Quinta Do Lago defies signs of greenness to land Cork spoils

Elsewhere on the card, Wizard Of Odds made a positive start to his jumping career by taking the WTW Willis3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle

Sun, 12 Oct, 2025 - 18:37

Tommy Lyons, Mallow

The first academy hurdle of the Irish racing calendar got Sunday’s meeting in Cork underway and Jessica Harrington and Donagh Meyler combined to take the race with Quinta Do Lago.

As could be expected of any three-year-old having a first taste of the track, there were obvious signs of greenness but he jumped the final flight better than did closest rival Out Of Aces and that left him to go clear to the line to make a winning start to his career.

“It probably took him a little time to warm up into it,” said Meyler. “He probably jumped showjumper-like early, but he was very good, and the further he went, the better he was going and he hit the line well.

“He was green down to the second-last but, to be fair to him, he was straight as a gun barrel down to the last, so there’s plenty to progress with.”

Wizard Of Odds’ career on the Flat perhaps didn’t go on as well as initially promised when he won a maiden in his two-year-old days but he made a positive start to his jumping career by taking the WTW Willis3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle and it will be interesting to see if he can go further in this sphere.

Having his first run for Bill Durkan, and ridden by Philip Byrnes, he was careful in his jumping insofar as he rose quite steeply at them, but he was clean as a result and that yielded dividends at the final flight, where chief danger Kibris was untidy.

The William Hill Each-Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap was outing number 13 for the Davy Fitzgerald-trained Jaadil and she took the opportunity to put a first win on her card.

As is so often the case, the only concern in the jumping department came at the final flight, where she guessed just a touch, having jumped brilliantly prior to that. Sam Ewing sat tight, however, and his filly was soon back in complete control on her way to a wide-margin success.

Winner of a bumper on debut and then runner-up on his first four outings over hurdles. Kevin’s Pride made his well-earned breakthrough over timber in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle. Continuing the good run of John McConnell, the 8-11 chance had to be hard ridden to get the better of long-time leader Big Dispute between the last two flights, and then his jockey, JJ Slevin had to keep him up to his work to deny Found A Diamond.

“Pure relief,” admitted McConnell. “It wasn’t a pretty watch at the last couple of hurdles especially. We were going to go chasing but this race came up and it was a good pot and it looked winnable so we said we’d take our chance. We’ll go chasing now. He should be a better chaser, and over three miles plus.”

Declan Queally had two of the four runners in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle and it was the slightly bigger-priced of the pair, Tackletommywoohoo, who proved far superior. The 7-2 chance, ridden by Queally, travelled kindly from off the pace and when asked to move up, he took over at the third-last flight, and was in complete control before he jumped the second-last. Stablemate St Lawrence’s Well, the 13-8 favourite, held on to second place, but was 15 lengths shy of what was needed.

There were also only four runners in the following race, a rated novice chase, and Kazakh d’Arthel, justified odds-on favouritism under Sean Flanagan. Victory completed a double on the day for trainer Gavin Cromwell, who took the famous Velka Pardubicka with Stumptown.

“He’s very forward-going, and whilst he’s brave, he’s not very scopey-brave,” said Flanagan. “After that (mistake at the first) he was arguably too good and I was trying to keep a bit of a lid on him as he was winging fences. He’s galloped away well to the line. It was a step back in grade and a great opportunity for him.”

She’s A Fine Wine may appear to have her limitations but when she raced clear of her rivals in the Co-Op Superstores Handicap Chase, it was her fifth win in 16 career outings. The mount of Darragh O’Keeffe, the Henry de Bromhead-trained seven-year-old was never far off the pace and while all eight runners held some chance going to three out, she quickened away to win quite readily.

The finale was the Racing Again November 2 Bumper and Minella Emperor, who gave Michael O’Neill his first winner under rules when winning a Kilbeggan bumper in May, bounced back to winning ways to give the young rider his second track success. Seeking better ground, O’Neill kept Emmet Mullins’ horse wide throughout and he led off the final bend on his way to a comfortable victory.