Tag Archive for: Tramore

Jungle rocks for New Year’s Day honours at Tramore

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Jungle Boogie proved the toughest of the field in taking the Savills New Year’s Day Chase for Henry de Bromhead at Tramore.

Six contested the Grade Three event run over two miles and seven furlongs on heavy ground and the winner was not especially popular as a 10-1 shot.

Under Darragh O’Keeffe the 10-year-old was headed two out, but as the race neared its conclusion stamina came to the fore and Jungle Boogie displayed plenty to rally and win by a length from Classic Getaway, the 2-5 favourite.

The win initiated a big-race double for the De Bromhead team, with Bob Olinger on the scoreboard in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

“He was very good. Henry said to jump out and make the running on him,” O’Keeffe said.

“He jumped very good bar the fence at the top of the hill the first time, he just got under it. I kind of gave him a squeeze and he kind of put down on me.

“Other than that he jumped really well and kept at it well. I’m delighted to win this race, especially after having three seconds earlier on.

“When I saw Danny (Mullins) coming to me, I thought ‘not again!’.

“Thankfully my lad rallied and got back going again. He wasn’t beaten that far the last day against the best of the two-milers in Ireland and he stayed on really well.

“For a horse that wants a trip, he travels really well. I’m delighted to get that with him now and I’m very grateful to connections for giving me the spin on him.

“I said to the lads afterwards that the track was plenty tight for him, as he is a big, big horse. Thankfully he got the job done and it’s a nice race to win.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Boldog was a convincing winner of the David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle at 5-1 under J J Slevin.

The six-year-old was a bumper winner for Stuart Crawford and got off the mark at the first opportunity for his new stable with a five-and-a-half-length win.

“Good performance, actually. He coped well with the ground, and his bumper runs were decent enough last year,” Slevin said.

“He’s going to be a staying horse. He was fine until halfway down the back when he took off.

“It was going to be hard for him to win doing that, but he stuck it out well. Joseph is having a great season with his jumpers, and it’s nice to have this one for Simon and Isaac (Munir and Souede, owners).

“Daryl (Jacob, retained rider) is in Cheltenham today so I’m lucky I got to step in.”

Bynx (6-1) took the Jimmy Shanahan Memorial Handicap Hurdle for Martin Hassett and Sean Flanagan in a three-and-a-half-length triumph.

“She’s been fierce unlucky. A few times things didn’t go our way, but, as I said to Sean, when in doubt, call on Flanagan. He gave her a masterclass. I know it looks simple but he got the fractions spot-on on that ground,” Hassett said.

“She’d probably win more but she’s hard on herself at home. When she comes racing, she switches off.”

Willie Mullins’ Stoke The Fire made light work of the Ryans Cleaning Services Maiden Hurdle under Danny Mullins as the 5-6 favourite.

A dual-purpose campaigner who was second on the Flat four times in a row last year, the five-year-old has been purchased by Middleham Park Racing and is their first runner with the champion trainer.

His hurdling bow was a great success as he crossed the line 15 lengths ahead of his nearest rival.

“We’ll stoke the fire tonight!” Mullins quipped in relation to the weather conditions.

“He did it well and jumps well for a Flat horse. I was very happy with how he handled that ground for a Flat horse as well. Hopefully it’ll be the start of something.

“It’s Middleham Racing’s first runner for us and I’m not sure where I’m going to go with him now, we’ll see. We’ll get home and plan something for him.

“He’ll probably mix it between hurdles and Flat racing.”



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Classic Getaway, Monkfish and Bronn clash at Tramore

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Willie Mullins has a trio of chances in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore on Monday.

Classic Getaway was a Listed scorer on his seasonal debut at Thurles in November, winning over two miles and six furlongs ahead of Haut En Couleurs and French Dynamite.

He was ridden by Danny Mullins on that occasion and will be once again in the Tramore Grade Three won four times in a row by dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo.

“Danny sticks with Classic Getaway having won with him already this season, he’ll have race fitness on his side,” said the Closutton trainer.

Monkfish is another runner for the all-conquering stable, a nine-year-old who returns to chasing after his successful novice career over fences was cut short due to injury in 2021.

He returned to action at the tail end of last season with two runs over hurdles and will now tackle fences for the first time in several years.

“Monkfish goes there with probably the highest rating over jumps, but it will be his first run this season in very testing ground,” said Mullins.

“Maybe he’ll love the ground, but we’ll see how he is.”

Bronn is the third Mullins runner and looks to return to form after a beaten run at Wexford last time where he met with a minor injury.

Mullins said: “Bronn came back in with an injury after his last run, I’m hoping to put a line through it. He’s another horse that will love these conditions.”

Away from Tramore, Mullins has a pair of good chances at Fairyhouse where Cheltenham Festival runner-up Allegorie De Vassy contests the Grade Three John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase alongside stablemate Instit.

The Fairyhouse event will be a renewal of a rivalry between the two horses that saw them finish first and second respectively in the T.A. Morris Memorial Mares Chase at Clonmel in early November.

“Allegorie De Vassy shows a liking for Fairyhouse, the conditions should really suit her,” Mullins said.

“Instit is another one who has good Fairyhouse form so she should be a good second string to Allegorie De Vassy.”



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Quais De Paris set to step up after Tramore triumph

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Willie Mullins is eyeing a step up in grade for Quais De Paris following his winning stable debut in the David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle at Tramore.

The five-year-old finished third in his sole appearance in France and transferred to Closutton for €180,000 in November 2021.

Making his first appearance for 428 days, the son of Masked Marvel was sent off 1-5 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend for the two-mile contest.

Always to the fore in the testing going, Quais De Paris drew clear after the last to score by just over three lengths.

“It’s great to get the annual cheque from David Flynn,” said Mullins, who was winning the race for the fourth year in a row.

“I think he is a nice horse but he didn’t win like I thought he would. I think he is a good horse but the ground out there is very testing after the rain last night.

“Paul kept it simple, went around the outside and just kept out of trouble. I think he is a horse you can follow for the rest of the season. I’m hoping he will upgrade now into Listed and graded races.”

Quais De Paris ridden by Paul Townend jumps the last to win The David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Quais De Paris ridden by Paul Townend jumps the last to win The David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

Townend added: “He showed a lovely attitude. He had the run in France to his name and he jumped great today. The ground is very testing but he stayed well on it.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Ahead Of The Posse (2-1 favourite) obliged favourite backers in the Ryan’s Cleaning Services Handicap Hurdle.

There was further success for the Danestown handler and jockey Keith Donoghue when Tyre Kicker (5-2 favourite) gave them a double on the card by taking the concluding Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase.

“This fella disappointed us a little bit over hurdles,” said the winning rider said of Tyre Kicker.

“We knew he was a good jumper and he had the experience from running in a couple of point-to-points. We thought he would be better over fences, but we thought he would do a bit more over hurdles.

“He jumped brilliant today and he won well. Hopefully he can progress now into what we thought he might do. He loved the trip today, he travelled well and went through the ground well.

Tyre Kicker ridden by Keith Donoghue goes on to win The Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Tyre Kicker ridden by Keith Donoghue goes on to win The Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

“He probably wasn’t seeing it out over three miles over hurdles. It was a winnable race today and he will have to step up the next day, but we are back on track with him anyway.”

Eoin Doyle has his eye on Thyestes Day at Gowran Park following Ardera Ru’s (9-2) victory in the Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle.

He said: “Patrick Mullins rode her in a Listed bumper and thought she was a lovely mare. She was placed then in a few bumpers but just wasn’t getting home.

Ardera Ru ridden by Shane O’Callaghan goes on to win The Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Ardera Ru ridden by Shane O’Callaghan goes on to win The Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

“Then I started running her on better ground, which wasn’t ideal either. I got her wind done and she seems to be getting home a lot better now.

“She is relaxing a bit more and breathing a bit better. I think she will win over fences as well. There is a race at Gowran on Thyestes day that she might go for next.

“The horses are running well and we had a winner in Limerick as well.”

A mistake at the second last from 4-5 favourite Lisnagar Fortune handed Gordon Elliott’s Cardamon Hill (13-2) success in the Jack de Bromhead Memorial Maiden Hurdle, while the Core Bullion Traders Rated Novice Chase went the way of 11-8 favourite Whiskeywealth.



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Minella Indo fends off Stattler in New Year’s Day thriller

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Minella Indo repelled the challenge Stattler in a thrilling finish to the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore.

Willie Mullins has farmed the New Year’s Day feature in winning eight of the last 10 runnings, but Minella Indo’s battling display in the hands of Rachael Blackmore ended the Closutton handler’s five-year stranglehold on the Grade Three contest and gave Henry de Bromhead his second win in the race after Champagne West’s success in 2017.

Winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2021 and runner-up to stablemate A Plus Tard 12 months later, Minella Indo was always to the fore, close to the coattails of outsider Roi Mage in the two-mile-six-furlong event, with the Paul Townend-ridden 4-5 favourite Stattler tracking not far behind.

It was not until the final circuit when the race developed into a contest and with Townend producing Stattler to challenge at the second last, it was left to the big two in the market to fight out the finish.

Although momentarily headed on the run-in by the strong-staying National Hunt Chase winner, Blackmore conjured up more from her ever-willing mount inside the final 50 yards to regain the advantage in the shadow of the winning post.

It has been a frustrating Christmas period on the track for De Bromhead with A Plus Tard ruled out of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown with a late setback, while another of his stable stars, Bob Olinger, failed to sparkle when upped to three miles in the Christmas Hurdle.

Trainer Henry De Bromhead saw Minella Indo score for the first time since the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup when winning the Savills New Year's Day Chase at Tramore
Trainer Henry De Bromhead saw Minella Indo score for the first time since the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup when winning the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore (Brian Lawless/PA)

And on a day when Tramore honoured De Bromhead’s son Jack – who died in a pony racing accident in September – with the running of the Jack de Bromhead Memorial Maiden Hurdle, the Knockeen handler was understandably emotional after seeing his dual Cheltenham Festival winner return to top form.

He said: “It’s an emotional day when you see pictures of Jack up around the place. Often these things don’t happen in racing, but to win the big race here at our local track on this day is fantastic.

“I’m delighted for Indo and (owners) the Maloneys and for everyone. It’s brilliant to see the crowd here and the roar he got was amazing. We know everyone is thinking of us and it’s just brilliant. The support from everyone really helps us through it.

“The horse deserved it and Rachael was brilliant on him. She gave him a really good ride and he jumped brilliant apart from the last possibly. He just got under it a bit. I thought we were going to get done but Rachael really got him over the line, it was fantastic.

“We will enjoy today, this is a fantastic race to win. He hasn’t won since the Gold Cup. We were thinking about the Irish Gold Cup but we might just head straight to Cheltenham, we will see.”

Betfair cut the winner to 20-1 from 33-1 for a second success in the blue riband in March.



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