Tag Archive for: Ado McGuinness

Life’s a beach for Williams after Laytown win with Ivasecret

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Worcestershire trainer Ian Williams made the journey over to Laytown worthwhile after Ivasecret romped to victory at the once-a-year seaside meeting.

The fixture occupies a unique place in the calendar as the only official race event to take place on a beach in Britain and Ireland, with racing having featured on the strand since the 1860s.

English raider Ivasecret (7-4) rewarded favourite backers with a dominant display in the Tote.ie Claiming Race.

Turning out just two days after finishing sixth at Bath, the six-year-old took over racing inside the final two furlongs and soon sealed the deal, powering six lengths clear without being fully extended by Seamie Heffernan.

Williams said: “We came last year, had a look around and liked it. We wanted to come and have some winners!

“We really enjoyed the experience last year, so we came back and had some runners.

“It is unique – it must be for him to win like that, believe you me! He has got bags of ability, but plenty of issues. He has done what he has done tonight and he has done it well.

“It is a great place to bring horses if you want to do something a little bit different.

Laytown Races – Monday September 16th
Runners and riders in action at Laytown (Niall Carson).

“We will definitely come back, it is great and there is a huge crowd – although I don’t know what it would be like when the weather is pretty rough!”

Jamie Osborne has enjoyed success at this meeting in the past, including a 2018 treble, and Williams was delighted to take over the bragging rights.

He joked: “Jame is getting old! People have to appreciate that Jamie is getting a bit past it these days. I’m sure Saffie will be bringing horses out here soon.”

Heffernan completed a quick double when Claire O’Connell’s 12-1 chance Roman Harry upset odds-on shot Jeaniemacaroney, swooping late to prevail by three-quarters of a length in the Pride of Place Maiden.

O’Connell said: “We have had him here to the beach a few times. He has just been a very unlucky horse, he gets claustrophobic. The fact there was only 10 runners, he had a bit of space. We were hoping to get a bit more space.”

David Marnane was delighted to be among the winners at Laytown again as Jered Maddox lunged late to claim his second win at the track.

Although predominantly a Dundalk specialist, with seven of his nine previous wins coming on the all-weather in County Louth, Jered Maddox did strike on this card 12 months ago and was an 8-1 shot to repeat the feat in the curtain-raising Download The New Tote App Handicap.

Ridden by Luke McAteer, the eight-year-old finished strongly over the straight six furlongs, getting up in the final stride to beat Not Forgotten by a short head.

“He’s a talented horse on his day. He obviously loves the place – it is a funny track, some horses just come alive here and he does,” said Marnane.

“He won really easily last year and then he has been high in the handicap. He has had a couple of disappointing runs, but the handicapper has been fair to him now and dropped him down quick enough. I think he was pretty much off the same mark (as last year’s win here).

“We love to have one to run here. Unfortunately, most of the yard is two and three-year-olds, so they can’t run. We have got to hold on to him for another year!”

Runners and riders going to post for the second race at Laytown
Runners and riders going to post for the second race at Laytown (Niall Carson/PA)

Ado McGuinness is one of the few trainers in double figures in terms of winners at Laytown and added to his tally with 11-4 joint-favourite Cherry Pink in the Gilna’s Cottage Inn Handicap.

A runner-up on the turf at Gowran Park a fortnight ago, the Elzaam filly went one better with a half-length success under 3lb claimer Adam Caffrey.

McGuinness said: “I thought this would be too quick for her, she is not a sprinter. I just said ‘we are going’ and decided to run her.

“I definitely did think it would be too sharp for her, but he (Caffrey) was very good on her. He gave her a chance early doors and she did it well.”

Laytown Races – Monday September 16th
Runners and riders in action at Laytown (Niall Carson/PA).

Jungle Cove sprang a 22-1 surprise for Jessica Harrington and Jody Townend in the Oneills.com Handicap.

Townend said: “He loved it! They thought it might spark him up a bit. He has plenty of ability on his day. It is hard to ride a winner here and it is good to get it on the CV.”

Carrying the Kyprios colours of Moyglare Stud, Tough Talk proved a class apart in the concluding Tote, Never Beaten By SP (Q.R.) Race for the formidable partnership of Ger Lyons and Derek O’Connor, bolting up by 10 lengths from fellow 13-8 joint-favourite Quar Shamar.

The four-year-old ended a nine-race losing run since scoring on his racecourse bow at the Curragh back in April 2022, when he edged out Little Big Bear, who went on to claim Group One glory in the Phoenix Stakes that season.

O’Connor said: “I think the whole atmosphere and the beach, the surface and the crowd just lit him up. He really enjoyed it.”



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Tiger Belle heading for the sales after her Breeders’ Cup foray

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Ado McGuinness thoroughly enjoyed his Breeders’ Cup experience despite Tiger Belle finding it tough going in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

The Cotai Glory filly stepped up to the highest level in California following Group Three and Listed victories but after taking up a handy position, she dropped away in the closing stages to be beaten seven lengths by impressive winner Big Evs.

Tiger Belle’s next engagement will be at Tattersalls’ December Mares Sale, with McGuinness anticipating a healthy return for connections from their £70,000 breeze-up buy.

The trainer said: “She ran well to a point. I suppose we had a nice draw and we went to try to win the race. I think if we had ridden her a little bit differently, and took our time with her, she may have been placed.

“You make these decisions and you have to live by them.

“I didn’t realise Big Evs is the horse he is, he is a phenomenal horse. He actually burnt off the Queen Mary winner (Crimson Advocate), she struggled three-quarters of the way through the race.

“That just goes to show you the calibre of horse that is in it.

“She (Tiger Belle) will go to the mares’ sale in Newmarket next month. The syndicate that Stephen (Thorne, assistant trainer) set up is an investment syndicate and it was always the plan to move them on and reinvest again.

“We should have an awful lot more money than what we started off with, and she has been brilliant. We will be better off financially when we go shopping next spring.”

Reflecting on his Santa Anita trip, McGuinness added: “What an experience for everybody that was there and all my guys. I met Davy Russell who was over there just to experience it. It is just a different world, you have to go down there to really experience it.

“It is like the Olympics every year, and it is the best horses with the best jockeys and the best trainers there.”



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Tiger Belle sights on major sprint targets with ParisLongchamp win

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A return to France on Arc weekend and a trip to the Breeders’ Cup will come under consideration for Tiger Belle following her front-running success in the Prix d’Arenberg at ParisLongchamp.

The Ado McGuinness-trained filly was a 7-1 shot stepping up to Group Three level following a narrow Listed success at Naas and was smartly away in the hands of Cristian Demuro.

Karl Burke’s Dawn Charger finished with a flourish, but Tiger Belle saw her off by a neck, with Graceful Thunder the same distance further away in third for George Boughey.

McGuinness said of the winner: “She’s a very tough filly and I’ve said all along she’s very fast, one of the fastest fillies I’ve ever had.

“She’s improving with every run, she’s a lovely filly to have and I’m delighted for the guys that own her (Shamrock Thoroughbreds).”

The County Dublin-based handler confirmed Tiger Belle could carry new colours on her next start if a suitable offer arrives as he targets a potential step up to the highest level.

Ado McGuinness was delighted with the performance of Tiger Belle
Ado McGuinness was delighted with the performance of Tiger Belle (PA)

“No one rang us after she won in Naas, but she is for sale and hopefully someone might buy her now. We’d love to keep her, but the lads that own her are an investment syndicate and we have to sell to survive,” McGuinness added.

“We have plenty of options for her now. She could run at the Breeders’ Cup over five or we have the option of going for the Prix de l’Abbaye if we wanted.

“She obviously handles the track. I think the key to Longchamp is the draw, but her gate speed is very fast, she kills the race halfway through and they just struggle to catch her.”



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McGuiness lining up sizeable squad for Galway Festival

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Ado McGuiness is preparing to send a squad of as many as 20 runners to the seven-day Galway Festival.

His team will be led by course specialist Current Option, who is searching for a fourth consecutive win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ahonoora” Handicap on the final day of the meeting.

The seven-year-old has quality form to his name having won the Concorde Stakes and the Listed Platinum Stakes previously and has registered six victories for connections.

McGuinness said: “This is a Group Three horse, and a Listed winner as well, who’s running in a handicap.

“If you drop a Group Three horse back into a handicap, he’s usually the best horse in the race and usually when you have the best horse in the race they win.

Current Option after winning at the meeting in 2021
Current Option after winning at the meeting in 2021 (Brian Lawless/PA)

“You very often find Group Three horses running in premier handicaps off top weight and they often win them.

“I’m privileged that I have horses like Current Option who can run in premier handicaps.”

As in previous years, Current Option will once again warm up for his favoured Galway race by running in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on the Tuesday beforehand.

“Current Option will run in the big mile race on the Tuesday as well as the race on the Sunday. He was placed in the mile race last year and I’ll take either. I don’t mind which one of them he wins!” McGuinness said.

“He’s quite a fresh and highly-strung horse, so if you just left him for one race he could be very fresh. Usually we target the two races with him.

Current Option and jockey Cian MacRedmond (right)
Current Option and jockey Cian MacRedmond (right) (Brian Lawless/PA)

“We ride him out in a hood most of the time at home. Ruby Walsh was up here a few weeks ago and he couldn’t believe he still rides out in a hood given his age but he is still as enthusiastic as ever.

“He’s in cracking form and my biggest problem I have is to try to hold his form for next two weeks. We’re looking forward to him running and just look at the form he has over there, he just loves the place.”

Saltonstall, Casanova, Sirjack Thomas, No More Porter, Hightimeyouwon, Laugh A Minute, Star Harbour, Half Nutz and Exquisite Acclaim are all pencilled in for the meeting, a fixture both McGuinness and his owners look forward to every season.

“Galway is a place where an ordinary fella can get results,” he explained. “You can have a nice, well-handicapped, horse who can do very well at Galway. An ordinary fella can make a name for himself there.

“The amount of recognition you get when you have a winner during race week at Galway is unbelievable, it’s better than three or four winners at one of the ordinary country tracks. It’s a place where you can make a name for yourself.

“I will have between 15 and 20 for the week, I’d say. You can only win the Lotto with one ticket, but the more tickets you have, the better chance you have of winning. That’s the way I look at it.”



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