Isaac Newton bounces back under 'savage' Moore ride
HILL CLIMBED: Isaac Newton and Ryan Moore win the Hill Of Tara Stakes at Navan on Sunday. Picture: Healy Racing
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Isaac Newton bounced back from a lacklustre effort in the Lingfield Derby Trial when getting up on the line, under a hands and heels ride from Ryan Moore, to pip Hotazhell in the listed Hill Of Tara Stakes in Navan.
The 5-1 shot, by the same sire as Saturday’s Derby winner Christmas Day, Camelot, came from the back of the pack, being switched to the outside and finished strongly to get up and score by a nose from the 2024 Group 1 Futurity winner, with Geryon a neck away third. The placings of second and third were subsequently reversed in a stewards’ inquiry.
Chris Armstrong, representing O’Brien, said: “After Lingfield, Ryan suggested dropping him in trip and riding him like that. It’s tough for a three-year-old against the older horses, but Ryan gave him a savage ride.
“We’ll probably keep him to nine furlongs now — he might got the Leopardstown for the Meld Stakes next month.”
The outcome of the other listed event, the Kooyonoga Stakes proved a personal triumph for young Curragh trainer Danny Mc Loughlin who saddled an impressive 1-2 as Duckadilly, second leg of a double for Ben Coen (also successful on Eddie Lynam’s veteran sprint Jon Riggens) beat 82-rated, 50-1 stable-companion Syzygy.
“To win my first black-type race and have a 1-2 is unbelievable,” declared a jubilant McLoughlin, “She’s a gorgeous big filly and will make a nice broodmare someday. She didn’t sell at the sales last year, so we took her back and decided to try and win a stakes race and go back, so it has worked out well. That was great, magical really,”
Earlier, Donnacha O’Brien’s Cleodolinda (Gavin Ryan) stepped-up on her promising debut run to justify 11-8 favouritism in the Lynn Lodge Stud 2-Y-0 Maiden, prompting her rider to say: “It was pretty straightforward — she did that easily. She’s very relaxed and has a lot of gears.”
Fozzy Stack nominated the Rockingham at the Curragh as a likely target for Bodhi Bear following his defeat, under Seamus Heffernan, of top-weight The Highway Rat in the five-furlong handicap.
Meanwhile, Gordon Elliott and Kevin Sexton, who doubled-up at the track on Saturday, were on the mark again when Ma Jacks Hill, having his second run over fences, outpointed his three rivals in the Bermingham Cameras Novice Chase in Punchestown, holding the late effort of Jolie Jewel by three-quarters of a length.
Sexton said: “He has a bit of a mind of his own but he was very straight-forward today. He jumped like a buck, except for one down the back — and that was my fault. I landed in front at the second last and he didn’t do a stroke in front.”
On a day when his focus was on his beloved Limerick’s clash with Cork in the Munster final, owner JP McManus doubled-up with Raglan Road and Between Friends.
“He was run off his feet the last day and the three miles suited him,” said Henry de Bromhead after Raglan Road (Mike O’Connor) outpointed his two rivals in the Jim Ryan Memorial Novice Chase.
Aidan Kelly partnered Between Friends to victory for McManus and Enda Bolger in the Lily & Wild Mares Maiden Hurdle.
The featured K-Mech Mechanical Handicap Chase went to Ian Donoghue’s Vaureal, who made most of the running and fought back bravely under Paddy O’Hanlon to deny top-weight and favourite Jalila Moriviere.
And, responsible for two beaten favourite earlier, Willie Mullins landed the mares’ bumper as Al Arrivee, ridden by Patrick, justified 5-6 favouritism, winning convincingly from Brave Lady.
