Full Of Life and Cobra Queen complete Tramore festival flourish for De Bromhead
MAKING THE MARK: Full Of Life and Darragh O'Keeffe win the Frank King Memorial Maiden Hurdle
Local trainer Henry de Bromhead enjoyed another fine August meeting at Tramore and when Full Of Life and Cobra Queen provided him with a double on the final day of the festival, it gave him a fourth winner from just 11 runners over the four days.
Full Of Life left behind the disappointment of her lifeless effort in April at Wexford by getting off the mark over timber in the Frank King Memorial Maiden Hurdle. Darragh O’Keeffe rode a positive race aboard the de Bromhead-trained six-year-old and there was barely a moment’s concern for those who availed of the prohibitive odds.
The double was completed by Cobra Queen getting off the mark over fences in the Victoria House Tramore Mares’ Beginners’ Chase. Littlebiggie set out to make all the running, but O’Keeffe tracked him all the way before taking over two from home and racing clear. Market leader World Of Fortunes met the first all wrong and failed to find any rhythm in her jumping thereafter. She was eventually pulled up.
Of the winner, Robbie Power commented: “It was a good performance. She was very unlucky at Tipperary the last day, but the longer trip definitely suited her today. They went a good gallop on the ground, and it played to her strengths.
"She has won a point-to-point and a hurdle too, so she's going in the right direction. She has form on softer ground but is definitely better on this nicer ground - she jumps a lot better on it."
The most valuable race on the card was the McCarthy’s Irish Bar Lexington Handicap Chase and the Ray Cody-trained Tullyveery Lad benefited from a fine ride by Donagh Meyler.
The nine-year-old didn’t always travel with the greatest of enthusiasm but Meyler kept him interested and produced him to lead going to the last. A good jump there put him in charge, and he raced away from Arrycan. Big Island was marginally in front when falling two out.
The father-and-son team of Ned and Kieren Buckley took the opening race, the Willis Towers Watson Maiden Hurdle, with Migdam. Four times a winner on the Flat, three of which were on all-weather surfaces, he was having just his second run for connections and second over hurdles.
Fifth on his first start, the six-year-old travelled sweetly this time, and had just edged to the front, travelling best, when long-time leader Tricksofthetrade fell two out. Deed Pole held every chance at that point but Migdam had plenty left to give and strode away to win convincingly.
“He’s a nice horse, but he just needed to learn to settle and to jump because the engine was always there,” said the winning trainer. “He was highly rated on the Flat and they’re often the ideal types to go jumping with because they’re fed up with the Flat racing and jumping rejuvenates them. That’s what you’re hoping for.” Patience paid off in the Frank Gillane Memorial Handicap Hurdle when Surviving Murmansk got off the mark for his career at the 40th time of asking. The seven-year-old came here on the back of a fine effort in defeat at Kilbeggan and was able to build on it.
Trained by Jimmy Barcoe and patiently ridden by Harry Sexton, he came from off the pace to collar favourite and long-time leader May Call You Back in the shadow of the post.
In the Heinz Pollmeier Memorial Handicap Chase, the Charles Coakley-trained and Shane O’Callaghan-ridden Itsalonglongroad put an 11th career victory on his card.
The likeable veteran loves this track, and it showed once more as he led early and then found plenty for pressure when put under heavy pressure from two out. In denying the O’Keeffe-de Bromhead team a third winner of the afternoon, with Lady Rose Hackett, he was winning for the fifth time at this venue.
The festival finale was the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Bumper and Something Fabulous, ridden by Finn Brickley, continued the good run of trainer John McConnell by denying the gambled-on Run For Mahler in an exciting finish.
