The Austrian justifies favouritism to claim 3-year-old handicap at Thurles
The Austrian and Seamie Heffernan win for owners Anamoine Limited and trainer Jessica Harrington. Pic: Healy Racing
From the family of Snow Fairy and carrying the familiar Anamoine colours, The Austrian proved himself a progressive young stayer when defying top-weight and justifying 13-8 favouritism in the Killinan 3-Y-0 Handicap as Thurles staged its annual Flat meeting.
Jessica Harrington’s charge, making his handicap debut after a convincing maiden success in Listowel, still looked green under Seamus Heffernan in the straight before knuckling down and asserting inside the final furlong to beat stable-companion Pierre Grosse by a length and a quarter.
Richie Galway, representing Harrington, said: “He has taken time, but everyone likes him. This was his first handicap. I thought he won snug enough and Seamie was impressed.
“Maybe Jessie is right and he’s a listed horse — we’ll have to wait and see. But he should be a lovely horse next year.” Both two-year-old maidens on the card went to market leaders, with Silver Kiss, trained for Moyglare by Dermot Weld, opening her account at the fifth attempt in the fillies’ event, justifying even-money favouritism at the expense of promising newcomer Light Of Saxony.
“She’s a lovely, consistent filly and deserved that,” said winning rider Chris Hayes. “It was very tactical, but I was able to control things. I kicked turning in, which was probably the winning of it. I’d say she’s finished for the season and I can see her coming back in something like the Athasi next spring.”
In the colts’ event, King Christoph continued the fine form of the Slattery team, confirming Listowel form with fellow 11-8 joint-favourite Dawnmore.
“He was green in Listowel and came forward,” said trainer Andy Slattery, “He’s a bit fresh in himself, so he might go to Leopardstown next week for a nursery.”
Michael Kenneally rode his first Flat winner in Ireland on Sunny South West, for Eddie Power, in the www.thurlesrace.ie Maiden, outpointing favourite Teofil.
Power suggested Kenneally might renew his partnership with the gelding when he goes to Cheltenham later this month.
And the Henry de Bromhead-trained Starflow and apprentice Conor Cusack (received an eight-day whip ban) completed a hat-trick in a division of the (0-60) Boyle Sports Handicap.
Meanwhile, Dan King, whose summer exploits included a historic Galway Plate-Hurdle double, brought his seasonal tally to 33 thanks to a double on Lanzhou and Way Down South on student raceday in Tramore.
King gave 9-4 favourite Lanzhou, trained locally by John Flavin, an ultra-confident ride to land the Ardmore Handicap Hurdle, coming form off the pace and pouncing late to beat long-time leader Polly Poppins.
“He’s still quite immature and learning on the job,” said the winning rider.
“He was a bit keen, but jumped really well and I got a lovely run around the inside. I felt I had plenty of horse under me and he picked up well.” Flavin added: “It’s brilliant to get it at our local track. He travelled away lovely. Dan, a top-class rider, gave him one flick and he went away. He’s a grand horse, very big, raw and still green. He’ll have another run or two before the ground changes and will jump a fence in time.
King completed his double on board the Gillian Scott-trained Way Down South who justified 9-4 favouritism, at the expense of Flavin’s Ray Gun, in the Tramore Racecourse Instagram Handicap Hurdle. “We ran him on the flat when the ground was so hard during the summer,” explained the successful trainer.
“He enjoyed it and sparked a bit of life into him. He jumped better today and we’ll keep going with him while the ground is like this.”
Local trainer John Queally was on the mark again when Ian Power brought even-money favourite Rattledelatch, described by his rider as “hard work’, from the back of the field to outpoint Kimy and Doctor Confusion in the Waterford Greenway Beginners Chase.
Queally commented: “He’s bred to be a chaser and is a spring-ground horse, so we’ll be giving him a break. Ian says he’ll be better on a more galloping track, with nice fences.”
With his string gradually returning to form, Gavin Cromwell completed an across-the-card double, taking the Tramore opener with the Keith Donoghue-ridden Asthelightdeclines before joint-favourite Blissful Bonita landed the Thurles finale.
And the father and son combination of Tony and Danny Mullins combined to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle as Baymount (12-1) made all to beat favourite Tutu Twist.
