Racing Review- Joseph O’Brien celebrates quickfire flat treble at Naas
The Owning based trainer had a successful week on the track
Joseph O’Brien went on a bit of a tear midway through Saturday’s card at Naas, taking three consecutive races.
The hat-trick began in one of the day’s features with Dancing Destiny swooping from off the pace in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes for juveniles over a mile.
She scored by three-quarters of a length at 5-1. Chris Hayes rode this filly with stable Dylan Browne McMonagle opting to ride One Number instead and who finished third.
“When she won on debut at Roscommon that was over seven and half furlongs. Her two defeats were over shorter. Back to the mile today suited her. She seems to need a stiffer test of stamina,” O’Brien said.
Browne McMonagle was on board the remaining two winners, however, for his boss, starting with Mai Dahlia (4-5 favourite) in the fillies’ maiden over a mile. She won easily by five lengths.
Rodeo Blues was the next to cheer punters, the 11-4 joint favourite landing the staying handicap for three-year-olds rated up to 60. Danny Mullins teamed up with local trainer Charles Byrnes for quick double, including the featured Grade 3 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle via 18-1 outsider Run For Oscar.
This was a fair training feat from Byrnes who was producing his classy veteran to perform to his very best on his first run since last October.
A super ride from Mullins also helped in a race that turned into a duel in the home straight with the 11-10 favourite Daddy Long Legs, trained by Willie Mullins.
Run For Oscar, winning for the ninth time in an excellent career on the Flat and over jumps, had two lengths to spare.
One race earlier, Eastmore turned the Cappawhite Civil Engineering Handicap Hurdle into a procession for the same trainer and jockey.
Owned by Justin Carthy and Patrick O’Brien and the subject of some meaty bets into 10-11 favourite, this race was over long as the winner turned for home, some 15 lengths clear and racing towards the near side. He maintained that margin to the line.
Alwaysanangel (15-2) looked the part on her debut at Fairyhouse on Wednesday, the first leg of a 59-1 double for trainer Joseph O’Brien and champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
The newcomer quickened up very smartly from a rearward position to swiftly settle the two-year-old contest by three lengths. This filly looks like one to follow in better races.
Kirkland Sioux (6-1) brought up the double in the extended mile handicap for three-year-olds rated up to 70 and sponsored by Gain feeds. This filly was dropping back in distance from a mile and a half when making her handicap debut a few weeks prior.
The Donegal rider positioned his mount close to the pace and kicked clear from early in the home straight to oblige by over three lengths. She too looks one to stay on the right side of, provided the handicapper doesn’t overly react.
Soir De Garde got trainer Willie Mullins off to a good start at Wexford on Tuesday, battling to victory in the beginners’ chase for local rider Sean O’Keeffe.
It will be hard for this horse to emulate the deeds of his half-brother State Man, 12 times a Grade 1 winner for the same connections, but his second career victory was a step in the right direction at least.
Soir De Garde won by just over a length at odds of 11-4 from the fast-finishing William Tell.
Mic Drop made it two wins in a row for Piltown trainer David O’Brien when taking the Tintern Trails Handicap Chase over two miles at Wexford on Tuesday. Owned and bred by Peter Tarrant, this gelding had won on his previous start at Limerick and added to the tally in some style, winning by over five lengths as a 5-1 chance.
Josh Williamson, the winning rider, later said: “I had planned to be upsides the lead, on the pace, but at the first fence, he jammed the brakes on with a very slow jump. “But he warmed up after that and it turned out his jumping is his biggest asset. He settled perfectly in behind and when I asked him he got the job done nicely.”