MICHAEL Hourigan has his string in top form at the moment and the Patrickswell trainer was on the mark at his local track when sending out two winners at last Sunday’s all jumps card at Limerick.

 

Hourigan, who made his name when landing a host of top races with former stars like Doran’s Pride and Beef Or Salmon, wasted little time getting off the mark as his 4/6 favourite, Tropical Three, ran out a good winner of the opening Follow Us On Twitter Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.

An emphatic winner of a bumper at Punchestown, Tropical Three had to dig deep to land the odds here, however, with the daughter of Portrait Gallery sticking her neck out gamely under Adrian Heskin in the closing stages to deny the Davy Condon-ridden runner-up Good As Gold by two lengths.

“This mare will go on her holidays now for five or six weeks and she’ll come back in time for Listowel in September. I’ve enjoyed a lot of success with horses from this mare’s family and she’ll stay hurdling now for the remainder of the season.”

The Hourigan/Heskin double was completed in the beginners’ chase where What’s Happening also did favourite backers a favour as the 7/4 market leader forged to an emphatic success.

Sent to the head of affairs before two out, the former point-to-point winner by Lahib was always in command as he eased to a seven and a half-length success from Lough Roe Lady.

Hourigan, who trains the successful six-year-old for his nephew Billy, explained, “This horse wouldn’t be in love with that soft ground and Adrian [Heskin] said he just about got away with it. That said, he could only do what he had to and it’s great he’s won. We’ll keep him on the go now and he’ll be better on nicer ground.”

Willie Mullins was on duty in France where his Blood Cotil landed a Grade Two contest over hurdles at Auteuil but the champion trainer continued his dominance on the domestic scene when taking the featured Irish Stallion Farms Mares’ Chase with 4/6 favourite Tarla.

Emmet Mullins was a late replacement for the injured Declan Lavery aboard this Rich Ricci-owned mare in this €25,000 contest and while the daughter of Lavirco made a number of jumping errors, she still had enough in reserve to see off Mark Enright’s mount, Caheranoun, by nine lengths.

Patrick Mullins, representing his dad, said, “Emmett deserves a lot of the credit for today’s win as he gets on really well with this mare. It’s hard luck on Declan, as he injured his hip in a fall at Kilbeggan on Friday evening and had to sit out today.

“She is a dinger of a mare and will probably be kept on the go during the summer with all those mares’ races the likely target. I expect she runs on the flat as well as she’s very versatile and will handle nicer ground,” added last season’s champion amateur.

Following trainers in form is always good advice and Cork man John Joe Walsh rewarded his supporters when taking the Cul Camps Limerick Handicap Chase with the well-backed Hillman.

Supported from 4/1 into 7/4 favourite, Hillman came to tackle Count Salazar at the final fence and showed good reserves of stamina under Brian O’Connell when powering up the run-in to defeat that rival by five lengths.

Doneraile-based Walsh is firing on all cylinders at present. He said, “We only got this horse early in the year and he has now won three for us so we cannot complain about that. He’s very consistent and has never been out of the money. He deserves a break and will be out on grass tomorrow to enjoy a well-earned rest.”

Jane Mangan is the latest sensation in the amateur ranks and the Cork student was seen to good effect when guiding Robert Tyner’s 5/1 shot Toreen to victory in the concluding two-mile bumper.

Mangan was dealt a harsh blow when unseated from Oscar Delta when looking the likely winner of the Foxhunter’s Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March but the 19-year-old has responded in the best possible fashion by banging in winners left, right and centre since that controversial incident.

On Sunday, she produced her mount with a perfectly timed challenge as the daughter of Gold Well, who finished second on her two outing between the flags, made a successful racecourse debut when staying on powerfully to deny runner-up Stolberg by half a length.

 

Weld takes appropriate race at Navan

IF ever the result of a race was an appropriate one, the outcome of Sunday’s Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan was, with Dermot Weld’s Voleuse De Coeurs giving the master of Rosewell House his first success in the race named after his former stable star.

Ridden by Pat Smullen, Voleuse De Coeurs found plenty when she had to, with last year’s Irish Cesarewitch winner running on doggedly to beat Mickey Winters’ mare Missunited by two lengths.

“It’s a race I’ve always wanted to win and I thought she would win today,” outlined Weld. “She showed last season that she is very good and she’ll progress further from here. She is in the Gold Cup at Ascot next month but that might come a bit too soon. We might go for the Curragh Cup and then the St Leger but I’d like to think she could develop into a Gold Cup horse next year.”

All eyes this weekend will be on the Curragh, where the Guineas Festival is set to attract a lot of attention to the County Kildare track. Saturday afternoon sees the Tattersalls 2,000 Guineas leading the charge, with Aidan O’Brien holding a strong hand in this valuable Group 1 contest.

Cristoforo Colombo appears the Ballydoyle handler’s leading candidate, having finished an eight-length fifth behind Jim Bolger’s Epsom Derby-bound Dawn Approach in the English equivalent at Newmarket earlier this month. UK raider Van Der Neer and John Oxx’s Fort Knox are others with sound credentials.

Sunday’s card at Headquarters is dominated by the Etihad Airways 1,000 Guineas, where Dermot Weld’s Dansili filly, Big Break, who rounded off last season with a smooth success in the Kilavullen Stakes at Leopardstown, is set to make a big impression.