First Instinct battles to victory at Cork
William Haggas was on the scoresheet at Cork as First Instinct toughed it out to land the Listed-class Goffs Irish EBF Polonia Stakes over five and a half furlongs.
Chris Hayes was hard at work for much of the race but the 4-1 chance responded well to pressure and hit the front a furlong out before holding off the late challenge of 33-1 shot Town And Country by a head, with fellow outsider Songhai in third and firm favourite Babouche only fourth.
A winner at Nottingham and Haydock as a two-year-old last term, First Instinct stepped up on a recent staying-on third behind Electric Storm at Bath over the minimum trip.
Hayes said: "I love when Mr Haggas sends horses to Ireland as we have a great strike-rate together and there are never any complications. He was bullish with this filly and thought she had a good chance.
"She jumped so fast coming out of the gates that I nearly came off but she got into her stride really quick. I was able to use Seamie (Heffernan, on Grande Marques) as my lead horse and had no worries. Billy (Lee, on Town And Country) was coming quick but I was pulling out more.
"I spoke to Tom (Marquand) and he thought the drier ground would suit. Tom said she was fresh for her last run in Bath but she was good as gold today and was very professional.
"I'd be happy at today's distance and if ever she comes back here again, I'd like to ride her."
Jack Davison is eyeing a trip to Royal Ascot with Oh Cecelia (5-1) following a convincing victory in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden, which earned her a €50,000 Goffs bonus.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner built on a close second at the Curragh by pulling nicely clear under James Ryan to beat odds-on favourite Rogue Legend by a length and a half.
The trainer said: "That was super and she is a good filly.
"I ran her the first day (of the season) on heavy ground, where she was just touched off and performed so well just on ability. She is a fast filly who wants today's fast ground to show her speed and gears.
"I thought she won cosily enough at the line and would benefit from a stronger pace.
"We have two runs now and I would love to have a filly for Royal Ascot. She wants fast ground, she is fast and is improving, so we will consider the Queen Mary Stakes."
City Of Memphis (8-13 favourite) made a big impression when powering home for Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee in the Annual Membership Available Maiden on her racecourse debut.
A €370,000 purchase in May last year, the three-year-old did not reach the track as a juvenile but started to make up for lost time with a comfortable success at 8-13.
Twomey said: "We bought her off Katie Walsh at the breeze-ups last year and just waited with her. We haven't looked much but she has plenty of ability and everything she does, she does with ease.
"We were confident coming here that she would run a good race and I'm delighted she has won.
"When you go to the breeze-up sale, you pay your money and take your chance, but we've been lucky with Alan (O'Flynn, owner). He asked me to buy him fillies in the past few years and we got Purple Lily the first year and now this one, so he has two nice fillies.
"We'll take her home now and aim to go up the grades, hoping to get black type."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Deal or No Deal chaos as horrified Irish star watches €118k vanish in minutes
A Deal or No Deal contestant has been dealt a huge blow, losing the £100K (€118k) jackpot just minutes into the ITV show. Saturday Night's Soccer Aid episode saw The Last Leg co-host Alex Brooker facing off the Banker, supported by a star-studded panel. In a bid to win up to £100,000 (€118,000) for UNICEF, Alex gunned for the cash prize assisted by celebrities, including Irish actor Emmett J Scanlan and former England player Jill Scott. However, the TV presenter was left devastated when he selected his brother Tom's box, hoping to strike blue. Initially optimistic about his choice, Alex told host Stephen Mulhern: "I think my brother Tom, number eight, has got 50p (59 cent) in there [the box]." Tom was equally confident, agreeing with his sibling that the box likely contained a blue value. But the duo suffered a major blow when Tom opened his box to find £100,000 (€118,000) inside, Mirror UK reports. The Soccer Aid team was visibly upset, and they were not alone. Viewers have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to echo their frustration at the huge loss. One penned: "Oh no! The £100K is gone," while a second voiced out: "£100K gone. I'm furious and raging." Other ITV fans were quick to question the star's process. "Why hasn't he got a system? Lucky numbers & bad numbers. Looks like he's just choosing randomly with no strategy," quipped one. Despite his early disappointment, Alex later accepted the Banker's offer of £13,780 (€16,350). His team was happy with the final deal, with viewers agreeing that Alex "made the right choice." Taking to X, one person praised the final deal, stating: "That's a lot of money for charity." Meanwhile, a second fan said: "Well done, Alex. A tremendous amount of vital funds in the bank." Started by Robbie Williams in 2006, Soccer Aid for UNICEF is a celebrity football fundraising event. Its profits go towards UNICEF's global mission to protect children's rights to play. This year's game kicks off next Sunday (15th June), with Brooker on the line-up alongside Sir Mo Farah, TV star Bear Grylls, singer Tom Grennan and social media sensation Morgan Burtwistle.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Perfect Ireland win five-star La Baule Nations Cup on zero score
Michael Blake's team, fresh from a dominant four-star victory in Langley, Canada last Sunday, were ruthless in France, finishing on a perfect zero score under immense pressure to continue their sparkling run of form. It was a blend of experience and emerging talent in the Irish team as Cian O'Connor and Bertram Allen were joined by young guns Seamus Hughes Kennedy and Tom Wachman, with all four contributing clear rounds to keep Belgium at bay, with Brazil finishing in third. Horse Sport Ireland High Performance Show Jumping Manager Blake was understandably delighted after the result, saying: 'That was phenomenal. We came here with really high expectations but when we saw the start list, with some of the world's biggest names in opposition, it put us back in our box a little bit. 'We knew how good we were, though, and we knew that if we kept jumping clear Belgium would have to match us and so would everybody else. The lads were magnificent and kept on ramping up the pressure on the rest, and eventually they couldn't live with us. 'This is one that's escaped us for a few years and I had it on my bucket list so I'm thrilled. Obviously, it's been a great week, having won last Sunday in Canada and I couldn't be happier. 'These lads are just brilliant – Cian and Bertram are incredible riders who have seen it all and know when to deliver, and I'm especially proud of Tom and Seamus – the two lads have come through our youth programme and have gained valuable experience through the EEF Series, and that showed today as they delivered at the highest level. "The last time we won here, in 2011, Seamus was eight years old and Tom was six! It shows how strong this programme is that these two lads performed so well and we could have Shane Sweetnam here as our fifth rider." Allen was double clear on Qonquest De Rigo, and he echoed Blake's sentiments. 'Coming to La Baule is a highlight of the season, it's great to win here. It's a traditional show, one of the Rolex Series, which are always the best shows and are where all the best riders want to be. 'As Michael said, when we saw the start list yesterday, we knew it would be difficult but we knew we had a good team, good riders and good horses, so we were confident of a good result.' It was the perfect start for Ireland as pathfinder Allen and Qonquest De Rigo, jumping first of the 40 combinations from 10 nations competing after Ireland were drawn number one to jump, delivered a sparkling clear round inside the time. It was never in doubt for the Wexford rider and his nine-year-old, and paved the way for Ireland's second rider Hughes Kennedy. The 23-year-old Kilkenny man and the Ennisnag Stud-bred Irish Sport Horse ESI Rocky, owned by his mother Clare Hughes, also produced the goods for chef d'equipe Blake and the Irish team, putting in a performance in the saddle beyond his years on the 10-year-old. With two riders clear, it was Tipperary's Wachman and Tabasco De Toxandria Z next in for the boys in green, with the youngster having already won a class earlier in the week. It wasn't the round they had hoped for and they finished on a score of eight faults, which would prove to be Ireland's discard score at the break as a nerveless O'Connor and his 14-year-old, did the business for another Irish clear round just when they needed it most, ensuring a zero score after round one. Joining them at the head of affairs at the break was Belgium, with Olympic champions Britain in third on four faults and the likes of Sweden, France and Brazil on eight. After the restart, Allen was required to do what he and Qonquest De Rigo had done in round one and go clear. He duly obliged to put pressure on the Belgians, as the pair began to trade blows at the top of the leaderboard. Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga v/d Dingeshof held up their end of the bargain to keep both nations on clean scores, with Hughes Kennedy next in for Ireland with ESI Rocky (ISH). Once again, the pair were imperious and delivered a crucial double clear to really ramp up the pressure on Belgium, who had Pieter Devos and Casual DV Z to jump as their second combination. They couldn't add their own double clear and it gave the Irish a glimpse of the finish line, with a clear round from either Wachman or O'Connor guaranteeing at least a jump-off to win gold. Coolness personified, Wachman was superb in the saddle on Tabasco De Toxandria Z to secure a faultless finish for Blake's team, meaning that Abdel Said and Bonne Amie simply could not afford any slip-ups. They kept their calm to go clear and with Ireland guaranteed a zero score, O'Connor's services were not required in round two, with just Belgian anchor Giles Thomas and Ermitage Kalone to come, themselves with no room for error. They couldn't rise to the occasion, however, with one pole down handing the victory to Ireland to cap a magical week following the Langley success.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dad leads funeral tributes to woman who died after marathon collapse
Cork woman Ellen Cassidy has been remembered as a talented athlete and "truly special" young woman at her funeral Mass this afternoon. The 24-year-old, who died during the Cork City Marathon, was laid to rest today. Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their final respects at her requiem mass at The Church of the Annunciation in Blackpool, followed by cremation at the Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy. Many attended the funeral in their brightest, colourful clothes to pay tribute to Ellen. Flowers were laid on the coffin as it exited the church. In a touching tribute to his daughter, Tom Cassidy described Ellen as someone who had "many plates spinning at a time", highlighting her unwavering dedication to her studies, sports clubs and music - all while managing to make time for a wide circle of friends. "How she managed to give them all the time, attention, energy, love, and affection is beyond me," her father said, "But Ellen didn't lead with elbows, she led with open arms, that made her stand-out." He praised his daughter for making "everyone that came in contact with her feel special." The family thanked everyone who helped when Ellen on Sunday. Tom thanked first responders, paramedics, doctors and nurses "who did everything they possibly could to save Ellen" after she fell ill while running the half-marathon in Cork city. "Although the outcome was heartbreaking, their dedication brought comfort knowing she was in the hands of those who gave it their all on the day." On behalf of Ellen's heartbroken family, he also thanked all those who have come together to support them through such a difficult time, whose "love and support have helped us so much in a way that words cannot fully express." Ellen was a keen sportswoman, serving as club captain for a time at Cork's Dolphin Swimming Club. The club has since paid tributes to Ellen, describing her as a woman of great strength, grace and passion. Whether at the Cork School of Music or during her competitions, Tom said Ellen was always quick to make new friends. He described how Ellen's friend group grew steadily throughout her school years and only grew further as she began to attend university and compete in national sporting and music events. Mourners heard how Ellen's mother found her diary shortly after her passing, and the family read out small excerpts during the requiem mass. The loving young woman wrote in her journal how she was "so lucky" to have her family and that "I just want Mum, Dad, Charlie, Mary and myself to be happy." The funeral was accompanied by a guard of honour organised by Cork's running community. A large group of runners and swimmers dressed in their club colours lined the streets outside the church in tribute to Ellen. The popular young woman served as a swimming and water polo club captain at University College Cork before graduating last year. She was also a former student at St. Angela's College, Cork. She participated in the Mardyke Arena UCC's Emerging Talent Programme in 2018, competing in swimming at a national level. Tributes have poured in from across Cork as she was remembered as a truly special young woman, with a heart of gold.
