Bobby’s Kitten purring on debut for Dermot Weld
Now trained for Ken Ramsey by Dermot Weld, the five-year-old, friendless in the market and sent off at 5/1, raced prominently throughout and forged clear in the last furlong and a half to slam Flight Risk by eight and a half lengths, despite encountering heavy ground for the first time.
Bobby’s Kitten was ridden by Pat Smullen, who admitted: “He has plenty of ability and I was very impressed with him.His form spoke for itself, but it was hard to be confident with the ground the way it is (heavy).”
“His ability got him through today and you saw the way he was trying to lie on the fence in the last furlong, looking for help,”
“He’s a free-going sort and works on his own at home. Five furlongs is probably a bit short form him, but he stayed the six well. I’d say he could go up to seven. All the top sprints are open to him.”
Trainer Weld had indicated prior to yesterday’s race that the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes, at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, is Bobby’s Kitten’s early-season target before being tried in European Group 1 company.
Damien English, successful with 25/1 shot Tribal Path here on Saturday, struck again when Bluesbreaker (16/1), ridden by Rory Cleary, proved a length and a quarter too strong for the well-backed Penny Pepper in the six-furlong 1916-2016 Easter Rising Centenary Handicap.
“He’s a big, raw horse still very babyish,” said English. “I got him for only €800 last summer and I knew he’d handle the ground. So I was fairly confident coming here.”
Andy Slattery stated: “I think there’s a big day in him,” after course and distance winner A Few Dollars More (Declan McDonogh) defied top-weight in the five-furlong Cork Racecourse Handicap, adding: “He lost his way last year and we had his palate cauterised – I think it’s made a big difference to him.”
The remainder of the card was devoted to hunter-chasers and dual Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Salsify, now an eleven-year-old, and ridden by Richie Harding, was made work by Character Actor before justifying 1/6 favouritism in the Jack Tyner Memorial Hunters Chase.
Trainer Rodger Sweeney stated: “He has the same old sparkle as he always had and will definitely come back next season. He’s entered for Aintree, but it’ll probably be Punchestown next for him.”
Successful with Another Rebel on Sunday, Mick Winters won the Rathbarry & Glenview Stud Mares maiden Hunters Chase with the impressive Theatre Princess, a first winner on the racecourse for Chris O’Donovan, and set to head for Kinsale at the end of the point-to-point season.
Stephen O’Donovan achieved a similar milestone when partnering Robert Tyner’s Punchestown-bound Don’t Kink Nor Bite to a gutsy win in the Cork & Waterford Mares Point-to-Point Flat Race.
Impulsive Star, trained by Sean O’Brien for his wife Caroline and ridden by Ciaran Fennessy, justified 5/4 favouritism in the Pegus Horse Feed Point-to-Point Flat Race.
“He’s not a bumper horse – his future is over jumps and he’ll make a lovely staying chaser,” commented the winning trainer.
