Considine steers Classic Gallery home to victory

CLOONEY jockey Tommy Considine was among the winners at last Sunday’s Galway Blazers point-to-point at Loughrea when he steered Raymond Lee’s 3/1 shot Classic Gallery to victory in the seven-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
A farrier by trade, Considine combines riding in points with his busy work schedule and showed plenty of skill when forcing Classic Gallery, a grey son of Portrait Gallery who runs in the colours of Gort garage owner John Howley, home a length in front of fast-finishing runner-up The Machine Levene.
Winning trainer Lee, who has 14 horses riding out at his Gort stables, was delighted with the outcome.
“That is my first runner of the new season and it fantastic to have started off on a winning note. Tommy (Considine) gave the horse a super ride and it is great for John Howley, who is a cousin of mine, as he has been very supportive over the years.”
Speculating on where Classic Gallery may turn out next, Lee divulged, “He’s a good horse and deserved his win today as he has been very consistent. We will have to go for a winner’s race with him now and I wouldn’t rule out going for a race on the track with him either.”
It was a good day for the usual suspects at the Western venue with Derek O’Connor riding two winners, one of which was for his trainer brother Paurick aboard the impressive Tullymackan (7/4-6/4F) in the winners of two contest.
Part-owned by Tubber businessman Seán Taaffe, the trainer and his uncle, Charlie Moore, Tullymackan won with a good bit in hand. Derek O’Connor bounced the son of Flemensfirth into the lead in the early stages and a series of fine jumps enabled the six-year-old come home half a dozen lengths to the good over the John Brassil-trained Sea Halo.
“This is a fair bit of a horse,” said the in-form O’Connor. “He’ll go to Kirkistown (County Down) next month for a winner of three there and we might give him a spin over hurdles around Limerick at Christmas after that.”
Half an hour later, Derek O’Connor went on to complete a double when guiding northern raider Zemsky (1/1-4/6F) to a comfortable success in the open lightweight.
Trained in County Antrim by Ian Ferguson for owner Ronnie Bartlett, Zemsky was always travelling easily and, once given his head on the approach to two out, the market leader forged effortlessly clear to beat runner-up Heads On The Ground by four lengths.
The winner, who was successful in two hurdles races when based with Nicky Henderson in the UK, is a smart recruit to the open lightweight division and the seven-year-old looks set to be a regular visitor to the number one berth this term.

Final action at Ballybrit

THE curtain comes down on the 2010 racing season at Galway this weekend with the October Bank Holiday fixture on Sunday and Monday.
Racing on Sunday gets underway at 2.40pm with Monday’s session kicking off at 2.35pm. There will be plenty of entertainment on-site with the Guinness Jazz Band adding colour to the occasion while punters will be pleased to hear the tote jackpot is guaranteed to the tune of €5,000 each day. 
Sunday’s feature is the Grade 3 Barna Waste Ballybrit Novice Chase, which has attracted nine entries. Waterford trainer John Kiely holds a strong hand here with recent winners, Head Of The Posse and Taking Stock (both owned by JP McManus), while Noel Meade’s Darcey’s Dancer, who ran a blinder when narrowly beaten by Golden Kite in the Munster National at Limerick recently, is also listed for duty.  
The Castlegar Handicap Chase is the showpiece on Bank Holiday Monday, with much attention set to focus on the expected reappearance of Paul Gilligan’s Cheltenham winner, Bertie’s Dream, who is due to have his first outing over fences in Monday’s WB Gavin & Sons two-mile, six-furlong Beginners’ Chase.
A revelation last term, Bertie’s Dream handed Craughwell-based Gilligan his biggest training success to date when springing a 33/1 shock in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March under a well judged ride from Andrew Lynch. Gilligan is hoping his charge can make the same impact over the larger obstacles.
His participation on Monday hinges very much on the weather, however, as rain is needed if Gilligan’s stable star, who races in the silks of the Half A Keg Syndicate from Dublin, is to go to post.
Meanwhile, Naas proved a happy hunting ground last Sunday for Quin racing enthusiast Mike ‘Parnell’ Clune and his son, Conor, who are members of the Winning Ways Enigma Syndicate that own 7/1 bumper winner Raise The Beat.
Trained in Wexford by Colm Murphy, Raise The Beat, a bumper winner at Down Royal last Christmas, travelled strongly throughout this two-mile, three-furlong winners’ contest and when rider Mikey Fogarty asked him to quicken two furlongs down, the response was immediate as he surged up the final hill to beat 9/4 favourite Dynamic Approach by a snug two lengths.
Raise The Beat was very impressive on Sunday and Murphy, who completed an across the card double when sending out Captain Paulie to win the bumper at Cork, has high hopes for the Beat All five-year-old.
“Raise The Beat is a good horse. He was a bit immature when he finished down the field on his debut but won well next time out at Down Royal and showed he was the good horse we knew he was. Today’s display was very good and we’ll have to see where we go with him now,”   Mr Murphy said.