War Rooms comes good at Ballinrobe for father and son team
Trainer Gerry Keane on War Rooms: "He won’t go to Galway – we’ll keep him to flat tracks and he’ll probably go back hurdling later in the year.” Pic: Healy Racing Photo
Third in the ‘Dante’ when trained by Owen Burrows, War Rooms delivered for the first time for the father and son combination of Gerry and Colin Keane when landing the featured Tote.ie Everyday Is A Money Back Day Handicap on the opening day of Ballinrobe’s July meeting.
The former champion kicked for home at just the right time before holding Truth Be Told by a neck.
And the winning trainer acknowledged: “He’s the dearest horse we ever bought and I’m delighted to get him home in front. He was too high when we got him, with an inflated rating, and it’s taken a while for him to come down in the handicap.
“It’s hard to know what to make of him – you’d wonder if he’s giving it all. He won’t go to Galway – we’ll keep him to flat tracks and he’ll probably go back hurdling later in the year.”
Colin Keane completed a double when the class-act on the card, 96-rated Nuit, trained by Henry de Bromhead, bolted up in the concluding maiden.
The 8/11 favourite, dropping from Group 3 company, quickened impressively on the approach to the short straight and forged clear to slam Pampar Lady by eight lengths.
Keane stated: “She was very much entitled to do that on her stakes-race form. It felt very easy on her. She picked-up well and it should give her a bit of confidence. Trip and ground were fine for her – they’ve done a great job with the ground here.”
At her best going right-handed, seven-year-old mare Lady Arwen trained for Hugo and Anne Kane by Conor O’Dwyer, overcame a tardy start and rounded the field to take the Daily Sports Special At Tote.ie Handicap, a 51st winner of the season for Billy Lee.
O’Dwyer admitted, “I still don’t know how to ride her or her best trip. But she’s just very versatile, a game, genuine mare. She loves Galway and there are a couple of 0-70 handicaps for her, one over seven and the other over an extended mile – she’ll run in one of them.”
Trainer Ken Condon dominated the Bet With Tote On Racing & Sports Maiden as three-year-old Guinelot (Donagh O’Connor) prevailed by a head over Taj Crown (Billy Lee) after a protracted duel, the pair finishing five lengths clear of the rest. The placing remained unchanged after a stewards enquiry.
“I rode her handy and she travelled away,” explained O’Connor, “She had a good run in Killarney, but had to be closer to the pace around here. She had a good look when she hit the front, but there was a bit in the tank.”
Mick Mulvany registered his 11th win of the season when Nephin Mountain landed the Download The Tote App Handicap, scraping home by a neck from Aquilla Star, with unlucky odds-on favourite Connova a close third.
“He ran well in Leopardstown but disappointed us the last day,” said Mulvany, “It looked a weak enough race and we decided to go again. We’ll try to find another similar handicap over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half – he might go to Sligo.”
Shock of the night came in the apprentice handicap when Mark Fahey’s nine-year-old Reflectionist (50/1) came from the back of the field before powering clear under Joe Hartnett to slam nearest rival Wingit by seven and a half lengths.
Having ridden his 10th winner of the season, Leigh Roche declared, “That’s consolation for Galway yesterday,” in the wake of She’s Ideal’s cosy success over front-running-favourite Minaun View in the opening claimer, a second winner in 24 hours for trainer Paul Flynn.
