Powell powers home in Thurles

The Aidan Kelly-ridden Love Bite scored a 40/1 surprise in the near three-mile handicap hurdle at Tipperary on Monday. Trained by Grainne O’Connor, the seven-year-old came from off the pace and led at the second-last hurdle to beat Brian McMahon’s 9/1 shot County Champs by a length and three-parts.

The six-year-old Old Man Dingle won the two and a quarter-mile beginners’ chase for Ricky Doyle and trainer Eoin Griffin at Galway on Tuesday. Owned by the Dunglen Racing Syndicate, the 7/4 joint-favourite raced up with the pace and headed Gavin Cromwell’s Will The Wise, the other joint market leader, close to the finish to score by half a length.

At the first time of asking, the Jessica Harrington-trained Kindergarten landed the near six-furlong median auction maiden at Navan on Wednesday. Ridden by Shane Foley, the 7/1 chance made much of the running to beat her fellow-debutant Ocean’s Breath, a 7/1 shot trained by Ger Lyons, by three-parts of a length.

The Liquid Lunch Syndicate-owned Killashee Warrior scored a cosy success for trainers Edward and Patrick Harty in the eight-furlong auction series maiden for two-year-olds at Thurles on Thursday.

Ridden by Jamie Powell, the 7/4 chance led passing the two-furlong pole and had a little in hand when beating Kevin Coleman’s 28/1 shot Matilda Joslyngage by a length and three-parts. Dermot Weld was also a winner on the card as the Moyglare Stud Farm owned and bred Truth Be Told took the second of the 12-furlong handicaps. Ridden by Chris Hayes, the 15/2 chance led inside the final furlong to beat Michael O’Callaghan’s Lady Plimsoll, another at the same price, by a length and a quarter.

At Tramore on Thursday, Philip Dempsey took the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle with the 10/1 shot Killinure Lass. A winner over fences at the course in May, the Thomas Austin-owned eight-year-old again had Jordan Gainford in the saddle and she raced to a one and a quarter-length win over Enda Bolger’s 10/11 favourite Inthenickoftime.

Dempsey was a winner again at Downpatrick on Friday afternoon where the Donagh Meyler-ridden Seskin Flash landed the two-mile three-furlong beginners’ chase. The 15/2 shot led after the final fence and stayed on strongly up the hill to score by three and a half lengths from Gavin Cromwell’s Sophia Rose, another at odds of 15/2.

David Egan’s flying visit to Dundalk on Friday evening certainly paid off as he won the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Legacy Stakes for two-year-olds on the Adrian Murray-trained Ipanema Queen. The 5/2 chance landed her third win of the season, and her second listed success, when making all the running to beat James Horton’s Newmarket raider Sirius A, a 13/2 shot, by a length. Maynooth-based Sean Davis saddled the 9/1 shot Venetian to win the seven-furlong handicap for owner Sinead O’Scanaill. Ridden by Paddy Harnett, the five-year-old led early in the race and again over a furlong out to score by two and a half lengths from Andy Oliver’s 9/4 favourite Sierra De Gredos. It proved to be a most significant day for Jamie Orr who recorded his first career success on the Bill Durkan-trained Cherry Pink in the 10-furlong apprentice handicap. A cousin of jockeys Conor and Oisin Orr, 18-year-old Jamie had the 11/1 chance in front at the furlong pole to beat the Matthew Smith-trained 18/5 favourite Sarmiento Power by a length.

The Willie McCreery-trained seven-year-old Stag Night recorded his fifth career success with the cosiest of wins in the five-furlong handicap at Naas on Saturday. Owned by the trainer’s wife Amanda and ridden by Billy Lee, the 3/1 favourite was switched off the far rail after a furlong and came from off the pace from over a furlong out to lead inside the final 50 yards. Eased before the line, he scored by half a length from Kieran Cotter’s 15/2 shot Arklow Lad.

Philip Dempsey saddled his third winner in as many days as the nine-year-old Clonbury Bridge took the three-mile handicap chase at Fairyhouse on Saturday. Owned by the CJ & T Syndicate, the Keith Donoghue-ridden 10/1 chance led before halfway and saw off the challenge of Paul Nolan’s 9/2 shot Western Model by a length and a half. Sonny Carey’s warm 11/8 favourite High Notions won the two and a half-mile opportunity mares’ maiden hurdle in the colours of the I’m Going To No Home Syndicate. Ridden by Shane O’Callaghan, the five-year-old led into the straight and held Noel Meade’s 12/1 chance Susie Lenglen by three-parts of a length.

Jessica Harrington sent out her first winner of Sunday afternoon as Quinta Do Lago took the first of the new Academy Hurdle races for unraced three-year-olds at Cork. Ridden by Donagh Meyler, the 15/2 chance led on the run to the final hurdle and he pulled clear to score by a comfortable five and a half lengths from Denis Hogan’s 40/1 shot Lucy The Wire. Bill Durkan enjoyed his second winner in three days as the Philip Byrnes-ridden Wizard Of Odds won the three-year-old maiden hurdle in the colours of the Two D Partnership. Leading early in the straight, the 6/1 chance came home a two and a half-length winner from Joseph O’Brien’s 9/4 favourite Kibris.

The Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate-owned Onemoredance notched up her fifth win of the season when taking the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Garnet Stakes at Naas on Sunday.

Ridden by Ben Coen for trainer Johnny Murtagh, the 33/1 chance led inside the final furlong to beat Aidan O’Brien’s 18/1 shot Smiling by half a length. The three-year-old began the season with a rating of 58 and landed two handicaps at both Tipperary and Leopardstown before Sunday’s career defining success.

The trainer and jockey combination had earlier taken the near six-furlong two-year-old maiden with the well-supported 100/30 chance Chicago Hope.

She battled well for owners Anthony Smurfit and Sam Mencoff to beat Edward and Patrick Harty’s 12/1 shot Michael’s Well by three-parts of a length.

The Joe Murphy-trained Alphecca added to Monday’s success at Killarney when taking the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final in fine style. Gary Carroll was again in the saddle as the 100/30 joint-favourite asserted inside the final furlong to win by a length and a half from the Andy Oliver-trained 16/1 chance Celestial Siren. Jessica Harrington added to her win at Cork as the Colin Keane-ridden Fleur De Chine scored a 22/1 success in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bluebell Stakes. Owned and bred by Kirsten Rausing, the four-year-old was well on top as she beat Joseph O’Brien’s 16/1 chance Beset by a length and a half.

Upcoming Fixtures

Punchestown – Tuesday, October 14 (First race 2.05pm)

Dundalk – Tuesday, October 14 (First race 5pm)

Punchestown – Wednesday, October 15 (First race 1.55pm)

Curragh – Thursday, October 16 (First race 1.15pm)

Thurles – Thursday, October 16 (First race 2.12pm)

Dundalk – Friday, October 17 (First race 5.15pm)

Limerick – Saturday, October 18 (First race 1.45pm)

Leopardstown – Saturday, October 18 (First race 2.10pm)

Leopardstown – Sunday, October 19 (First race 1.55pm)

Limerick – Sunday, October 19 (First race 2.07pm)