Wexford trainer Nolan enjoys triple success

Returning to the scene of his debut success in a maiden hurdle before being highly-tried, Sageborough bounced back to form when swooping on the run-in to foil front-runner Time Is A Thief.

Thu, 28 May, 2026 - 05:08

John Ryan

Local trainer Paul Nolan made the headlines in Wexford, saddling a superb 423/1 treble with Sageborough, course specialist Kiltealy Park and the long-absent He’s My Hero.

Returning to the scene of his debut success in a maiden hurdle before being highly-tried, Sageborough bounced back to form when swooping on the run-in to foil front-runner Time Is A Thief in the featured Botanica International Rated Hurdle.

Ridden by Sean O’Keeffe, the 10/2 shot got up late to score by a length and a quarter, prompting his trainer to comment: “He won his maiden hurdle here but has been disappointing, although he was running a respectable race when he fell at Cheltenham.

“Off his mark, I thought he had a big chance today. And he got the job done. Sean was pleased with him. This is his ground – he wears a tongue-tie for a reason and we won’t be letting him out for the summer.”

Nolan struck again, in dramatic fashion, as Alan O’Sullivan, who rode his first winner in the professional ranks in Ballinrobe on Tuesday, brought Kiltealy Park (6/1) from last to first to mug 4/5 favourite Dani Donadoni in the dying strides of the three-mile Rosslare Strand Hurdle.

The runner-up looked an assured winner at the back of the final flight but was collared late and beaten by a neck.

Kiltealy Park was retaining her unbeaten record (three from three) over hurdles in Wexford, her rider stating: “She lost her way a bit over fences. Paul told me to drop her in and ride her to run well.”

And Nolan commented: “It looked all over and I would have been happy with second, but she galloped well to the line. This was ideal, with just four runners. Alan was able to lob around and get her confidence back. I’m not sure where she’ll go next.”

A memorable evening was crowned for Nolan when eight-year-old He’s My Hero, off the track since April 2023, stayed on dourly for Jack Hendrick to deny favourite Weaponized, whose rider Barry Stone received a two-day whip ban, in the bumper.

The John Burke-trained four-year-old Karlynn produced an impressive front-running, bold-jumping performance to take the Discover Wexford Maiden Hurdle, beating Clone Cross by fifteen lengths.

The 5/2 favourite, outpointed by the classy Arouet in Cork recently, was ridden by Eoin Walsh, who said: “He can be a bit keen and the trip was a concern but, instead of fighting him, I let him roll along again. He jumps very well and it wasn’t the strongest of races. The four-year-old allowance was a big help. And we should have fun with him for the summer.”

Red-hot trainer Karl Thornton made it three wins from his last four runners (his fourth was set to score when unseating his rider on the run-in at Limerick) when stable stalwart Rich Belief (Ben Harvey) landed the Wexford Claiming Hurdle, his eighth career success.

“He’s been lightly-raced since he won a good ‘pot’ in Kelso (back in May 2022), but he manages to win on the flat most years,” said Thornton. “He’s getting older and I decided to chance it in a claimer. His two runs on the flat left him a bit sharper for today.”

Philip Rothwell was on the mark when Kilt, a winner on the flat for William Haggas, opened his hurdling account under Shane O’Callaghan in the first division of the Treo Eile Handicap Hurdle, the second division going, in convincing fashion, to Pat O’Connor’s Topothelane (Mike O’Connor).

Trainer O’Connor admitted: “This is lovely. I gave up training horses, but my two daughters are very interested, so I got the licence back. And I must thank Dr Joe O’Keeffe in Tallow and his wife Una. He told me he was giving up and asked if I wanted the horse. So it has all worked out.”