HORSE RACING: A brilliant week for Tipperary jockeys and trainers

Silkies Sib and Sean Bowen on their way to winning for trainer Tim Doyle and his wife Claire at Tipperary on Sunday. Photo: Patrick McCann/Racing Post

What a week it was for Tipperary connections in the world of racing. It all started off when Fozzy Stack and jockey Andrew Slattery were among the winners at Cork on Wednesday afternoon where Elsa’s Pride scored a narrow success in the 12-furlong handicap.

Owned and bred by Francis Brooke, the 25/1 chance lost a little ground breaking away from the stalls but she finished with a flourish to pip Tony Mullins’ front-running 5/2 favourite Oakley by half a length.

Aidan O'Brien’s Starry Eyed had a little more in hand as she won the 10-furlong fillies and mares’ maiden under Seamie Heffernan.

The 8/13 favourite made all the running and went clear inside the final furlong to beat the Jessica Harrington-trained Feathertop by a length and a half.

Trainer Andy Slattery sent out Lady Of The Vale to win the two-mile one-furlong mares’ hurdle at Bellewstown on Wednesday.

The Billy Neville-owned 13/2 chance led at the third-last hurdle and was well on top at the line in the hands of Cian Quirke as she beat John McConnell’s 11/4 favourite Rockview Consort.

Edward O'Grady took the second division of the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with the Mark McDonagh-ridden Gwan Tadhg.

Owned by the trainer’s son Jonathan, the six-year-old was successful for the pair at Downpatrick last month and had finished runner-up to the gambled-on Anyway at the same track just two days previously.

He was an easy winner on this occasion as he beat the Oliver McKiernan-trained Chemdawg by two and a half lengths at odds of 15/8 favourite.

Aidan O'Brien got one over on his youngest son as the Seamie Heffernan-ridden Pop Star won the opening near six-furlong three-year-old maiden at Navan on Wednesday.

The 100/30 chance made much of the running to beat Donnacha O'Brien’s 1/3 favourite Yoesmite Valley by three-parts of a length.

Ben Coen notched up his 200th career win as the Johnny Murtagh-trained Signora Bellissima landed the eight-furlong handicap.

An 18/1 chance in the colours of the Nick Bradley Racing Club, the three-year-old raced up with the pace from her favourable low draw and gamely held off the Ger Lyons-trained Perfect Poise by a nose.

Gavin Ryan was out of luck on the long odds-on favourite in the opening race but he ended the session with a winner as the Eoin McCarthy-trained Tory Reel took the second leg of the 14-furlong handicap.

Owned by the Hunting Lodge Syndicate, the 100/30 chance got up in the dying strides to pip the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Beautiful Chaos by a neck.

Time To Boogie gave Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan a second Navan success when winning the eight-furlong fillies and mares’ maiden in fine style on Saturday.

The 100/30 chance led a furlong from the finish and pulled away to beat Jim Bolger’s Finsceal Go Deo by two and a half lengths.

Donnacha O'Brien and Gavin Ryan shared the final winner of the day as Earth Dance took the 10-furlong maiden in similar fashion.

The 8/11 favourite was well on top at the line as he beat the Fozzy Stack-trained Guinevere’s Spirit by three lengths.

Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan opened proceedings at Tipperary on Sunday afternoon with a win for Los Angeles in the nine-furlong maiden.

The 13/2 shot was another to win with plenty in hand as he beat Joseph O'Brien’s Surfers Paradise by two and a quarter lengths.

Tim Doyle saddled the winners of the final two races on the card and he shared his success with jockeys Sean Bowen and Gavin Ryan.

Bowen was in the saddle as 11/2 chance Silkies Sib beat Jessica Harrington’s Snowhaven by half a length to win the nine-furlong apprentice maiden while Ryan was on the mark on 20/1 shot Maralinga which won the 12-furlong handicap by two and three-parts of a length from the Eamonn O’Connell-trained Kings Prince.

Both winners run in the colours of the trainer’s wife Claire and for good measure, she also bred the three-year-old Silkies Sib.

The following are the upcoming fixtures for the coming days: 

Gowran Park – Wednesday, September 6 (First Race 2.20pm)

Cork – Wednesday, September 6 (First Race 4.29pm)

Clonmel – Thursday, September 7 (First Race 4.20pm)

Kilbeggan – Friday, September 8 (First Race 4.02pm)

Down Royal – Friday, September 8 (First Race 3.50pm)

Leopardstown – Saturday, September 9 (First Race 1.45pm)

Curragh – Sunday, September 10 (First Race 1.50pm)