Tag Archive for: Tom Eaves

Big sprint handicaps looming large for Alfa Kellenic

/in /by

Craig Lidster is keeping his options open with Alfa Kellenic after the filly won for the fourth time in a row in the Fergie & Myra Happel Ayr Gold Cup Trial Handicap.

The daughter of Havana Grey was held up at the back of the field before making headway on the near side approaching the furlong pole.

Tom Eaves then asked her for extra effort and she got up in the final strides to head Mythical Phoenix on the line by a short head at odds of 4-1.

Aberama Gold was three-quarters of a length further adrift in third.

That completed a hat-trick on the turf this season following more straightforward wins at Thirsk and York in the hands of 5lb claimer William Pyle.

She also came home at the head of the field on the all-weather at Newcastle at the beginning of the year before taking a break ahead of her turf campaign and with black type the ultimate objective, Lidster is considering what next with the three-year-old.

Lidster: “She’s still improving and has got there in the end against older horses.

“She had plenty to do, but she’s a very versatile filly and she’s a real good prospect going forward, isn’t she?

“The Ayr Gold Cup would be a target and we’ve got her in the Stewards’ Cup, which would be a target, but obviously getting some black type is our main target at some point this year.”

Kevin Ryan’s newcomer King’s Call made the perfect start to his racecourse career in the Hospitality At Scottish Sun Ladies Night Novice Stakes.

The Dandy Man colt raced keenly at the head of affairs before being shaken up to keep on and come home a length clear of We Dare To Dream, again in the hands of Eaves, at 3-1.

Eaves told Racing TV: “Kevin was very pleased him. He’s done everything right at home. I really like the way he went through the race.

“He stayed well but at the same time he showed plenty of speed. But very pleased with him. He just went through the gears nicely.”

Inisherin impresses in Commonwealth Cup triumph

/in /by

Inisherin produced a dominant display to stamp his class on the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Sixth over a mile in the 2000 Guineas, the Shamardal colt successfully dropped back to six furlongs in last month’s Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock, prompting connections to supplement him for this Group One contest at a cost of £46,000.

With fellow Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned contender Elite Status a significant non-runner, Inisherin was the 9-4 favourite in the hands of Tom Eaves and his supporters will have had few concerns.

Kept out of trouble down the the middle of the track, Kevin Ryan’s speedster was travelling much the best entering the final two furlongs and found plenty once asked to extend to score by two and a quarter lengths from Lake Forest.

Eaves said: “He’s a machine. I’m very lucky to be on him. A big thank you to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Kevin Ryan.

“I’ve ridden some good sprinters, the last one being Glass Slippers. Tangerine Trees, Brando, they’ve all been very good but we all know how hard they are to come across. Fair play for keeping me on him, a massive thanks to everyone.

“He’s a unit of a horse, you see how long it took me to pull up. He’s got a lot of class. He’s quick and when I got off him after the Guineas, before I had even opened my mouth, Kevin (Ryan) said he was a sprinter.”

Paddy Power make Inisherin their 5-2 favourite from 10-1 to double his top-level tally when he meets his elders in the July Cup at Newmarket.

Inisherin outclassed his rivals
Inisherin outclassed his rivals (John Walton/PA)

Ryan said: “It really went to plan, he travelled well and Tom even said he didn’t take him far enough. The plan was always to fill up at the two (furlong pole) and then go and stretch him.

“We know he’s got stamina as well as speed, it was a joy to watch. He’s a very good horse and the great thing about him is he’s got such a good temperament.

“Some of these good horses have a bit of an edge to them, but this guy is an absolute pleasure to train. He never gives me a moment of worry.

“We’ll go to the July Cup now, he’s in the Maurice de Gheest and obviously there’s Champions Day back here and the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

“He improved from Haydock. I think he is just going to get quicker and better at this job. He’s a joy to train, he’s an absolute legend.”

Lake Forest’s rider Tom Marquand was thrilled his mount’s effort after a 265-day absence.

He said: “He ran super. After time off the track, it was going to be tough, but he’s an extremely tough horse. He’s a Gimcrack winner – it’s easy to forget what he did as a two-year-old – but he’s trained on beautifully and hopefully we’ll have a lot of fun with him during the rest of the year.”

Jasour ran well in defeat
Jasour ran well in defeat (Adam Davy/PA)

Clive Cox was proud of the performance of the third Jasour, who looks set for a rematch with Inisherin on the July Course.

He said: “That was a great run and I’m very pleased. Obviously the winner was impressive. Our horse just switched leads right before the line, which might have cost us second, but he’s run a blinder. I’m thrilled he’s going the right way.

“I think we are close enough to warrant a kick at the July Cup, a race in which three-year-olds have done really well in the past. That would be my first thought as they cross the line – he’s a horse who deserves to be in the top flight.”

Washington scales Abernant Heights for Ryan

/in /by

Washington Heights dug deep from the front to provide trainer Kevin Ryan with a record fifth victory in the Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes at Newmarket.

Previously successful in the Group Three contest with Hamza (2014), Astaire (2015) and the popular dual winner Brando (2017 and 2018), Ryan this year fielded a widely unconsidered 33-1 shot who had been off the track since landing a Listed event at Bro Park in September.

Prior to his Swedish success the four-year-old had been placed in a number of competitive sprint handicaps and looks set to ply his trade at Pattern level from now on judged on a fine comeback win on the Rowley Mile under a well judged ride from Tom Eaves.

Mill Stream also made a promising start to his campaign in second, beaten three-quarters of a length, as did Spycatcher who was only a short head further behind in third.

Adam Ryan, assistant to his father Kevin, said of the winner: “He was a bit of an unlucky horse last year and he bumped into Shaquille first time out giving him weight.

“The good thing about him is he is very consistent and he deserved to get his head in front in Sweden. This year was always going to be about if he could take the next step up and he has certainly done that.

“He’s such a genuine horse and if you had 100 like him it would be an easy game. He’s always going to give you 110 per cent and once his head is in front he is always going to be hard to pass.

“It’s a good starting point to the year and generally at this time of year the weather can be a bit in and out, but it’s usually all right here and it’s a nice place for these sprinters to start.

“The Duke Of York or the Greenlands Stakes in in Ireland could be the next port of call and he’s an exciting horse to look forward to.”

Cosmo Charlton, representing the winning owners, Hambleton Racing Ltd, said: “We’ve got quite a few of the syndicate here today and everyone was really excited.

“He’s done well over the winter and was impressive over in Sweden last year so we were hoping he was going to run above his odds today.

“He’s a horse who tried very hard in his races and he’s run loads of really good races for us. It was a strong Group Three today and almost a Group Two on paper and he just has a tremendous attitude and Tom just said he tries very hard for you and digs deep. I sort of knew he had won a furlong out to be honest.

“Tom has given him a great ride from the front and has got the job done and he looks like a sprinter to follow for the season.

“Kevin wins this race a lot and is a fantastic trainer of fast horses and it looks like he’s bought another really nice one for us. The owners have really bonded with him and to come here and win in Group company, hopefully there are exciting things ahead.

“He has options and he’s in the Duke Of York and the Greenlands. They have great prize-money and will be fun days out and the dream is very much alive with this horse about where he could take us in the future.”

Mon Na Slieve enters Ascot reckoning for Ryan

/in /by

Mon Na Slieve appears to have earned himself a place on Kevin Ryan’s Royal Ascot squad after making an successful start to his career in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Novice Stakes at York.

A field of seven juveniles went to post for the five-furlong contest, with Karl Burke’s unraced colt Kylian all the rage as the 11-10 favourite amidst positive pre-race chatter.

The Richard Hannon-trained Mashadi set the standard on form following a narrow defeat on his Newmarket debut 10 days ago – but while he and Kylian came to the fore, both were ultimately unable to land a glove on the impressive Mon Na Slieve.

The 190,000 guineas purchase was a 17-2 shot to provide Ryan with another win on a track where he has enjoyed plenty of success in the past and raced on the speed from flag-fall under Tom Eaves.

Mashadi emerged as his biggest threat racing inside the last of five furlongs, but Mon Na Slieve never really looked in any danger of being reeled in and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line.

Kylian was a length and a half further behind in third.

Ryan said of the winner: “We loved him at the breeze-up so I spoke to Brendan (McDonald, owner) and said I really wanted him.

“Brendan and I go back a long time, he part-owned Amadeus Wolf and has had a few nice ones, so it’s nice to have another.

Kevin Ryan is targeting Royal Ascot with Mon Na Slieve
Kevin Ryan is targeting Royal Ascot with Mon Na Slieve (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I was pretty confident coming but I kept it low-key as you never really know with unraced two-year-olds.

“He’s so laid back and for a breezer he’s got a great mind, not that a lot don’t, the lads do a great job with them and he came highly recommended.

“He was bought to go to Ascot, he’s really sharp and he’s all five furlongs but he relaxes. He could have dropped him in but he’s so professional he was able to make it.”