Cool running for Kilmaley man at Dundalk

LAST Friday night’s meeting at Dundalk proved a happy hunting ground for Kilmaley owner, Dr William O’Brien, as his Keep It Cool showed his liking for the all-weather surface when running out an emphatic winner of the concluding 12-furlong handicap.
A 14/1 winner over course and distance under Billy Lee a fortnight earlier, Keep It Cool was ridden on this occasion by Fran Berry and, having been supported from 100/30 into 5/2, the Moyglare Stud-bred son of Spinning World ran on really well in the closing stages to account for runner-up Casbah Rock by a length and a quarter.
The winner is trained in Kilmallock, Limerick by Pat O’Donnell, who explained, “Keep It Cool has been a great servant and seems to love it around here. His owner’s son, Richard, is a dentist in Abbeyfeale and he rides out this horse most mornings at home.”
Looking ahead to where the seven-year-old may go next, O’Donnell added, “He won a handicap hurdle for us at Killarney last year and he may go back over hurdles now. All options are open to be honest and I’d love to have a go at a decent flat handicap with him during the summer as he loves that fast ground.”
Meanwhile, Bunratty owner, Mark McDonagh will be hoping that his Sallyanka can follow up a recent Kilbeggan win when she lines up in the concluding mares’ winners’ bumper at Wexford this Friday evening. 
A daughter of Catcher In The Rye, Sallyanka, who previously had one spin in a point-to-point for Gort trainer, Raymond Lee, stamped herself a filly with a bright future when quickening up impressively under Mikey Fogarty to beat Cliff Climber by half a dozen lengths.
Flat racing dominates the Irish scene this weekend with the Abu Dhabi Irish 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas Festival taking place at the Curragh. Eleven colts have stood their ground in Saturday’s 2,000 race with Richard Hannon’s UK raider Dubawi Gold heading the market at 13/8. He has to be fancied having chased home superstar, Frankel, albeit at a reasonable distance, in the Newmarket equivalent and Richard Hughes’ mount will be difficult to beat.
Irish hopes are boosted by Kevin Prendergast’s Dunboyne Express, who has the credentials to feature having made a successful seasonal reappearance in the 2,000 Guineas trial at Leopardstown last time. As always, Aidan O’Brien has to be respected with Roderic O’Connor appearing his leading contender.
Whatever the fate of his colts, O’Brien will fancy his chances in Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas with Together. She beat all bar the Frankie Dettori-ridden Blue Bunting at Newmarket, which puts her in with a big shout. Jim Bolger’s Banimpire has done little wrong this season, while it would be great if Pat Fahy’s Ballybacka Lady, who caused quite a shock when successful in her Leopardstown trial, could score for his small Carlow yard.

O’Connor extends
championship lead
THE battle for this season’s leading point-to-point rider award is developing into a thriller but reigning champion, Derek O’Connor, may well have struck a decisive blow for an eighth consecutive title when riding eight winners over a 48-hour period last weekend.
O’Connor’s crown has been under threat all season from Jamie Codd, who has also been in terrific form of late and at one point during last Saturday afternoon’s Necarne, County Fermanagh meeting, the Wexford rider was level with the Tubber man on the 94-winnner mark following the success of his brother William’s Cross Of Honour in the opening four-year-old maiden.
In typical O’Connor fashion, however, the 28-year-old responded in the best possible way when going on to dominate the remainder of the card. His first visit of the afternoon to the winners’ circle at the northern venue came when he guided the Jason Titley-trained Tivnacree (5/1) to victory in the six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Always in touch with the leaders, Tivanacree took control and quickly asserted when going on to beat Notnowlove (ridden by Codd) by five lengths.
Titley was very pleased with his charge’s showing. “This horse was very unlucky when falling at Quakerstown last month as he was going like a winner at the time. I’m thrilled for his owners, Martin Baker and Matthew Waters from Tubber, as they are great supporters of racing. We might go for a winners’ race if the ground stays suitable,” Titley said.
Half an hour later, O’Connor was back in the number-one berth when steering red-hot 1/5 favourite, Top Twig, to victory in the open lightweight. As the market suggested, David Christie’s 12-year-old had no more than a school around when passing the post a length in front of his stable companion Jude Deed.
Waterford trainer Sean Aherne provided O’Connor with winner number three on the card when his 11/10 favourite, Ballinaha Swan, came out the right side of a tight finish when beating Up the Girls by a length in the mares’ winners’ race.
Codd managed to pull one back when taking the first section of the concluding older horses’ maiden with Liam Kenny’s Ballyboker Boy but seven-time champion, O’Connor, hit back straight away with Billytheship (4/5F) in the second division.
Recently acquired by Paurick O’Connor, this Naheez eight-year-old actually passed the post in second, but, having been hampered in the closing stages by the winner, the stewards deemed that Billytheship has suffered interference and awarded him the race.
Billytheship’s victory was Paurick O’Connor’s 17th training success of what has been a great season to-date for the Tubber handler and it was also a memorable occasion for Derek O’Connor’s girlfriend, Carol O’Donnell from Crusheen, as this was her initial foray into racehorse ownership.
On Sunday afternoon, O’Connor was in action at the Bartlemy, Cork, meeting where he again underlined his domination of racing between the flags with yet another four-timer, which saw him break the 100-winner mark for the third year in a row.
Carlow trainer, Willie Murphy, provided the multiple champion with his opening success at the East Cork track when his 3/1 shot, Rose of Dunmase, landed the first leg of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden. O’Connor also claimed the second division of this event – giving him his 100th of the season – when steering Justthetwoofus (9/2) to victory for Waterford trainer Sean Aherne.
Jimmy Mangan has been a good supporter of O’Connor’s over the years and the Conna trainer helped him kick of his second century when giving him the leg-up aboard very easy winner, Annacarton (4/7F) in the open lightweight.
A good day’s work by award-winning O’Connor was rounded off when he completed his four-timer aboard the Declan Dorgan-trained 7/2 shot, Supreme Doc, in the winners’ race. With just three weekends – and seven meetings left to run – the pendulum has swung very much in favour of O’Connor, who currently leads Codd on a scoreline of 102 to 97.