Patio’s owners trek worthwhile
The easy-to-back favourite (5/4 to 7/4) was sent to the front with less than three furlongs to race before keeping Unquenchable Fire at bay by a length and a half, giving Marnane his 19th winner of the flat season.
Patio, which raced for Amanda Perrett in Britain last season, was sold at the October Sales to race in Dubai where she finished fourth in both the U.A.E. 1,000 Guineas and U.A.E. Oaks before a decision was made to send her back to Europe.
Her owners Habib Kozehli and Dr Farid Bordbar made the long journey from Iran to see her triumph at the Mayo track yesterday.
A delighted David Marnane said: “She’s a decent filly, good and honest. She deserved that after few good runs. I persuaded the lads to come over and see her run and drove them down. Everything has worked out well. She’ll run in a one-mile listed race for fillies at Naas next month.”
Niall McCullagh partnered Torina, trained by Michael Grassick for his son, namesake and assistant, to a narrow win in the first division of the ‘Congrats to Deora & Julie’ Handicap, the well-backed 6/1 shot holding favourite Derrymore Dawn by a neck.
“She’s still very immature,” said Grassick Jnr. “She didn’t like the ground or the track at Killarney the last day. But she had run well here before that, when coming home well over a mile and a half. She should improve again and will go for a similar race somewhere. She must have some cut in the ground.”
Danny Mullins boosted his apprentice championship prospects when making all on the Pat Cody-trained Jokipur to win the second division of this handicap, staying on stoutly to beat the fast-finishing Rajik by three quarters of a length.
Cody explained: “He’s been crying out for that trip because he’s a relentless galloper, although I was worried that the track might be a bit tight for him. He’s still a big, raw, backward horse, with plenty of improvement in him. He’s only getting the hang of racing. he should make a lovely hurdler.”
Earlier, champion-jockey Pat Smullen produced the Joanna Morgan-trained Imperial Belle with a well-timed challenge to open her account for the Enniskerry-based Carrigoona Syndicate in the opening Tote Placepot Handicap.
Un Hinged, trained by John Coleman and ridden by Alan Crowe, captured the ITBA (Western Region) Maiden Hurdle at the expense of Beneath The Radar and then survived a Stewards Enquiry, having given the runner-up little room on the approach to the final flight. James Nash, assistant to trainer Coleman commented: “I’ve wanted to go hurdling with him for a long time. But, for a horse that has won twice over seven furlongs, I thought the ground might beat him today. Alan gave him a lovely ride. He jumped well. I’d say we’ll mix it with him.”
Crowe picked up a four-day ban for careless riding on Un Hinged on a day when apprentice Michael Snee was banned for seven days for attempting to weigh out with a ‘modified’ body protector.
Lucky At Last, owned by Paul Daly, Chairman of Kilbeggan Race Committee and trained by Pat Martin, proved a facile winner of the grief-filled finale, the ‘Come Racing in Ballinrobe 2009’ Handicap Hurdle.
Yachvili crashed at the seventh flight, bringing down four of his rivals. His rider Davy Condon was removed to hospital for precautionary x-rays, although medical opinion at the track suggested that all riders escaped serious injury.
Shane Jackson gave the Philip Rothwell-trained Berkery’s Treasure an enterprising, from-running drive in the Tom ‘The Deadly’ Brennan Beginners Chase.
“He has plenty of experience and likes being in front,” said Jackson afterwards. “So I decided to let him stride on and knew the others would find it tough to get to him.”
On a day which produced its share of shocks, the Tom Nagle trained Alickadoo forged clear between the last two fences to slam Rory’s Sister in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase.
The 16/1 shot’s victory, in his first outing in almost a year, sent a Jackpot pool of 23,898 to Dundalk on Friday.
