Good racing and local success at Wexford

By Dan Walsh at Wexford races

Despite the unsettled summer weather, they were watering the track at Bettyville Park all week and they raced on ‘good’ ground today where the pace was fast and furious. It was Ladies Day and the largest attendance for this year were entertained by good racing and local success in pleasant conditions.

Monbeg Park (11/4) was a popular local winner of the beginners’ chase providing Ballindaggin-based trainer Sean Doyle with a one and three-quarter lengths victory in the colours of the trainer’s brother, Donnchadh Doyle.

Ridden by JJ Slavin, Caim, Enniscorthy, the gelding tracked the leaders in the closing stages but put in a big bold jump over the final fence and overhauled the front runner Caesar Rock to loud cheers from a large attendance at the track. Speaking afterwards, Sean Doyle said; “He is made for fences, he jumped very well today and JJ was always happy with him. I still think there is a big race in him, so we won’t over race him. It’s grand to get his head back in front and it’s great to have a winner at the local track.”

The feature race was the Micheal Ó’Murchadha Memorial Handicap Chase and victory went to the nine-year-old Railway Hurricane (7/1) for the Gavin Cromwell stable and confidently ridden by Conor Stone-Walsh from Cleariestown. There was a Wexford trained runner-up, Flash de Touzaine trained by Liz Doyle and ridden by Sean O’Keeffe and the 3/1 favourite The Short Go filled third place with Caim jockey Jordan Gainford up.

Racheal Blackmore was in the winners’ enclosure after Nouvotic (13/8 favourite) took the opening maiden hurdle for Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead. Conor Stone-Walsh was third on the Colm Murphy trained Nels Son.

There was a happy ending to division two of the Tote sponsored handicap hurdle where Getaway Harry (33/1) ridden by Donagh Meylar provided Danny O’Leary with his first ever winner under rules. Afterwards O’Leary said; “That’s my first winner and I only have one horse. I have the licence about five or six years, and we were due a winner.

“My father and uncle always had racehorses at home, we are farmers though and this is kind of a hobby. We are based in Tullylease on the Cork, Limerick border near Kanturk. He had been working well at home and we were hopeful today. He is family owned and my sister Christina bred him.”

Racing returns to Bettyville Park on Wednesday, July 24^th with an evening meeting on the following day, Thursday, July 25^th and three fixtures in August so plenty of quality racing to enjoy in the sunny South-East.