Returned Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce partners hat-trick of wins in less than a week

Another winner for Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce as Lia Fail (pink cap) wins for trainer Mick Mulvany at Navan on Saturday | PICTURE: Patrick McCann/Racing Post

RATHKEALE trainer Eric McNamara and his son Conor were responsible for back-to-back winners at Ballinrobe on Monday evening of last week.

They combined to win the both divisions of the two and three quarter-mile handicap hurdle, taking the opening leg with the Michael Hannon-owned 100/30 favourite Storm Mahler which beat the Tim Townend-trained Port Rashid by a length. Two and a half lengths was the winning distance as 12/1 shot My Friend The Wind won the second division of the same race for owner Sean Curran.

The eight-year-old raced clear before the final hurdle to beat the Brendan Walsh-trained Miss Laura in good style.

Ballingarry tainer Charles Byrnes and his son Philip were the headline makers at Downpatrick on Monday last where they shared three winners. They landed the opening two-mile two-furlong maiden hurdle with the Patrick O’Shea-owned Dubeyeracingcraic which scored a ready success at odds of 2/1 favourite.

The 8/15 favourite Reverend Hubert gave the pair a second success as he romped to an eight and a half-length win in the two-mile five-furlong maiden hurdle. The James Flaherty-owned five-year-old led at the fourth-last hurdle and drew clear from the penultimate flight to beat Gordon Elliott’s Ringdufferin in fine style.

The father and son treble was completed as Grozni, in the Cathal Byrnes colours, won the two-mile three-furlong beginners’ chase. The 7/2 chance only got on top well after the final fence but he was eased close to the line as he recorded a three and a quarter-length win from the James Fahey-trained Typical Thomas. It was a first career treble for the winning jockey.

Moyross jockey Wesley Joyce notched up his first winner since he returned to from serious injury as Trueba took the opening division of the seven-furlong handicap at Cork on Wednesday last. The Eddie Linehan-trained 9/2 chance led inside the final furlong and held the Michael Fenton-trained Gurkha Girl by a neck.

Joyce was injured in a fall at last year’s Galway festival and he was back in action at Naas early last month. Speaking on RacingTV, Joyce said, “It’s been a while coming, I’ve been hitting the crossbar and in the past three or four weeks, I’ve had three or four seconds and a couple of thirds.

"I was thinking when was the winner going to come! Trueba gave me a winner early in my career, in Limerick, so he’s been a good servant for me and thanks to Eddie, the team, and to everyone here for the support.”

Joyce is certainly making for up for lost time and he was back in the winners’ enclosure again as Enquire Within took the opening division of the all-aged 14-furlong handicap at Navan on Thursday. Trained close to the track by Finbar Hand for owner Maura McGuinness, the 11/1 chance held off the Gordon Elliott-trained Appian Way to win by half a length, a 10th career success for the trainer. Six of those wins have come at Navan and this was his first success since 100/1 chance We Got This landed a maiden hurdle at the track in March. 

Athea trainer Eoin McCarthy won the second leg of the same race with the Hunting Lodge Syndicate-owned Tory Reel. The Gavin Ryan-ridden 100/30 chance got up in the dying strides to pip the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Beautiful Chaos by a neck, adding to his win over hurdles at Killarney in July.

At Wexford on Friday evening, jockey Conor McNamara and Henry de Bromhead combined to win the two-mile three-furlong handicap chase with the six-year-old Downtown Queen. Owned by the John Battersby Racing Club, the 7/1 chance made much of the running and for a cosy two-length win over Ross O'Sullivan’s Pepperocco.

Wesley Joyce rode his third winner of the week as the Mick Mulvany-trained Lia Fail, the outsider of the four-runner field, took the rated race over the five and a half-furlong trip at Navan on Saturday afternoon. In the trainer’s own colours, the 11/2 chance held off the challenge of the Gavin Cromwell-trained 7/4 favourite Megarry by a shorthead with Ger Lyons’ Storm Miami half a length away in third place.

Ballingarry jockey Billy Lee took the second of the five-furlong handicaps with The Highway Rat, trained by Andy Oliver. The 4/1 chance beat the Johnny Murtagh-trained 85/40 favourite Silmaniya by half a length.

Meanwhile, Mark McDonagh and trainer Edward O'Grady took the second division of the two-mile one-furlong handicap hurdle with Gwan Tadhg at Bellewstown on Wednesday.

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.

Upcoming Fixtures

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)