Racing Review- Kilkenny success over flat and the jumps

Paul Townend reached a century of winners in Ireland for the sixth time when sharing a single success with Willie Mullins at Downpatrick on Sunday.

They scored when the Malcolm Denmark-owned Toad Hall took the opening two and three-quarter-mile maiden hurdle in fine style. Leading over the final hurdle, the 4/7 favourite powered clear to score by an easy 10 lengths from Henry de Bromhead’s 9/2 chance Quantum Quest.

The father and son team of Shark and Paddy Hanlon won the two and a quarter-mile handicap hurdle with the Alan Cullen-owned A Mere Bagatelle. The 11/2 shot made all the running and won easily by eight and a half lengths from the Gavin Cromwell-trained 4/1 joint-favourite Fool Me Once.

The nine-year-old Lilian Bland led home a 1-2 for County Waterford trainers when winning the two and three-quarter-mile mares’ handicap hurdle at Downpatrick on Sunday. Ridden by Richie Deegan, Niall Hennessy’s 4/1 chance made all the running for the lion’s share of the prizemoney as she saw off Henry de Bromhead’s 9/2 shot Joueuse Royale by two and a quarter lengths. The winner had scored over fences for Deegan and Hennessy at Navan at the beginning of March.

At Leopardstown on Sunday, Jessica Harrington set Shane Foley up for a late double on the card when saddling 5/1 chance Dark Viper to win the first of two eight-furlong handicaps. The Dan Kiely-owned four-year-old led inside the final furlong to beat Stephen Thorne’s 11/2 shot Artful Approach by three-parts of a length.

Foley also won the concluding handicap over the same distance on Dick Donohoe’s 4/1 favourite Brains. Owned by Paul Sweeney, the nine-year-old notched up his 14th career success in all when leading over a furlong from the finish to beat the Robbie Burns-trained 15/2 chance Genuine Jim by a head.

Joseph O'Brien got off the mark for the new Flat season when sharing two winners with Dylan Browne McMonagle at the Curragh on Saturday. The first success of the day came as the 1/2 favourite Mathan ran away with the seven-furlong maiden. The three-year-old led over two furlongs out and came home a three and a quarter-length winner from the Martin Hassett-trained 28/1 chance Dmaniac.

The pair followed up as 9/2 favourite Leinster won the concluding 12-furlong handicap. The four-year-old made all the running to win by two and a half lengths from Ger O’Leary’s 18/1 shot Bear Profit.

Quick jumps at each of the final two fences saw the Willie Mullins-trained Lombron home a comfortable winner of the two and a half-mile beginners' chase at Clonmel on Thursday. Owned by the Roaringwater Syndicate, the Paul Townend-ridden 1/2 favourite gained a definite advantage over Gordon Elliott’s 7/2 shot Western Fold at the second-last and the six-year-old asserted from the final fence to score by two and a quarter lengths, the pair 11 lengths clear of the third-placed Maidenstreetprince, trained by Charles Byrnes. Richie Deegan and County Cork’s Colin Motherway took the two-mile maiden hurdle with the six-year-old Pour One More. The 13/2 chance battled well from the final flight to beat John Ryan’s 50/1 shot Tom Sarah Evelyn by half a length.