6 days ago
Red-hot Enright completes Downpatrick double as Wing Back rewards gamble
Phillip Enright continued in sparkling form when sharing a Downpatrick double with Sam Curling, the pair scoring with the gambled-on Wing Back and Fire Coral.
Wing Back was big as 16/1 in the morning and backed into 7/4 favourite and led before the final flight before beating Parkgarve by four and a half lengths in the Denvir's Of Downpatrick Handicap Hurdle.
Enright was understandably very pleased with how things panned out: 'With the hood back on, he relaxed better, jumped well and kept going up the hill. Sam told me he was going well at home and he got the job done.'
The partnership struck again in the Randox Handicap Hurdle as Fire Coral (7/2 joint-favourite) responded to Enright's strong handling on the run-in, staying on bravely score by a neck. Enright, who received a two-day whip ban, was riding his seventh winner in a week.
Curling was full of praise for him. "Phillip is riding brilliantly at the moment," the trainer said. "We got this mare from Cormac Farrell and she was always going to have her day. And I'd say today's trip suited her ideally. She's tough and jumps well and is owned by a syndicate that is local to me at home.'
Without a winner since late May, Sam Ewing matched Enright's brace with an early double on Atomic Queen and Catena Zapata.
Trainer Peter Fahey, who took Kilbeggan's finale on Saturday night, provided Ewing with the first leg of his brace when Limerick bumper winner Atomic Queen edged ahead early on the run-in and powered up the hill to see off favourite Galileo Springs in the ITBA Mares Maiden Hurdle.
'She won her bumper in Limerick and backed it up with a good run in a winners' race in Punchestown,' explained Fahey. 'But we came home from Kilbeggan (her hurdling debut) scratching our heads. Things just went wrong, but it did her no harm and we got the bonus today. I'd say she needs more of a galloping track and if she keeps improving, she might end up being a black-type filly.'
Ewing delivered again when Catena Zapata, claimed out of Henry de Bromhead's yard last month having won a Killarney claimer, opened her hurdling account in the Randox Rated Hurdle. Odds-on favourite Arch Empire flopped, jumping poorly and finishing tailed off, last of four.
Having his second run for Ian Donoghue, the 12/1 outsider of the field made all and stayed going well to beat Redwood Queen by five and a half lengths.
'Everything that comes out of Henry's jumps well and he was good when he schooled on Wednesday morning,' said Donoghue. 'It wasn't the plan to make it, but I left it to Sam. In fairness to him, he found plenty coming up the hill. I'd say we'll mix and match it with him.'
In fine form in recent weeks, trainer John McConnell was also in double form, landing the four-runner WTW Willis Mares Handicap Hurdle with Mrs McGo (Daryl Kidd) and following-up when Finn Brickley made virtually all on 4/5 favourite Minella Supreme in the bumper.
