It’s always endearing to see the return of a top-class steeplechaser from injury and the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Sir Des Champs overcame a lengthy absence to win the Boomerang Animal Bedding And Boomerang Horse & Country Store at Thurles on Thursday of last week. The Willie Mullins-trained Sir Des...
Racing
Road To Riches claims Clonmel Feature
Road To Riches claims Clonmel Feature
The main meeting of the year at Clonmel took place on Thursday of last week with the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase occupying centre stage at the Powerstown Park venue. Some five runners went to post for the coveted two and a half mile contest which came complete with a first prize of €30, 875. It was Road To Riches that...
Sizing Scorpion strikes for De Bromhead
Sizing Scorpion strikes for De Bromhead
The national hunt season is really beginning to hit top gear at present and Henry de Bromhead continued his stellar campaign at Fairyhouse on Wednesday of last week by sending out Sizing Scorpion to win the Your Clubs Fundraiser Enquiry Today Handicap Hurdle. Sizing Scorpion, who came into this race with a rating of...
Identity Thief impresses in Down Royal feature
Identity Thief impresses in Down Royal feature
Henry de Bromhead is experiencing an absolutely stellar season and the local Knockeen-based handler appears to have another potentially top-class prospect on his hands in the form of Identity Thief who made a victorious return to action in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle, the featured event on the first session of the two-day...
Thurles win for Tintown
Thurles win for Tintown
The first jumps meeting of the season at Thurles took place on Thursday of last week and Bonnemahon-based handler Vincent Halley kept his supporter happy by sending out Tintown Rambler to collect thewww.thurlesraces.ie Beginners Chase in the hands of Andrew Lynch. The towering Tintown Rambler, who showed promise in...
Punchestown win for Houlihan
Punchestown win for Houlihan
The first session of the two-day Punchestown meeting took place on Wednesday of last week and 20-year-old Sean Houlihan from Dungarvan will certainly treasure fond memories of the occasion for he partnered his initial winner on Irish soil aboard Petuna in the closing Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Flat Race. The...
Blood in the Weigh Room
Blood in the Weigh Room
Jockeys are by their very nature a tough crew. They simply have to be. There’s no other sport I can think of where two on course ambulances are mandatory before a race meeting can begin. There isn’t a national hunt jockey riding today who hasn’t suffered his or her fair share of bumps and bruises while many have...
Shantou flies home at Sligo
Shantou flies home at Sligo
Kiltealy, Co Wexford handler Colin Bowe has his team in cracking order at present and he struck with Shantou Flyer in the closing Foley’s Bar & Off Licence Chase at Sligo on Wednesday of last week. Sent off the 9/10 favourite to beat his three opponents, Shantou Flyer disputed the lead from the fifth fence until...
Ballychorus on song at Ballinrobe
Ballychorus on song at Ballinrobe
The final Ballinrobe meeting of 2015 took place at the popular Co Mayo track on Tuesday of last week and Goresbridge handler Mag Mullins seems to have a genuine top-class mare on her hands in Ballychorus who landed the Eamon Sheridan Plant Hire & Ground Works Chase. The King’s Theatre-sired Ballychorus made all...
Casey's Winning Farewell
Casey's Winning Farewell
David Casey retired from a long and successful riding career in great style at Listowel last week with a winning farewell. In fairness, getting the leg up on the 1/6 hot favourite was hardly the most challenging moment of the Waterford jockey’s career and the Susannah Ricci owned Long Dog romped to an easy nine and a...
Rogue Angel wins Listowel Feature
Rogue Angel wins Listowel Feature
The Listowel festival occupied centre stage last week and Waterford city-born jockey David Casey brought down the curtain on his 20-year riding career at the north Co Kerry track on Wednesday by steering Willie Mullins’ long odds-on shot Long Day to a resounding success in the Ballygarry House Hotel Novice Hurdle....
Motorcycle grasstrack racing in Kilmacthomas
Motorcycle grasstrack racing in Kilmacthomas
The Youth Motorcycling Sporting Association (YMSA) autumn championship kicks off on Sunday next, September 13th at 12 noon at Ballyboy, Kilmacthomas. The event will be the first round of a five round championship which will run over the coming months and is organised by the South Western MX group which is a motocross...
