Double delight for Queally at Limerick
NICE PROSPECT: Twentyfourcarrot and Emily Cody run away with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Bumper. Picture: Healy Racing
Declan Queally saddled a 72.5-1 double on Tuesday’s card in Limerick, doing so with two very different performances from Diamond Nora and Twentyfourcarrot.
The first leg came courtesy of 20-1 chance Diamond Nora, who had to dig incredibly deep to take the Panoramic Restaurant @ Limerick Races Mares’ Handicap Hurdle. Market leader Jeaniemacaroney was in contention and looking like the most likely winner for much of the straight, but Liam McKenna, riding point-to-point and maiden hurdle winner Diamond Nora, got a great tune out of his mount and she wore down the favourite close home to shade the verdict.
The double had to wait until the finale, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Bumper, but it came in great style when Twentyfourcarrot ran out a wide-margin winner under Emily Cody. Out of a dam who won a bumper and three times over hurdles, at distances up to three miles, she looks a smart prospect to go jumping with.
Rut Daniels ran out a wide-margin winner of the opener, the Conference & Banqueting Facilities At Limerick Racecourse Maiden Hurdle. Riding for trainer Harry Kelly, jockey Ryan Treacy sat a clear second behind the pace-setting and gambled-on Coffeys Forge until that one began to feel the pinch jumping the last flight down the back. Though the field had closed up behind him, Rut Daniels quickly took control and went clear for a facile success.
Joseph O’Brien and Oakley Brown teamed up to take the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle with Cottesloe Sunshine. The mare set quite a modest pace and when the gambled-on favourite, Balko d’Ange, who made a bad mistake at the first and jumped indifferently thereafter, managed to mount a challenge going to the last, there was plenty left in the tank for the five-year-old to quicken away once again to record a comfortable success.
Philip Rothwell and Tiernan Power Roche are enjoying a great run, and they combined for a fourth winner in 10 days when Prince Quattro took the first division of the Limerick Races On Facebook Handicap Hurdle. The five-year-old made most of the running and when Inchiquin Maid moved up apparently going quite well, he put in good leaps over the last two flights to pull away from that rival for a comfortable victory, the front two a long way clear of the remainder.
The second division went to the admirable Jack Holiday, who was winning for the sixth time in his career but only second time over timber. Tom Harney made all the running aboard David Christie’s ten-year-old and looked to have the measure of his rivals as they jumped the second-last. Road To The Weir looked a threat soon after but it was the late rally of She’s On Line which forced the veteran to pull out all the stops for a head victory.
Hees Dynamite employed similar tactics and yielded the same result when taking the Mr Binman Christmas Racing Festival December 26-29 Handicap Hurdle. Ridden by Callum Hogan and continuing what has been a great season for local trainer Eric McNamara, he never really looked to be in any trouble despite Ondfortheditch and Boston Rajj staying on nicely all the way to the line.
The day was one Jack Bennett will remember for a very long time as Dancing After Dark gave the Bruff trainer his first winner inside the rails. The mare, a winner of Belcare maiden point-to-point and a winner-of-one at Liscarroll, had shown a degree of promise in previous outings on the track but was much the best on this occasion. Travelling strongly from the outset, the Philip Donovan-trained 16-1 chance coasted to the front turning for home and had little trouble getting the local trainer up and running on the track.
