2 days ago
Keane and Browne McMonagle double up at Limerick
Reigning champion jockey Colin Keane and future champion Dylan Browne McMonagle were the men in ascendency on Wednesday night's card in Limerick, both men recording a double.
Keane, who recently took the role as first jockey for Juddmonte's European horses, completed his brace first, doing so with the Ray Cody-trained Enziya in the Conference & Banqueting Facilities At Limerick Handicap, and Michael O'Callaghan's evergreen Facethepuckout in the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Memorial Handicap.
Of the latter, Keane commented: 'He had a very good run the last day over six, around Listowel, which wouldn't be ideal for him, but you'd love the way he came home,' said Keanen. 'Today, he jumped well (from stalls) and everyone took back, so we were quite content after that.
'It was a three-and-a-half-furlong sprint, and when they started coming to him, they only helped me.
'He's a right lead horse at home, by all accounts. He does a lot of work for Michael, and he still loves the game at that age, so it's brilliant. He very much wants it, and he's a lovely horse to have around the place.' The drop back to a mile worked the oracle for Valorous Power, who ran out a comfortable winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden to give Browne McMonagle the first leg of his near 23-1 double.
Riding for his boss, Joseph O'Brien, he set out to make all the running and always looked to be within his comfort zone. Newcomer Hellorhighwater, from the Gavin Cromwell stable, posted a superb effort to take second place and surely won't have to wait too long for his first turn.
'He did a bit too much early at the Curragh, but coming back to a mile was good for him,' said McMonagle, of the comfortable winner. 'I was always just going through the motions with him, and he did it well.' A very different ride was required to complete the brace aboard the Kieran Cotter-trained Martinelli, in the Summer Racing at Limerick Handicap. Held up early, he made steady progress to challenge a furlong out, and responded well to pressure to stretch more than two clear of his nearest rival, Heliogabalus.
'This fella is a fairly solid horse,' said the winning rider. 'He travels really well in his races, but probably doesn't kill himself when he gets there.
'He was second here a few weeks ago, to Church Mountain on heavy ground, but he didn't finish off the last furlong on the deep conditions.
'I didn't want to be any further forward than I was, to give him every chance of hitting the line today, so it worked out well. He relaxed fine, travelled into it really good, and won well.' A strong pace in the first division of the Follow Limerick On Instagram worked a treat for the Andy Slattery-trained Zaraahmando, who was dropping back to seven furlongs having run well over a mile last time.
In sixth place for much of the trip, he made his move in the straight and, while he was inclined to edge right under pressure, his jockey, Andy Slattery, guided him to the front inside the final furlong and on to a clearcut success.
The second division was won in similarly emphatic fashion by the Sean Davis-trained and ridden In The Minus, who came from midfield to sprint clear from over a furlong out to quickly put the race beyond doubt.
The Wallstone Grant Thornton Optional Claiming Race opened up proceedings, and Solomon, who was best in at the weights, made the most of the opportunity. Dylan O'Connor brought Denis Hogan's four-year-old with a well-judged run to win quite readily. There were successful claims for the first five home.
The finale produced one of the best finishes of the night, and it was the Jessica Maye-ridden and Willie McCreery-trained Party Dress who landed the spoils.
In a share of the lead from a long way out, the grey mare, who was sporting a tongue-tie for the first time, looked like a sitting duck, but she responded generously to Maye's calls to fend off the late effort of Makaiah by a short head.
