Cracked Rear View gets Barry off the mark as a trainer
Ridden by Richie Kiely, Cracked Rear View stayed on dourly up the straight to beat I’m All You Need, whose rider Johnny Burke has announced his intention to turn professional next week.
It was a moment to savour for Barry, who is based in Kilmeaden, County Waterford and whose big-race wins in the saddle included Grade 1 victories on Rathgar Beau, His Song and Holy Orders and a Cheltenham Festival win on Space Trucker in the Grand Annual back in 1999.
Barry commented: “It’s great to get off the mark. He’s a horse I’ve always liked and he’s going to the Sales in Cheltenham next week.”
Back at the scene of his maiden success in May of last year, the John Ryan-trained Kilcarry Bridge made all under 7lb. claimer Ryan Treacy to land the Ellen’s Pub Maugherow Handicap Hurdle.
The seven-year-old was reverting to hurdling after an abortive chasing career which saw him fail to complete the course in four of his seven attempts. Having dictated the pace, he was left clear when his only danger Salacious Sally crashed at the second last, leaving Treacy’s mount to triumph by six and a half lengths from Honourable Lady, which stayed on late to snatch second spot.
“We’ve always thought he was a smashing horse and he won his maiden well here last year. But he lost his confidence over fences and it’s great to get back to the winner’s enclosure — he likes it here.”
A winner on this track for John McConnell back in August 2012 and now trained by John Larkin, Lady Olwyn proved an emphatic winner of the Kilcawley Construction Sligo Handicap Hurdle.
Sent to the front at the third last by Ger Fox, the nine-year-old mare asserted between the last two flights before beating Better Back Bob by more than four lengths.
Based in Draperstown, County Derry but currently on holiday in Spain, trainer Noel Kelly missed seeing his mother’s Back To Bracka, winner of a Galway bumper last October, open his hurdling account in the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.
Having made most of the running under Derek Fox, the 6/4 favourite stayed on stoutly in the closing stages to beat Polish Partisan by seven lengths.
Trainer Willie Murphy declared: “He’s like a chap in a nightclub, too busy looking around, so the blinkers helped him concentrate,” after Johnny Suku, pulled up in his three previous starts (all in point-to-points), proved the first shock winner of the evening in the opening Sligo GAA Race Day 19th August Maiden Hurdle.
Enterprisingly ridden by Barry Cash, the 33/1 shot made all and kept going well in the closing stages to turn over odds-on favourite Jimmy Two Times by a length and a half.
Another longshot, Kindly Vinnie (25/1) captured the June 17th At Sligo Mares Maiden Hurdle, prompting her trainer Dick Brabazon to admit: “I was quite confident coming here,” before adding, “She was disappointing the last day in Punchestown, but today’s race was more to her liking and she got the run of the race.”
On a night when front-running tactics paid handsome dividends, Philip Enright partnered the Robert Tyner-trained Who Let De Dogsout to victory in the Follow Sligo Races On Facebook Rated Novice Hurdle, the six-year-old digging deep, after dictating the pace, to hold favourite Shantou Flyer by a half-length.
nRobbie Moran was banned for two days under Rule 231 when 2.5lb. overweight after riding Snaidhm in the Sligo GAA Race Day Maiden Hurdle.
