the opening leg of this year’s Australia vs Ireland challenge at Murray Bridge, South Australia earlier today. The visitors, Ian McCarthy (4th) and Luke Dempsey (7th), backed up by Australian-based pair Shane Jackson (5th) and Tom Ryan (6th), finished well beaten behind locally-trained Henry The Dolphin, an 11/2 chance gaining his first success in 15 attempts. The winner made most of the running in this 2210m highweight flat race, run on flint hard ground, under former Jim Dreaper amateur Martin Kelly to beat favourite Life’s A Butterfly, ridden by top Victorian jockey Steve Pateman. Points scoring for the highweight flat race is based on half points so the current score is Australia 12 ½ points, Ireland 7 points. Nothing that can’t be adjusted by a winner at the weekend. Rules regarding whip use in Australian vary for flat racing and the jumping code. Five strokes inside the final furlong or so on the flat but ten strokes allowed over jumps. Senior Melbourne rider Pateman was one of the jockeys caught out in this flat race. No action taken, but the Stewards will continue their deliberations at Morphettville’s big Irish Day on Saturday where a chase and a hurdle finalise the series.
