Sir Les Patterson helps Thorne deliver delightful double for Shamrock at Dundalk
Sir Les Patterson and Jack Kearney won the Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap for trainer Stephen Thorne. Pic: Healy Racing
Trainer Stephen Thorne delivered a fine double for Shamrock Thoroughbreds in Dundalk, highlighted by the impressive success of Sir Les Patterson in the featured, six-furlong Christmas Party Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.
Bought out of Harry Eustace’s and having his fourth run for the Thorne team, the Zoustar gelding oozed class as he challenged under Jack Kearney approaching the furlong-ole before stretching clear to slam Dark Ace by four lengths.
“We paid a lot of money for him in July and we’ve taken our time with him,” explained Thorne, “He’s shown strong work at home from the start and we think he’s definitely a premier handicap horse, or better.
“You won’t see much of him here over the winter, but we have a circle around a race for him at Newcastle on Good Friday. He’s a real top-of-the-ground horse and has as split mark, so we’ll be looking at the likes of the ‘Scurry’ and ‘Bold Lad’ for him at the Curragh next summer.”
The Thorne/Shamrock double had been sparked when Ben Coen brought Far From Dandy with a well-timed challenge to foil Leopold The First in the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap.
“We bought him from Middleham Park after Galway and he’s been threatening to do that,” said the trainer, “There should be a couple of days in him over the winter – he’ll have to go into 0-90 now, next month, or in January.
“I think he’ll be a nice horse for Lingfield (on Good Friday) – he needs a fast-run mile to show his best.”
On a day of surprises, the Joseph O’Brien-trained (6/4) Cinnamon Coco proved the only successful favourite, staying on dourly under Declan McDonogh to beat El Galvino by a half-length in the Now Racing Every Wednesday At Dundalk Maiden.
“He had a canter around here last week and handled it well,” said McDonogh, “It was very straight-forward. I got a nice seam around, tracking Billy (Lee, on Ballyadam). We hack-cantered around and it turned into a three-furlong sprint, which suited me. He’s a grand dual-purpose horse.”
Mark Fahey won the two-year-old auction maiden with promising debutante Valerose, a bargain buy at €3,500, who scooted clear to score by three lengths from Flanker Jet.
Winning rider Shane Foley, who put up 2lb. overweight on the Inns Of Court filly, commented, “We liked her in the spring, but she went a bit weak and Mark gave her plenty of time. She had a spin here ten days ago and enjoyed it, so were expecting a good run. She’s still quite green, but picked-up well. And there should be plenty of improvement in her.”
Denis Hogan saddled hat-trick-seeking 11/8 favourite Fleetfootsoldier for the first division of the 0-60 Book Online At DundalkSatdium.com Handicap over a mile but won it, instead, with 28/1 shot Heel Left Loose (Nicola Burns) who pipped Hale Bopp by a short-head.
Ther second division of this event produced an even bigger shock as Kevin Smith’s 40/1 shot Java Wood (Julian Pietropaolo) defied point top-weight, mastering the flattering Georg Zhukov by more than a length.
Trainer Hogan, successful with longshot Hell Left Loose earlier, was denied a double when joint-favourite Tatateo (Finny Maguire) failed by a head to hold off the renewed effort of Voice Of Reason in the concluding amateur handicap.
Voice Of Reason was a first winner in the saddle, on only his second ride, for his owner Micheal Delahunty, whose father William trains the five-year-old Churchill gelding.
“Words can’t describe how I feel,” stated the owner/rider, “I ride him every morning before I got to college.”
