Delight and 'The Banks' as Ina Mina impresses at Tramore
Ina Mina & John Shinnick win the Frank Gillane Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Pic: HEALY RACING
The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee rang out in the winner’s enclosure at Tramore on Sunday after Ina Mina justified 3-1 favouritism in the Frank Gillane Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
The Terence O’Brien-trained mare came here on the back of an impressive victory at Cork earlier this month and made light of a 13lb hike to score again in the hands of John Shinnick, much to the delight of her large and enthusiastic syndicate.
“She won here on the Flat by 15 lengths one day for Michael Mulvany so the track suits her,” Carrigtwohill handler O’Brien said of the five-year-old. “I thought she was well-handicapped the first day but we weren’t really sure today but she did it very well, we’re very happy with her. Hopefully she might be a little bit above average.”
As her happy owners reached a crescendo with ‘The Banks’, O’Brien added: “The syndicate has been together seven or eight years and we’ve had about 10 winners which is unusual for a syndicate. More or less the same 30 people have been involved since the start and, for handy money, they get a great kick out of it.”
It was a super Sunday for Willie Mullins who recorded a treble, sparked by Lady Lena landing the spoils in the Frank King Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
Placed in two bumpers last year, the diminutive Flemensfirth mare was sent off the 5-6 favourite to make a winning start over hurdles and showed a good attitude to do so under Brian Hayes, scoring by two and a quarter lengths.
Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins said: “We have her leased from Jamie Codd and she’s probably the smallest in the yard but we took a chance with her as she is by Flemensfirth and they're not making any more of them. She’s tough and hardy and you could even go up further in trip.”
The second leg of Mullins’ treble came in the Victoria House Tramore Mares Beginners Chase where La Note Verte led home a Closutton one-two-three, six lengths separating the winner from Future Prospect with Straight Home a further 10 lengths back in third.
Winning jockey JJ Slevin said of the 13-8 favourite: “The step up in trip suited her and she galloped on well. She jumped pretty well, slightly to her left the odd time, but, on the whole, she jumped pretty well.” Leg three of the Closutton treble came in the bumper, where 4-5 favourite Village Dream sauntered to victory in the hands of Patrick Mullins.
“She a nice filly,” Willie Mullins said before adding: “It’s been a great week, horses are just coming right and we’re looking forward to the rest of the autumn.” Asked about his Cheltenham stars, Mullins said the likes of Gold Cup hero Gaelic Warrior, Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth, Champion Chase victor Il Etait Temps and dual Grand National hero I Am Maximus are “all in tip-top order” but added he’ll be taking his time with them in the months ahead due to the ongoing dry spell.
He explained: “All the winter horses are back in a few weeks and are doing their prep work at the moment. But with the weather the way it is, there’s going to be no rush, that will be the order of the autumn.”
A Snow White Park turned the feature, the McCarthy's Irish Bar Lexington Handicap Chase, into a procession, scoring by 10 lengths despite running down the last fence.
“Great ride, super,” winning trainer Mags Mullins said of her jockey and son Danny.
Asked about the final fence scare, Mullins replied: “I didn’t look at the last, there was a man standing beside me and I said: ‘Tell me when she’s over it.’
“She runs a bit in and out but she wants top of the ground, she gets a bit lost when it goes soft but she loved it today.”
Kingdom Calling survived a scare at the second last fence to win the Heinz Pollmeier Memorial Handicap Chase by three-quarters of a length from Presenting Lad.
The 15-2 shot, ridden by Gary Noonan, travelled smoothly into contention but nearly undid his good work by jumping dramatically to his left at the penultimate obstacle.
“He jumped to the stable yard at the second-last but he actually likes this track,” winning trainer Eoin McCarthy said.
A plan a year in the making came to fruition in the opening race as 9-2 shot Louiescall got the better of 6-4 favourite Speed For Fun in the Tramore Directors Maiden Hurdle.
A mistake at the last cost the Harry Kelly-trained gelding a maiden hurdle success at this meeting last year but, helped by some erratic jumping from the favourite, he put that right on his return to Tramore to make the breakthrough over flights in the hands of Daniel King.
“We’re probably unlucky it didn’t happen a year ago, he missed the last hurdle so today was the plan,” Kelly said before paying tribute to his jockey.
“Dan gave him a great ride — he’s a super rider — so I’m delighted.”
