Premier performances at Killarney

Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan got favourite backers off to a winning start on day one of the July Festival in Killarney. The pair landed the eight-furlong maiden for two-year-olds with Bremen which built on a hugely promising effort at Tipperary twelve days previously as he beat the Johnny Murtagh-trained Thor’s Hammer by a length and three-parts.

Paddy Twomey was next into the winners’ enclosure as Bella Blue Eyes pipped the Dermot Weld-trained Nation’s Call to win the conditions’ race for three-year-olds over the same distance. The Edward Walsh-owned chance got the better of a protracted battle with the favourite and came out best in a photo-finish under Billy Lee.

Thurles trainer Hilary McLoughlin won the eight-furlong handicap with the Top five Syndicate-owned Howyoulikethat. Ridden by Chris Hayes, the 11/2 chance came from off the pace to lead well inside the final furlong and was well on top at the line as he beat the Paul McEnery-trained Fools Glory, ridden by Andrew Slattery, by three and a quarter lengths.

Paddy Twomey was a winner again as Vain Gloria made an impressive wining debut in the fillies and mares’ maiden over eight furlongs on day two. Billy Lee was in the saddle as the favourite raced to a two and three-parts of a length win over the Jim Bolger-trained Golden Spangle in the colours of owners Stanley Watson and Trevor Stewart.

Jockey Andrew Slattery gave Curragh trainer John O'Donoghue his second winner in as many days as Final Check scored a narrow success in the eight-furlong handicap for three-year-olds. The 15/2 chance held off the late challenge of Pat Martin’s So Messi by a head for owner Anthony Rogers.

Joey Sheridan was also on the mark for a Kildare-based trainer as he won the eight-furlong handicap for older horses on Michael O'Callaghan’s Church Mountain. The Joe Kelly-owned five-year-old was having just his second start for the trainer and he came from a little off the pace to lead well inside the final furlong to score by half a length from Darren Bunyan’s Giuseppe Cassioli.

Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee were on the mark for the third night running as Deepone made it two wins from as many starts in the eight-furlong median sires race for two-year-olds. A strong odds-on favourite, he made much of the running to record a three and a half-length success over the Joseph O'Brien-trained Nor Time Nor Tide. The Group 1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Festival in September is a definite possibility.

Rachael Blackmore led home a 1-2 for Navan-based trainer Cian Collins in the two and a half-mile mares’ hurdle at Killarney on Thursday as Presenting Doyen got the better of Effernock Fizz to win. The 11/1 winner came from the back of the field under Rachael Blackmore to score by three and a quarter lengths and the pair were all of 24 length ahead of Sam Curling’s favourite Troubled Times.

Rathvin trainer Harry Kelly and Killenaule amateur jockey Adam Ryan won the first of two bumpers on the card, the James Collins Memorial INH Flat Race, with the Bridget Hanbury-owned debutante Easy Peasy. The 12/1 chance led before the furlong pole and held Dancing Dame.

Aidan O'Brien struck with an odds-on shot at Leopardstown on Thursday where Opera Singer won the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden for two-year-olds. Ryan Moore brought the odds-on favourite home by a length and a half from her own stable companion Andromeda which was ridden by Seamie Heffernan.

Rachael Blackmore was also on the mark at Killarney on Friday where she recorded a double. She teamed up with Kilkenny trainer Louise Lyons to land the near three-mile handicap hurdle on Lady Rita. Owned and bred by Ken Kinahan, the seven-year-old led at the third-last hurdle and saw off the Gordon Elliott-trained Uhtred from the last to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Gondor, trained by Colm Murphy, comfortably landed the near three-mile handicap chase to complete the jockey’s double. In contrast to her earlier winner, Blackmore brought the Murphy’s Law Syndicate-owned 4/1 chance with a late run to lead towards the finish and deny Eamonn Sheehy’s Rudy Catrail by two and a half lengths.

Having ridden earlier in the day at Killarney, Cian Quirke hitched a lift by helicopter to Kilbeggan and it certainly paid off as he recorded the first treble of his career. He teamed up with trainer Andy Slattery to take the second division of the handicap hurdle over two miles and two furlongs on Kellie’s Dream. In the colours of owner Dr Ronan Tynan, the six-year-old ran out an easy four and three-pats of a length winner over the John McConnell-trained Silverstrand.

Galway trainer Barry Murphy gave Quirke his second winner as Pakens Rock won the first of the handicap chases. The Raymond Healy-owned ten-year-old held off the late run of the Oliver McKiernan-trained Junior Rattler by half a length having led before the final fence.

Thurles trainer Patrick Carey supplied Quirke’s final winner in the shape of the veteran Seskin Flyer which took the concluding handicap chase. The twelve-year-old led before halfway and went clear from the final fence to beat the John Carr-trained First Race Gilligansvoyage by three and a half lengths.

With two point-to-point winners to her name, Grangemore trainer Una Corcoran landed her first racecourse success as Toppy’s Boy took the two-mile two-furlong maiden hurdle. The five-year-old is named after the trainer’s late father Tim and he scored at odds of 66/1 when beating the Aidan Howard-trained Edge Of My Seat by three and three-parts of a length.

Success for Savethelastdance in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks was the highlight on another big day for champion trainer Aidan O'Brien at the Curragh on Saturday. She left it late but delivered in the hands of Ryan Moore when wearing down English raider Bluestocking close to the finish to win by half a length with her front-running stable companion Library and length and three-parts away in third place. The 10/11 favourite gave O'Brien his seventh Irish Oaks triumph, making him, not surprisingly, the leading trainer in the race.

O'Brien and Moore also won the Comer Group International Curragh Cup with the four-year-old Emily Dickinson which impressed with a three-length success from the Paddy Twomey-trained Rosscarbery.

The afternoon had started well for the pair as the newcomer Henry Longfellow won the seven-furlong maiden for two-year-olds with a one and three-parts of a length win from the Joseph O'Brien-trained Mythology.

David Marnane gave Luke McAteer his 100th career success as Jakajaro won the six-furlong nursery handicap. The 15/2 chance scored in great style as he beat Darren Bunyan’s Sanshiro by an easy four and a quarter lengths.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Naas – Wednesday, July 26 (First Race 4.45pm)

Leopardstown – Thursday, July 27 (First Race 5.12pm)

Limerick – Thursday, July 27 (First Race 5.35pm)

Down Royal – Friday, July 28 (First Race 5.10pm)

Cork – Friday, July 28 (First Race 5.22pm)

Gowran Park – Saturday, July 29 (First Race 3.02pm)