Fenton 'in shock' after Physique success
NOT FOR CATCHING: Physique and Seamie Heffernan win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap for trainer Micky Fenton. Picture: Healy Racing
Physique made all under Seamus Heffernan to give Micky Fenton the third and most significant winner of his training career in the £110,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap on the final day of the 2024 Galway festival.
The 9-1 shot forced the pace and, when tackled by last year’s winner Dunum turning in, dug deep for Heffernan to prevail by a half-length from fast-finishing Hurricane Ivor, with Dunum a similar distance away in third.
Fenton explained: “We were moaning when he got beaten the last day, but this more than makes up for it. There’s only one way to ride this horse — he likes to get with things and Seamie knows him well. In fairness, he kept going well up the hill.
“It’s great for his owner, Patsy Sheehan, from the Grand Hotel in Killarney. This is only my third winner since I started training and, to be honest, I’m a bit in shock.”
Winning rider Heffernan added: “Micky had this race mapped out for him for a while — we were just hoping for a low draw. If you have a horse that can race up with the pace around here, you have a great chance.”
Flicker Of Hope gave trainer Mark Fahey his second success of the festival when landing the three-mile Kenny Galway Handicap Hurdle in convincing style, taking over from front-runner Littlebiggie at the final flight before powering clear to score by six lengths.
“The only reason I ran him the last night was that he wasn’t sure to get into this and his owner wanted to have a runner here,” explained Fahey. “The rain came and he needs that trip. Jack (Kennedy, jockey) gave him a super ride and he won well. He’s a horse we’re looking forward to and he’ll stay over hurdles for the moment.”
The champion jockey was back in the winner’s enclosure following the gutsy win of Hurricane Georgie, a fourth winner of the meeting for both Gordon Elliott and Kennedy (clinching the festival’s leading National Hunt rider award, for the first time) in the Kinlay Hostel Chase.
The seven-year-old mare, owned by Pioneer Racing, mastered gallant top-weight Easy Game on the long run-in to score by four and a quarter lengths, with favourite Janidil in third.
“She’s a great little mare and prefers those small field races,” said Kennedy. “She picked up them up fairly handy coming up the hill but only did what she had to do when she hit the front.”
The colours of JP McManus were carried to double glory, with pride of place going to the Willie Mullins-trained Saint Roi , unplaced in the Plate on Wednesday, who defied top-weight of 11-12 (less Aidan Kelly’s 5lb claim) with a brave front-running display in the Lord Hemphill Memorial Handicap Chase.
Saint Roi bowled along in front, jumping boldly and, on the stiff climb from the final fence, found enough to hold The Dasher Conway and Dreal Deal by a length and a quarter and the same.
Mullins, later crowned the festival’s leading trainer for the ninth time (with five winners, six seconds and three thirds), stated: “This was a very brave performance — Aidan asked him a few big questions and he seemed to love it. I’d say his jumping won it for him and, when they came around him coming up the hill, he stuck his head out all the way to the line.”
Earlier, Charlie O’Dwyer delivered the Philip Dempsey-trained, McManus-owned Neveradullmoment with a storming late challenge to deny 50-1 Wajaaha in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.
“This was my first festival ride and we knew the test of stamina, in that ground, would suit him,” said the winning rider. “He jumped and travelled great and, once I got him out, I knew he’d stay going — he stays very well.”
At a meeting where it paid to be on the pace, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Sigh No More (Declan McDonogh) bucked the trend when producing a remarkable late charge to land the Irish EBF Auction series 2-Y-0 Maiden.
Last at half-way and only 10th turning for home, the Starspangledbanner colt flew home in the heavy ground to collar Saint Brandon for an ultimately cosy success.
And, on a day when Wayne Lordan (four winners) received the Pat Smullen Trophy as the festival’s leading flat rider, Gavin Cromwell provided favourite-backers with a late boost when Declan Lavery partnered 11-10 favourite The Passing Wife to a facile win in the Fr Breen Memorial Pro-Am Flat Race.
