Wesley Joyce double helps Frankie Dettori defend Barney Curley crown
PUSHED OUT: Wesley Joyce steers the Willie McCreery-trained Mogwli to victory at Bellewstown on Wednesday. Picture: Healy Racing
There were doubles for champion jockey Colin Keane and apprentice Wesley Joyce on a Bellewstown card abandoned after five races as the track became unfit for racing, due to deteriorating ground conditions, caused by Storm Agnes.
And the honour of leading Frankie Dettori’s team to a resounding 31-10 victory in the Barney Curley Charity Cup fell to Joyce as he partnered the Willie McCreery-trained Mogwli to victory in the one-mile leg of the challenge — the second leg fell foul of the weather.
Recording his fifth career success, and his first beyond six furlongs, Mogwli proved too strong for another Dettori runner Rampage (Robert Whearty, deputising for the absent Jamie Spencer), with Sunday Sovereign (Colin Keane) faring best of the Willie Mullins team.
A delighted Joyce declared: “Thanks to Frankie for picking me. It’s tough out there, but I knew he’d stay going for me in that ground.”
The young Limerick man, who has made a remarkable return to action after his horrendous fall in Galway last year, completed his first double when Joe Murray’s Mickey The Steel, a winner in similar conditions at Navan last year, romped to a clearcut success in the five-furlong Colm Quinn BMW Handicap, bringing Joyce’s career tally to 26 winners.
For his part, Keane brought his seasonal tally to 77 thanks to a double on the Ger Lyons-trained filly Miss McHugh in the claimer and Eddie Lynam’s Keke in the five-furlong maiden.
A Starspangledbanner filly, Miss McHenry (7-4) outpointed favourite One Boss in the claimer while Keke foiled favourite Rathbranchurch in the Grimes maiden, prompting Keane to comment: “Eddie told me to get him relaxed, that he’d be very straight-forward once he relaxed. He switched off, travelled well, and was only doing enough when he hit the front.”
Local lad Robert Whearty was the other jockey to hit the target, making all on Tom Coyle’s Manhattan Dandy in the Seamus Murphy Memorial Handicap.
Meanwhile, Lucid Dreams, second leg of a double for John Ryan, proved the star of Sligo’s all-chase/student day card, romping to an impressive success in the Lola Montez Beginners Chase.
Ridden by Liam Quinlan, the late-maturing eight-year-old, a three-time winner over hurdles during the summer, raced prominently, jumped into the lead four from home, and coasted home 13 lengths clear of Mister Wilson.
In typically ebullient form, John Ryan enthused: “He’s a superstar, a Grade One chaser in the making. We’ve always thought the world of him. He’s entered in the Grade Three in Tipperary on Sunday — he’ll hardly run, unless there are only going to be three runners.”
Winning rider Quinlan added: “The trip was a bit short for him, but he has lots of class and is probably the best horse we have at home. He has so much ability that it doesn’t matter where we go with him.”
Ryan's double had been initiated when Hope Des Blins, having her 14th start over fences, made all to beat Natural Look in the Irish Stallion Farms REBNF Mares Beginners Chase, first leg of a double for Danny Mullins who scored again when Billy Lanigan’s Shantou Sisu was left in command by the last fence fall of leader He Fitz In in the concluding Cleveragh Handicap Chase.
But Ryan’s The Little Yank, winner of the race last year, had to settle for the runner-up berth in the Lough Gill Chase, outpointed by fellow 5-2 joint-favourite Fighter Allen, the only runner on the card for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend’s only ride of the day.
