Some Article drives on for top prize at Punchestown

Conditions were anything but pleasant during last week’s rain-soaked Punchestown Festival but that failed to put a damper on things for Newmarket-on-Fergus couple John and Karen Hannon, who drove away with a brand-new Land Rover Defender following the success of a horse they sold, Some Article, in the prestigious €100,000 Goffs Land Rover Bumper.
John and Karen are proprietors of Killulla Stud on the old Limerick Road out of Newmarket and Some Article, who went off at 16-1, was offered for sale by them last June at Goffs with an eye to running in Tuesday’s €100,000 bumper.  
Kilkenny trainer Tom Mullins purchased the son of Definite Article for €11,500 on behalf of his wife Helen and that proved money well spent when the Mark Fahey-ridden four-year-old forged clear of the home bend to beat Noel Glynn’s Catamondepigeons by seven-and-a-half lengths.
Some Article was bred by Karen’s father, Pat McLoughney, and the now retired Shannon businessman takes up the story.
“I bought this horse’s dam, Ahead Of My Time, a good few years back and she has proven very lucky,” said the Templederry, County Tipperary native.
“Most of her foals have now won and we have a five-year-old (by Dushantyor) and a Dubai Millennium yearling from her at home still. Karen and John do all the hard work with these horses and they deserve all the credit.
“The fact that they received a Land Rover as the vendor’s prize made it all the sweeter and it’s fantastic for the stud as well. We have a couple of three-year-olds going up to this year’s Land Rover Sale and this win will be a major boost in that area,” added McLoughney.
In a remarkable coincidence, John Hannon’s father, Pat, also hit the jackpot in a sales race when he sold Fair Crack, who went on to land the then Goffs Million at the Curragh back in 1991 for top English trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Bruce Raymond.

Russell crowned champion

Davy Russell was crowned champion jockey in Ireland for the first time when the 2011-12 jumping season came to a close at Punchestown on Saturday. A former point-to-point champion, Youghal-born Russell fully deserved to bag his maiden title, finishing on the 104-winner mark, 19 ahead of nearest rival Ruby Walsh.
Russell has certainly benefited from his association with top owner Michael O’Leary and his maroon and white Gigginstown House colours were prominent during the week, most notably as the Russell-ridden Dedigout came out on top following a thrilling battle in Friday’s Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle. Sir Des Champs, who survived a bad blunder at the final fence, was another Russell-partnered Gigginstown winner in Tuesday’s Growise Champion Novice Chase.
Willie Mullins continued his dominance of National Hunt racing in this country when picking up the leading trainer’s award and the Closutton handler rounded off the season in the best possible fashion when saddling 10 winners during last week’s Punchestown festival.
Pride of place must go to Hurricane Fly, who bounced back from a below-par effort in Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle to make it three wins in a row in Friday’s Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle.
Dispatched 4-11 favourite on the very testing ground, Hurricane Fly was settled at the rear of the four runners by Ruby Walsh as stable companion Thousand Stars made the running. Turning off the home bend, another Mullins’ runner, Zaidpour, briefly looked as if he might cause an upset but Walsh quickly had the market leader on his case and, having jumped the final flight in front, Hurricane Fly stayed on best on the run-in to beat Zaidpour by two-and-a-half lengths.
Wonder mare Quevega was another for the Mullins-Walsh team when she confirmed her status as the top mare in training at present with another fluent success in Thursday’s Grade 1 Ladborkes.com World series hurdle.
Tackled on this occasion by the Andrew Lynch-ridden Voler La Vedette, Quevega and Colm Murphy’s mare played cat and mouse in the early stages of this three-miler before the two settled down to scrap it out off the final bend.
At this point, Voler La Vedette appeared to be going just as well as Walsh’s mount but once Quevega opened up she settled the issue in a matter of strides when forging clear to score by an emphatic five-and-a-half lengths.
The winner is an exceptional mare and, all going well in the interim, the mares’ race at Cheltenham next March looks her’s for the taking.
Other big wins during the week at the Kildare venue included a clean sweep for the Mullins with a 1-2-3 in Wednesday’s Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror War Of Attrition Novice Hurdle.
Conditions on Wednesday were virtually unraceable (surely were it not the festival this card would have been called off) but racing fans witnessed an unprecedented occurrence when trainer Mullins and owner Susannah Ricci were responsible for the first three home.
Outsider Marasonnien did the honours here at 16-1 under Paul Townend when beating Vesper Bell with disappointing favourite Sous Le Cieux back in third.
Mouse Morris was rewarded for his courage when sending out 20-1 shot China Rock to land Saturday’s rescheduled €140,000 TheTote.Com Punchestown Gold Cup.
Unplaced behind Sizing Europe in Tuesday’s opening day feature, the Boylesports.com Champion Chase, Morris opted to step his Barry Geraghty-ridden nine-year-old up in trip and the plan worked to perfection when the son of Presenting came home best to beat last year’s winner, Follow The Plan, with the fancied Quel Esprit back in third.

Gale blows home at Ballysteen

Tubber trainer, Paurick O’Connor is enjoying a fine season and his 5-4 favourite Gale Force Oscar did the business when scoring in the open lightweight at last Sunday’s Stonehall Hunt point-to-point at Ballysteen.
Derek O’Connor, bidding to bag his first winner since coming back from a recent injury, sent this son of Oscar to the head of affairs from the drop of the flag and, despite being joined by main market rival Carthalawn (6-4) three out, the champion jockey had kept a bit up his sleeve, with Gale Force Oscar running on best to beat Pa King’s mount by a length-and-a-half.
O’Connor, who trains the winner for Mary Moloney from Tynagh, County Galway, was greeting his 12th winner of the season.
He said, “This is very good horse and he’s improving all the time. He won comfortably enough today and he’ll more than likely run in the four-mile race at Lisronagh next Satuday evening.”   
Derek O’Connor wasted little time in adding to his tally when going on to ride Dr A Day to victory in the second division of the closing mares’ maiden.
The best-backed horse in the race, having hardened from 5-2 into 1-1 favourite, Dr A Day needed all of the multiple champion’s urgings when staying powerfully in the closing stages to beat runner-up Ozark Moon by a length-and-a-half.
This coming bank holiday weekend is a very busy one on the pointing front, with the Tipperary Hunt hosting their fixture at Lisronagh near Clonmel next Saturday evening (4pm) while East Galway Harriers will be expecting a big turnout for this Sunday’s fixture at Laurencetown, Ballinasloe, where the first race is off at 2pm.
Meanwhile, Frankie Ward was honoured when the Limerick woman was presented with the point-to-point award at last Sunday night’s Irish National Hunt Awards night at Dunboyne Castle in County Meath.
One of the great personalities on the pointing scene, Ms Ward is an ever-present on the circuit while she also acts as regional secretary for most of the hunts in the Mid-West area.