18+ | Commercial Content | T&Cs apply | Wagering and T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly | Advertising Disclosure
icon
Tom Weekes

Tom Weekes

Tavern triumphs for third trainer

Fri 21st Jan 2022, 19:56

James Gough leads in Ajax TavernJames Gough leads in Ajax Tavern
© Photo Healy Racing

Ajax Tavern completed an unusual feat at Dundalk this evening, completing a hat-trick of wins trained by three different trainers, in the concluding Join On Instagram @dundalk_stadium Handicap.

Trainer Denis Hogan bought Ajax Tavern for 5,000gns from English trainer Michael Scudamore last October, and having won a December Claimer for Hogan, was subsequently claimed for €8,000 by trainer Ger O'Leary.

The son of Canford Cliffs won another Claimer, for O'Leary, on January 5 after which he was claimed for €15,000 by James McAuley, and today completed a treble for his latest owner/trainer, when making all to win under jockey Sam Ewing.

McAuley later stated “he beat two of mine in claimers so if he’s going to keep beating you in claimers, you might as well take him and have him on your team!

“We’ve just given him a couple of breezes to keep him fresh and he showed plenty of boot so we said we’d take a chance and see if he could drop back to six (furlongs). I’m pleasantly surprised.

“He got 7lb for the first claimer and another 7lb for the last one so the handicapper obviously rated him. We’ll keep him busy like the rest of them now.”

Quotes from Alan Magee

1st
10/1
Tote €11.00 €3.63
2nd
1.5L
6/1
€1.98
3rd
0.5L
33/1
€7.04
4th
0.5L
12/1
bf
nk
4/1JFav
bf
0.5L
4/1JFav
About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.