Cork jockey Kenneally lands 219/1 treble at Fairyhouse
Our Uncle Jack and Michael Kenneally won the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle to give the jockey a treble. Pic: Healy Racing Photo.
Oldschool Outlaw, bought by JP McManus since turning over Bambino Fever at Naas before Christmas, produced a sparkling display to land the Grade 3 BetVictor Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Walk In The Park mare was providing further big race success, after the Dublin Racing Festival, for McManus, Gordon Elliott and man-of-the-moment Mark Walsh.
Sent off at 1/2, Oldschool Outlaw pressed market rival Place De La Nation from the off, edged ahead before the fourth last flight and opened up impressively between the last two flights, forging clear to triumph by nine lengths.
“We didn’t really know what to expect, but we couldn’t be happier to have her,” said Frank Berry, representing McManus, “She jumped great, handled the ground and quickened up well.
“Mark was impressed by the way she picked up. I suppose the ‘mares novice’ is an obvious target for her, but we’ll leave that to Gordon.”
Oldschool Outlaw was the second leg of a double for the Elliott team, sparked when Jack Kennedy brought 9/4 favourite Dunsy Rock, having only her second start, to master front-running Likealightswitch on the run-in to land the Treo Eile Mares Maiden Hurdle, ultimately scoring emphatically by six lengths.
“She’s very honest, jumped brilliant and handled the ground well,” said Kennedy. “She’ll stay further on better ground, but two miles is far enough for her in that heavy ground.”
It was a day to remember for Michael Kenneally, who rode out his 7lb claim on Cousin Kate at the DRF on Sunday, following up with a sparkling 219/1 treble on De Jefe, Themanintheanorak and Our Uncle Jack.
The Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Themanintheanorak proved three lengths superior to top-weight Folly Master in the Bobbyjo Day February 21st Handicap Hurdle.
O’Sullivan said, “He’s a lovely horse and we’ve always liked him a lot. He was a bit unlucky here the last day and got a cut, which meant he couldn’t run over Christmas. I’d say he’s crying out for fences and better ground.”
Earlier, Kenneally took the Easter Festival 4th-6th April Maiden Hurdle on board 16/1 shot Don Jefe, trained in County Cork by Ger O’Leary.
And the 30-year-old rider completed a great day when Martin Fitzgerald’s Our Uncle Jack, up 12lb for a wide-margin win in Clonmel last time, struck again in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, recovering from a first flight mistake to dictate the pace and beat Verbal Sparring by ten lengths.
“This is magic, for things like this to be happening to a lad like me,” declared Kenneally, whose claim will be reduced to 5lb from the weekend.
“This horse is not too bad. He’s good and honest and could step up to two and a half miles no problem. And he comes from a good outfit.”
Runner-up in his two starts in France, the Paul Nolan-trained Harwa made a successful Irish debut when coming from off the pace under Sean Flanagan to turn over 2/5 shot Springhill Warrior in the BetVictor Still Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle.
Nolan explained, “He was a fifty-grand purchase in France a couple of months ago and he doesn’t look bad value at that. He was having his third run to qualify for the ‘Boodles’. We were hoping for a nice run, so he might get into it. We’ll see what happens now”
Fifth on his debut at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, the Gavin Cromwell-trained Outofafrika stepped up to take the bumper, the BetVictor Pro-Am Flat Race, convincingly, by six lengths from odds-on favourite Green Hint.
“He’s nice and we’ve always liked him,” commented Cromwell, “He was a bit green the first day – it turned into a sprint but he stayed on late on. He‘s strengthening up and was a lot more professional today. I wouldn’t be afraid to give him an entry in the Cheltenham Bumper.”
