Island Hopping can build on Irish Oaks performance
The Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes is a tricky puzzle to solve but Island Hopping is quite an uncomplicated sort, who likes to get on with her racing, and this provided an opportunity for her to make all the running.
Her record of one win in eight outings isn't inspiring but there have been good efforts in there, most notably on her most recent outing, in the Irish Oaks.
While she took up a pace-setting role, she was passed with a couple of furlongs to go and yet found plenty in the closing stages to be beaten less than four lengths into third place behind Minnie Hauk and Wemightakedlongway.
This represents a significant drop in class and with Elizabeth Jane preferring cut in the ground and Royal Entry's tending to leave herself with plenty to do courtesy of her tardy starts, this is a good opportunity for the selection to put a long overdue second win on her card.
Dance Night Andday has never won outside of handicap company, and hasn't yet won this season, but the five-year-old mare produced the best performance of her career to date when runner-up in a Group 3 on her most recent outing, and she can make the most of the slight ease in grade for the NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes.
Runner-up to Super Sox, who re-opposes, in this race in 2024, she looks well placed to go one place better this time. Last year's winner has had just one run this season and it is difficult to ascertain where she stands.
It is a similar story with Rahmi, who was better than ever when winning on her last outing of last season but hasn't run in ten months.
East Hampton sets the standard on official ratings and cones here on the back of a career-best effort in a Group 2. She is bound to be popular in the betting and is respected.
In Tramore, Tatateo will take a great deal of beating in the Oasis At The Races Acquiesce Friday August 15 Maiden Hurde.
A useful sort on the level when trained in Britain, he has made a good transition to jumping with three placed efforts in four starts. His most recent effort, behind Ebony King in Galway, was at least as good as his previous runs, and running to that level once more should be enough for him to make the breakthrough.
It will be interesting to see if Louiescall, recently a winner on the Flat, can show improved form back over hurdles.
Tommy Lyons' picks:
Cork
5:22 Dawn Romance
5:52 Asdana
6:22 Cape Sounion
6:52 Dance Night Andday (nb)
7:22 Island Hopping (nap)
7:52 Walk The Highline
8:25 Not Simple
Next best
5:22 Whatastarr
5:52 Tomarlo
6:22 Precise
6:52 Super Sox
7:22 Elizabeth Jane
7:52 Edge Of Seventeen
8:25 Morning Approach
Tramore
5:05 Enjoy The Dream
5:35 El Champo 6:05 Tatateo
6:35 Raydamann
7:05 Derryville
7:35 Mother Ship
8:05 Winter Fog
Next best
5:05 Ma Belle Etoile
5:35 Mic Drop
6:05 Louiescall
6:35 Jerrari
7:05 Faceman
7:35 That's All
8:05 Magnor Glory
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Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
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The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Horse racing tips: ‘He's always looked a Group horse' – Templegate's 3-1 NAP is all class
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
‘He's been in ads for Yves Saint Laurent': Behind the scenes at a championship dog show
On a sunny Sunday morning, the Mallow GAA sports complex has acquired the vibe of a music festival. A tented village has sprung up around the pitches, and handcarts are being wheeled about. Their contents are carefully shrouded by blankets and shawls, and it is only the occasional bark that gives the game away. This is the Cork & District Canine Club 41st Annual All Breed Championship Show, and despite the festive atmosphere, it is serious business. Look closer and see furry noses peeking out from the tent flaps, some dogs are sitting on top of pop-up tables being primped and preened, others snooze in the bellies of the handcarts. Owners relax on picnic chairs, while regular announcements call for the next competitors. Up and down rectangular sections of grass, dogs prance. Sometimes they zigzag too, before being eased into show stance. A leg is coaxed back to show off a hock, tails are held aloft. The dogs don't seem to mind. Bhrian in the judge's tent. In a corner of the judge's tent, Sorcha O'Gorman is applying hair mousse to the legs of Bhrian, a wire-haired dachshund. 'It's dog hair mousse,' she says, although she agrees, 'people hair mousse works just as well.' She has also been painstakingly plucking at Bhrian's coat. 'You learn what the judges are looking for, and dachshunds and terriers have to be hand-stripped. It's the only way of maintaining the texture in the coat. If you clip it, you damage it.' Most of the dogs are pros, and training starts young, for animals and handlers alike. 'In this instance, you're judging the handler, not the dog,' says Paul McCullough, who is working out the winners of the Junior Handling class. This answers my question as to how he can differentiate between the dogs, which range from a fluffy poodle to an Australian shepherd. I'm remembering the episode of All Creatures Great and Small, where James Herriot was judging the children's pets class at the local fete and things nearly came to blows when he gave the prize to the owner of a goldfish. 'There are three main rules for handling,' McCullough continues. 'One is that they don't get between the judge and the dog. They need to be able to follow instruction, and show that they know their own dog.' In this, he obviously means that they have a rapport, rather than that the handler might be likely to pick up the lead of a border terrier when they were meant to collect a beagle. GETTING A HANDLE ON MATTERS It could get confusing to the uninitiated. There are 650 dogs at today's show, across 195 breeds, with nine judges doing the honours. Everything is flowing so well, I start to think the committee should be in charge of larger things. Like national roads projects or something. Surprisingly, almost all of the attendees are owners and showers, as it is a very nice doggy day out. On the other hand, any dog lover attending might get bitten — by the bug, not a dog, obviously — and start to think of showing too. Kate Finnerty is in the Junior Handler's class for children aged between 10 and 12, with her Australian shepherd, 14-month old Aussie, as her mum, Angela looks on. Kate Finnerty with her dog Aussie at their home in County Galway. Photo: Ray Ryan 'Kate had seen an Australian shepherd win at Crufts, and had wanted one ever since. And I said, if you want the dog, you can take him to the shows. It is competitive,' Angela continues, saying that it has been great for Kate in terms of giving her confidence, and experience in handling and training her dog. 'When we bought him first, he was very excitable, barking and jumping around. Ideally, he would be on a farm herding sheep. But we don't have sheep, we have a cat, so he herds the cat,' she laughs. Out in the ring, Aussie, who has benefited from a session at the dog groomers and slept in a coat so as not to muss up his blow dry, trots, sits and stands, beautifully obedient, as Kate shows him off in style. But today another dog wins: 'She handled the dog really well,' says McCullough, but adds that even though in this class he's judging the handler's abilities, he needs to see the handler acting in such a way that the dog is the focus. I start to think of James Herriot and the goldfish again, and wonder at the commitment of it all. There are Irish Kennel Club-affiliated shows across Ireland every weekend, and people also travel from the UK to take part. Having been a dog lover all my life, and dog owner for most of it, the Kennel Club had always been a bit of a mystery. Our first dog was a 'gift' from a neighbour who couldn't be sure who her labrador had been meeting up with after hours, and our subsequent pets were always rescues. All have been deeply loved, but none, I imagine, would cut the mustard among this bunch. Watching Christopher Guest's 2001 film Best in Show in preparation isn't too much help either, and I'm confused as to how some classes have only one entrant, and that entrant isn't necessarily guaranteed a rosette. Eddy McCormack from Co Meath and a winning Irish Wolfhound called Feargal. Picture by Noel Sweeney McCullough enlightens me. Dogs can be graded as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Sufficient, Cannot be Judged or Disqualified. The top award is a Green Star. Get seven Green Stars under seven different judges and yours is a Champion dog. According to Kennel Club rules, 'Cannot Be Judged' applies when a dog doesn't want to walk, stand and be judged (and don't we all have those days?); while disqualification happens in the case of aggressive dogs, or 'dogs who do not correspond to their breed standard'. A dog can also be disqualified if it has a 'characteristic that could threaten their future health'. In part, this is a measure to roll back the over-breeding that was causing genetic and physical weaknesses in dogs in the past. You also can't show a dog that has been neutered, which points to another reason for all the primping, grooming, and training. Some of it comes from a heady combination of a love of dogs, a desire to show and show off, and a healthy instinct for competition; but an awful lot also has to do with money. HIGH STAKES While the cost of pure-bred dogs peaked during the pandemic, prices are still high. Pedigree pups can cost north of €1,000, and the offspring of a champion will attract higher prices. Do the sums on a litter of 10 pups, and you can see how financially attractive the accolade can be. In an attempt to crack down on 'puppy farms', the Dog Breeding Establishments Act of 2010 requires larger breeding operations to register, and the Animal Health and Welfare Act of 2013 added further safeguards. Today, the ISPCA and Dogs Trust do sterling work in animal welfare, which is still sadly necessary; while the Irish Kennel Club has a code of ethics by which all registered breeders must abide. Seven rings in simultaneous action at the Mallow Show, and the variety of dogs is phenomenal. Pat O'Regan is showing a pair of Kerry blues, both proud possessors of plenty of Green Stars. Showing the characteristics of their breed, they're alert to the chance for a scrap, but in the ring they are model dogs. People come by for chats, congratulating and consoling, and sharing dog gossip. Dog trainer and handler Jule Pratt from Kilkenny congratulates Mexican Hairless Roxy who is owned by Aelita Verreva, after winning Adult Bitch and Best of Breed. Picture by Noel Sweeney Aelita Verreva is rushing to get her rosette, with Mexican hairless, Roxy under her arm. Roxy has just won Best of Breed. 'Lola's hair is too fluffy,' wails a small girl with sequins on her sleeves, being pulled along by a dog that is indeed very fluffy. Leona Mihoc is taking a break with her dog, Zizi. 'You're from The Examiner?' she says, revealing that the last time she was in this newspaper was when she had been photographed at a dog show in 1980. 'I was Leona Kelly back then. And I was a baby in a pram, with a dog.' The dog treat stall is doing brisk business, selling healthy snacks including things to do with rabbits and compressed carrot. Squeaky toys are available. What peace-loving person would buy a squeaky toy? You'd be amazed. People wear dry robes over their neat show clothes, and a constant stream of red rosettes is being dispatched from the committee tent. Dobermans pace around, and an enormous Irish wolfhound is having his nether regions sniffed by an Italian greyhound – or at least the Italian greyhound is attempting a sniff: the pair are the largest and smallest sight hounds in the world. There is a clear lack of dog dirt around the place, and it is notable how the dogs don't cock their legs in the show ring. After all, the scents — to a dog's nose — must be irresistible, and as the owner of any male dog will know, they want to pee on anything with an intriguing sniff. 'It's the training,' I'm told.'They know they're working when they're in the ring.' Leona Mihoc after winning Best in Breed with Zizi the border terrier. Picture: Noel Sweeney GORGEOUS! It is also astonishing how dog breeds go far beyond looks. Terriers are excitable, labradors are noble but hungry and can never, ever get enough love, whippets want to be with you. My eye is drawn to an exquisitely beautiful Afghan hound wearing a headscarf, having a run with his handler in the nearby field. Evie Williams has brought Micah: full show name: Altside Micah Hot Prophet; over from the UK, and we chat as the Afghan can't help but pose. 'He's featured in adverts for Yves Saint Laurent,' Williams says, offering to whip Micah's headscarf off. We won't quite be seeing him in his full glory, she explains, as his long hair is held in expert bunches, Williams being a dog groomer by trade. Micah shakes his head like the supermodel he is, in a move that wouldn't be out of place in one of those slow-mo shots from the movies, where the heroine takes off a motorcycle helmet and surprises the hero with her extraordinary exquisiteness. Do dogs know they're gorgeous? Or am I just projecting? Micah doesn't seem to care. He sits there entirely aloof, the tilt of his head suggesting that he might, perhaps, give you a second of his time for a biscuit, but that it wouldn't do to count on it. Judge Ronnie Tolson from Bangor Co Down, Winner Martin McDonell Belfast with a Min. L/H Dachshund, and Sean Martin from Crossmaglen Co Antrim. Picture by Noel Sweeney Ronnie Tolson has been judging dog shows since 1985, and his work takes him all over the world. 'You start off being allowed to judge one breed,' he says. 'The regulations have changed, but when I started, the following year, you're allowed to judge four breeds.' These days he can judge any breed, and given that there are more than 400 recognised breeds in the world, that's quite a feat. I wonder how he manages to ignore the cuteness factor, skipping appealing eyes for something more – for want of better words — caninely significant. 'I judge most of the dogs on their movement,' he says. 'If they move well and correctly, they are correct.' Julie Beaumont is petting Amica, her Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever which, with apologies to the breed, looks a little like a collie that has been shrunk and dyed red. 'She's the only one currently showing at the moment in Ireland,' says Beaumont. 'But we go over to Scotland and England every now and again and see her family. She actually belongs to my daughter, Sophia Rose. We've had this breed since 1998, but she's our first show dog.' She's doing well too, having been placed at Crufts in London. 'The best thing about showing,' says Beaumont, 'is the people. We started with so little stuff — now we have all the regalia — but at first people were so willing to invite us into their fold and be helpful. Perhaps,' she considers, 'one of the lucky things was that she's the only one, so we're able to be everybody's friend.' Find a calendar of dog shows in Ireland at The Irish Kennel Club, See also
