No Mon No Fun puts up late challenge to claim Maiden Hurdle glory at Ballinrobe
CHAMP: No Mon No Fun & Philip Donovan win the West Howya Maiden Hurdle For trainer Jack Doyle and his wife Fiona. Pic: Healy Racing
Jack Doyle saddled his first winner as a trainer when No Mon No Fun came with a late challenge to take the West "Howya" Maiden Hurdle at Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening.
The Martin Cullinane-owned five-year-old was only a fourth runner for Holycross-based Doyle who only took out his licence in early June, taking over from his father Pat.
Ridden by Philip Donovan, the 18/1 chance had plenty to do from the final hurdle but finished with a flourish to peg back the Henry de Bromhead’s 11/4 shot Sharu and Darragh O'Keeffe inside the final 50 yards, winning by half a length.
Doyle said, “It's great to get one on the board and I got a good kick out of it. There's a lot more work involved with training a winner compared to just turning up at the track in your silks and riding one.
“We fancied him at Limerick, but he didn't quite get home over two and a half and the easier track here helped him.
“I'll probably do much the same as my father. We'll try and keep a few nice horses for the track, but the bread and butter is buying young horses, bringing them on and producing them, and then selling them on.”
Doyle, who rode five Grade 1 winners in America and a number of Grade 2s and 3s in Ireland and Britain, added, “I still have my jockey's licence, so if I can find a nice enough horse, I'll be ready to ride it!”
Danny Mullins landed a double when riding winners for his uncle Tom Mullins and Billy Lanigan, only hours before he heads to America for three rides at Colonial Downs in Virginia.
The 7/2 favourite Max Meridius took the David Heneghan Memorial Handicap Hurdle for Tom Mullins in the colours of his wife Helen. Racing a little wide, the five-year-old led at the final hurdle to beat Aidan Howard’s Bhean Saibhre by three and three-parts of a length.
Danny Mullins had to work far harder for his success on Lanigan’s 50/1 chance in the opening division of the Sweeney Oil Handicap Hurdle. The Christopher Neville-owned five-year-old battled well from the final hurdle to win by two and a quarter-lengths from John Ryan’s 13/8 favourite Run For The Border.
Mullins said, “I asked Billy if I could make up my own mind as we went along and then I nearly fell off him at the first! He jumped better through the second half of the race and when I needed him, he delivered a few good jumps and he hit the line nicely. That’s Billy’s third winner of the season.
“I’m off to America tomorrow for three for Barry John Foley in Colonial Downs. I think they all have chances with a bit of luck, and I’m back for Kilbeggan on Friday,” he added.
The father and son team of Edward and Kieran Buckley combined to win the O’Hare’s Bar Maiden Hurdle with the David L'Estrange-owned Bells Grove. The 4/7 favourite had plenty in hand in beating Willie Mullins’ 14/1 chance How's Ellie by six and a half lengths.
Manoir De Mirande was another comfortable winner and he landed the RBC Brewin Dolphin Rated Novice Hurdle in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.
Ridden by Jack Kennedy for Gordon Elliott, the 4/1 chance headed Henry de Bromhead’s 4/6 favourite Lureka Du Noyer and Darragh O'Keeffe after the final hurdle to win by two and a half lengths.
A half a length was the margin as Eye Of The Tiger took the Boyle Sports Home Of Early Payout Handicap Hurdle for John Ryan and JJ Slevin. The six-year-old, a 4/1 chance, battled well on the run-in to win from the Donal Cummins-trained Eye Contact, to give Ryan his third successive win in the race.
The easiest winner of all was the Brian McMahon-trained She’ll Be Kept who ran away with the second division of the Sweeney Oil Handicap Hurdle in the colours of the trainer’s mother Anne. Phillip Enright brought the 12/1 chance widest of all into the straight after the final hurdle and she coasted to an eight-length success over Denise Foster’s Smackwater Jack.
Sporting the colours of 20-time winner Peregrine Run, the Peter Fahey-trained Ealu Tapa was also well on top in the Jennings Meats INH Flat Race. Ridden by Adam Ryan for the Vinny Byrne & Ollie Dunne Partnership, the 7/2 chance asserted early inside the final furlong to score by four and three-parts of a length from David Broad’s Millers Point. The winner’s dam is a full sister to Peregrine Run.
