Double delight for O'Keeffe in Tipperary
SEEING A STRIDE: Slip Jig en route to winning the Hotel Minella Mares Maiden Hurdle in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe. Picture: Healy Racing
Darragh O’Keeffe made the brightest of starts to Thursday’s meeting in Tipperary, taking the first two races for fellow Cork connections.
Patience paid off for connections of Slip Jig, who finished strongly to take the first division of the Hotel Minella Mares Maiden Hurdle. Trained by Colin Motherway, and given a well-judged ride by O’Keeffe, she quickened up nicely along the inside rail to lead after the last and stayed on nicely to beat the eye-catching Fair Damsel.
“I was expecting a good run,” admitted Motherway. “She ran a nice race in Clonmel the first day, when she finished fifth. We were delighted with that, and we knew she’d improve a stone from her first run over hurdles. She ran a good race in a bumper first time out but just got a bit of an injury, so we had to give her time off.
“She was the first horse for the Road To Nowhere Syndicate, so it’s great for them. They’re delighted. They’re from Cloyne and Carrigtwohill, they’re a great bunch, and they’ll enjoy tonight anyway. They’ve had her all along and have had two horses in between which didn’t work out, but lucky enough she’s done the job for them.”
O’Keeffe took the second division of the mares’ hurdle aboard Cash The Cheque, who was having her first run since joining Brendan Walsh. When odds-on favourite New York Style made a mistake at the second-last, she quickly took advantage and kept going strongly to beat the market leader by three lengths.
"Darragh gave her a good ride and settled her well, although the ground is a little tacky for her,” said Walsh. “She did it well, stayed well, and hopefully she might win a few more.
“I'm grateful to Paddy (Melarkey, owner) for sending her to me. He rang me up one day and wasn’t it lucky he found my number! He has another one with me which is running on Saturday.”
There was further Cork success when the James Motherway-trained Time Marches On won the Porter House Handicap Chase. Providing Conor Stone-Walsh with his second winner of the month, he led down to the last and when market leader Mahlers Cove made a mistake at that obstacle, he stayed on nicely to beat the staying-on Look Don’t Touch.
Junior Rattler put a third career victory on his card when winning the Ryan’s Cleaning Event Specialists Handicap Hurdle, this one almost three years after his last. Hunting Brook looked to have most bases covered as they turned for home but Junior Rattler, ridden by Phillip Enright, built up a head of steam and ran him down close home to win a shade comfortably.
The Henry de Bromhead-trained Easy Fella made a fine debut over fences in the Tipperary Races Beginners’ Chase. Held up initially, by Rachael Blackmore, he warmed to his task quite quickly and was soon in front rank, along with Prairie Dancer. As the race progressed, his jumping became increasingly impressive and when Blackmore asked for a bit more from her mount, he stretched right away to win by a huge margin.
“He did what we hoped,” said De Bromhead. “It took a bit for him to warm up to his task, but I thought he jumped really well then. Delighted for the Cunninghams (owners) and Rachael was super on him, as ever.
“All his best form seems to be on nicer ground. He goes on the softer ground, but it definitely seems to be on nicer ground, and we sort of thought he could have a nice season chasing, so we said we’d put him away and have a go at that.
“There’s a three-mile novice at Punchestown, potentially, and there might be a bit of a gap then, but we’ll work our way along and see how we go.”
William Murphy and Barry O’Neill teamed up to take the Boomerang.ie Novice Hunters’ Chase with Grange Soldier, a Belharbour point-to-point winner who led going to two out and did enough to hold the renewed effort of Don’t Matter Now.
Two point-to-point bumpers wrapped up the evening and Jasmine D’airy ran out an easy winner of the first of them, the Millennium Surveys Ltd Mares’ Bumper. Trained locally by Sam Curling and ridden by Derek O’Connor, he was quite keen but was still able to quicken away late to win well from the promising Klassical Corona.
There was a much tighter finish to the finale, which went to favourite Jackstell. The five-year-old, trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by John Gleeson, battled back bravely when challenged by Norr’s Cross and, at the line, bobbed his head at the right time. As Mullins said post-race, it was a good day’s shopping when he bought this fellow and Backmersackme, who also won a bumper for him and owner Paul Byrne.
