Dundalk report: Cooler gets Ger Lyons off the mark for 2023
In the famous colours of Juddmonte, Cooler gave Ger Lyons and his Glenburnie team a first win of 2023 when justifying 5-4 favouritism in the Book Online At DundalkStadiumn.com Maiden at the Louth venue.
Ridden by champion jockey Colin Keane, the Frankel filly was in front early, then got a lead from free-going Marino Point until taking over with more than three furlongs from home. She stayed on dourly up the straight to beat market rival Segomo by two and three-quarter lengths.
“She’s a well-bred filly and it was imperative that she won her maiden, being by what she’s by,” explained assistant trainer Shane Lyons. “She’s very, very genuine. Her biggest attribute is that she wears her heart on her sleeve.
“We’ll see what the handicapper thinks of her and see what the Juddmonte team says before we take the next step with her.”
Keane went on to complete a double onboard joint top-weight Tai Sing Yeh, a welcome winner for James McAuley, in the concluding six-furlong handicap.
The nine-year-old held off favourite Collective Power by a length and a half to record his ninth career success, prompting his trainer to explain: “The horses were sick before Christmas, without us knowing — they had badly inflamed lungs. But they’re on the mend and this is a welcome winner.”
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Tosen Wish overcame a lengthy absence (since October 2022) when justifying 9-4 favouritism, on his stable debut, in the featured Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer & Jockey Championship Handicap.
Ridden by Hugh Horgan, the diminutive New Bay colt won a Navan maiden as a two-year-old when trained by Takashi Kodama, racing manager to his owner Takaya Shimawaka, but hadn’t been seen since.
However, he came from off the pace to master Inflection Point with the Ado McGuinness pair, Hightimeyouwon and Hodd’s Girl in third and fourth respectively.
Having ridden his fifth winner of the new year, Horgan said: “The only question was whether he was fit enough after a long break, but he proved out there that he is. He was green, a bit lazy and behind the bridle, but he picked up and came home very well. There should be plenty of improvement in him. He hit the line strong, so another furlong won’t be a problem.”
Successful with odds-on favourite Jackpot De Choisel in the opener over in Ayr, John McConnell completed an across-the-card double when Rockview Consort belatedly opened her account, under Siobhan Rutledge, in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden, beating Banned by three-quarters of a length.
The Camelot filly, sent off the 3-1 favourite, had filled the runner-up berth on her three previous visits to Dundalk and deserved the change of luck.
“She deserved that and is really a mile-and-a-half filly," her trainer said. "It’s great to win with her and we have plenty to look forward to, both on turf and when she goes hurdling — she has schooled very well. I told Siobhan not to wait on her, to kick early and stretch them. She gave the filly a very straight-forward ride.”
The familiar silks carried to Group 1 success by Sole Power and Slade Power, were victorious in the five-furlong View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Maiden as Chris Hayes brought 61-rated Bonny Power (11-1) with a sustained challenge down the centre of the course to outpoint favourite On Our Radar.
The Twilight Son filly is trained by Eddie Lynam, who said: “My daughter Amy picked her out as a yearling. I thought she was going to be okay last year, but she disappointed a few times here. I’d say the drop back to five and her experience stood to her.”
In tremendous form with his jumpers, Gavin Cromwell was on the mark again when Musical Rhapsody (Gary Carroll) toughed it out well to see off favourite Gracesolution by three-quarters of a length in the Floodlit Friday Nights At Dundalk Stadium Handicap over a mile and a half.
The winning rider stated: “Gavin’s horses are in great form, jumping and flat. This filly is very tough and tries hard. She ran flat the last day and just needed to be freshened up.”
The Pat Martin-trained mare Indiana Grey (Jack Kearney) returned to winning ways when getting the better of Royal Tribute in the first division of the seven-furlong 47-65 handicap while, making a quick reappearance after a fourth in a maiden on Friday, Anthony McCann’s filly Circles landed the second division under Seamus Heffernan, scooting home four lengths clear of The Cola Brasil.
