Ladies’ day as Mangan and Carberry shine on the beach
Sent off 11.4 joint-favourite, the six-year-old travelled well throughout the seven-furlong journey before forging clear to slam Oor Jock by two and three-quarter lengths.
And a delighted Peter Fay explained: “She tends to be slow out of the stalls, which makes life hard for her. So we felt it would be ideal to bring her here. I’m delighted for her owners, the Diamond Seven Syndicate, which is headed by her breeder Brian Walsh, who owned Grand National winner Silver Birch. She might go for a mile handicap at the Curragh next week.”
Runner-up in the race last year and the best backed horse of the day, the Steve Mahon-trained Usa sent plenty of punters home happy when landing the finale, the Hibernia Steel Amateur Race, holding on narrowly to deny Moonbi Creek by
Usa, backed from 15/8 to 11/8, was a first winner for Nina Carberry since she returned to competitive action last week following a broken collarbone.
Winning trainer Mahon, now based in Kilcolgan, Co Galway, stated: “He’s a smashing horse and I’ve always thought the world of him. He’s won three times over hurdles and now this. And I think he’ll make an exciting novice chaser. He’s a very exciting horse.”
Eleven-year-old Toufan Express gained his tenth career success when landing the Neptune Claiming Race.
A first winner on the track for apprentice Ian Brennan and owner Sean Gallagher, Toufan Express beat Like Magic (Johnny Murtagh) readily by a length and a quarter, to the delight of trainer Adrian McGuinness: “He’s been a brilliant horse for us, a great servant. He’s won three premier handicaps and ten races in all. He has a great temperament and comes to the beach most days — he’s had leg trouble and it helps him.”
Trainer Damian English declared: “There’s nothing like having a winner at your local track,” after Enigma Code made virtually all under Ian McCarthy (took out a flat licence specially for the ride) to land the opening Tote Mobile Betting Handicap after a prolonged battle with Ucanchoose.
English added: “I’m based only fifteen minutes away and the horse comes here for a splash every day.”
Another local success came in the O’Neills Sports Handicap when Bangalore Diamond, trained in Stamullen by Tom McCourt, got the better of veteran Richelieu by threequarters of a length.
The five-year-old provided talented apprentice Colin keane with his first success at Laytown and his 19th of the season.
Wayne Lordan, who registered his first win here last year, partnered Captain May to a gutsy all-the-way win in the seven-furlong Gilna’s Cottage Inn Maiden.
Runner-up in this race 12 months ago, Captain May is trained in Cloyne, Co Cork by Andrew Lee for his wife Aileen, who commented: “He’s a bit of a monkey. But he’s been working well and enjoyed himself here last year. We were positive about his chance today. And Wayne gave him a great ride. He’ll go to Listowel next.”
