Native Speaker dominates to land €100,000 Mayo National
Native Speaker and Darragh O'Keeffe won the Mayo National for trainer Henry de Bromhead at Ballinrobe. Pic: Healy Racing
Positively ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe, the Henry de Bromhead-trained seven-year-old Native Speaker made all to land the €100,000 Mayo National on McHale Day in sunny Ballinrobe.
Off the track since Christmas, the 12/1 shot dictated the pace, jumping superbly, and stayed on dourly to score by seven lengths from Conyers Hill.
“He’s a brilliant jumper and gallops away and that good ground is the key,” said the winning rider. “I was sick after the Galway Blazers last year, that I didn’t use him jumping, but he wasn’t beaten far. He’s been brilliantly prepared for today and he’s been showing the right signs at home and coming to himself over the last few weeks. I’m delighted he’s won a big pot for his owner (Paddy Hale).”
De Bromhead’s assistant Robbie Power added, “Darragh wanted to go forward on him. He got into a lovely rhythm, and jumped from fence to fence. The pack closed up going to the second last, but two good jumps sealed the deal. We’ll see what the handicapper does. He needs to go up a bit to get into the Galway Plate, but he ran well there last year, so who knows?”
Enterprising front-running tactics also paid off in the other chases on the card, Sean Flanagan making all on Barry Connell’s Net Boy to take the McHale Tiger Roll Beginners Chase, beating Scalpnagoon emphatically.
“I love coming here,” stated Connell. "The ground is always smashing and it’s a good place to bring a novice. This fellow is very big. Fences have made a difference to him and he doesn’t want to go beyond two miles so opportunities will be limited."
Similarly, Josh Williamson, deputising for Michael Kenneally, made virtually all on Liam Burke’s Jetoile (25/1) to take the McHale F5 Range Veterans Handicap Chase at the expense of Dreal Deal.
Always keen to support this meeting, Willie Mullins struck in the opening McHale ProPel Hurdle as Daddy Long Legs, without a win since October 2024, justified 8/11 favouritism at the expense of Thecompanysergeant and Farren Glory.
Winning rider Paul Townend stated, “He had a lot in his favour, the conditions of the race and the beautiful ground they’ve presented. And it’s brilliant that he’s back in the winner’s enclosure. He’s a high-class horse and has been keeping good company. I just followed them around and he won well. It was an ideal opportunity for him.”
Trained in Wexford by Yvonna Latta, Tinto De Verano, third at the Punchestown festival last time, opened his account when stretching clear on the run-in to beat 33/1 Young Doran by six lengths in the McHale Fusion 4 Range Maiden Hurdle.
“That’s the best he’s settled – he’s learning the job,” said Andrew Latta. “He takes no work and we won’t rush him. We’ll probably give him a break and, if he’s not sold, we’ll think about Galway, or wait a bit longer, until the autumn.”
Tiernan Power-Roche declared, “He jumped and travelled and I let him roll on,” after he partnered Philip Rothwell’s Billy Lee Swagger (14/1) to a clear-cut win over Jacovec Cavern in the McHale Mayo Handicap Hurdle.
And favourite-backers went home happy after 11/8 shot A Stoirin, trained by Andy Slattery, swooped inside the final furlong to land the four-year-old bumper, the McHale Orbital Flat Race, beating the flattering Bacharach readily, under Adam Ryan.
The winner, who was building on her debut third in Cork, carries the colours of her breeder, world-renowned tenor Dr Ronan Tynan, who arrived home from Chicago yesterday morning for his first visit to the County Mayo track, to witness his first bumper success.
