Tag Archives: Limerick Racecourse

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Busselton heads 37 entries for the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase at Limerick on Sunday, October 23. Successful in a dramatic renewal of the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel last month, the five-year-old is one of four entries from the all-conquering O’Brien yard as the Piltown trainer seeks a first win in the race. Runner-up in the Tote Galway Plate and third in the Listowel Festival feature event, Darasso could also feature for O’Brien along with A Wave Of The Sea, second last year in the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National, and Early Doors, a winner over hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019 and successful in the Tote Galway Plate the following year. Willie Mullins has won three of the last five renewals of the JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National and looks set to rely on El Barra which had Busselton in second place when winning at the Punchestown festival in late April. A …

Forty years after his first win in the race, age-less Curragh trainer, Dermot Weld, secured a fifth Irish 1,000 Guineas when his Homeless Songs routed her rivals in the Tattersalls-sponsored contest at the Curragh on Sunday. Weld has enjoyed a glittering career, with names like Vintage Crop, Go And Go, Vinnie Roe and Media Puzzle doing him proud all over the world. In recent times things have been a bit quieter for the master of Rosewell House, but in Homeless Songs he has the makings of another superstar. Chris Hayes was entrusted with the mount aboard the 11/2 shot who was smartly away from the stalls. Fifth at the two-furlong marker, Homeless Songs cruised into the lead on the stands side as the field entered the final furlong. The victorious daughter of Frankel was in top gear now and, with consummate ease, the Moyglare Stud-owned filly powered home to beat 11/4 favourite Tuesday by five-and-a-half-lengths. This really was a demolition …

Limerick Racecourse manager says everyone at the track is “bursting for the off”, as the summer programme at Greenmount Park gets underway this week. This Thursday and Friday, May 26 and 27, will host the track’s ever popular Twilight Racing meetings to get summer 2022 up and running. In all, the Patrickswell venue will stage seven meetings across May, June and July with general manager Emma White enthusing, “Racing at Limerick and the summer season go hand in hand, and always have. “We have put in place what are special days’ racing, from our BBQ evenings, one of which features the brilliant Nathan Carter, to Ladies Day. “For the last two summers, followers were unfortunately unable to join us for a day’s racing action, which is entertaining both on and off the track. Now, let’s hope we can all come together once more and enjoy ourselves at Limerick Races.” At the heart of Limerick’s Summer Programme is Ladies Day on …

The SPIN South West Student Race-day is back on and taking place on Thursday, April 7, at Limerick Racecourse. The last student race-day took place back in 2019 and the track said it was delighted to announce its return after a two-year gap due to Covid restrictions. Tickets are going on sale this Thursday morning, February 17, at 11am on www.limerickraces.ie and there is expected to be high demand. Tickets are going to be limited to a maximum of two per person in the interest of fairness. A racecourse spokes person said, “We are pleased to partner up with SPIN South West once again as our sponsors for the event. “SPIN will be there on the day to welcome students and bang out the freshest hits. With SPIN resident DJ’s, the crowd can expect to be entertained before, during and after the races.” Content director at SPIN South West, Eoghain Fitzgerald commented “We are delighted to be teaming up with …

The Grade 1 BoyleSports Faugheen Novice Chase was the highlight at Limerick on Sunday with the prestigious St Stephen’s Day feature going to 10/1 shot Master McShee, writes Michael Duggan. One of just two horses his Dungarvan, County Waterford owner/trainer Paddy Corkery has on the go at the moment, Master McShee was ridden by Ian Power. Some of the top novices in the country lined-up for this two-mile, three-furlong contest worth almost €60,000 to the winner. Gordon Elliott’s Farouk D’alene went off 11/10 favourite under Jordan Gainford. The ground was heavy at the Patrickswell venue, with Joseph O’Brien’s Fire Attack taking them along in the early stages. Heading across the track for the final time, the early leader began to wane with the patiently-ridden favourite taking over up front. Master McShee was also creeping into contention, however, and rising to the final fence there was little separating the duo. The pair settled down to scrap it out on the run …

IN the last of our audio previews of the Limerick Racecourse Mr Binman Christmas Festival we hear from the King of the Banks himself. Enda Bolger has enjoyed huge success in cross country races, principally in Punchestown and Cheltenham, and has reformed many a character at his Bruree base. He has also enjoyed Grade One success himself with JP McManus’ Gilgamboa in Fairyhouse, after taking the big novice chase in Greenmount when it was still a Grade 2. That horse gives another insight into Enda’s life, perhaps not as widely known. Gilgamboa was named for Bruce Springsteen’s personal bodyguard and The Boss is a good friend of Bolger’s. Indeed the trainer joined Springsteen and the E-Street Band onstage for a brief cameo during their Dublin concert in 2012. Check out that cameo below

In the third instalment of our audio series preview the Limerick Racecourse Mr Binman Christmas Festival we hear from the trainer of the favourite for St Stephen’s Day’s big race. Gavin Cromwell speaks to Dave Keena about the prospects of his exciting young chaser Gabynako. Cromwell himself is an interesting character whose background in the sport is literally at grassroots level – he is a farrier by trade. In that discipline he has shod Gold Cup and Grand National winning horses along with an Olympic Gold Medalist. His farrier skills are a passion and a trade that he is still very much in demand for by some of the biggest operations in the sport. Nowadays however his reputation as a trainer outstrips that and he runs one of the shrewdest operations in the sport. He has good associations with Limerick Racecourse too, his Espoir D’Allen, that romped away with the 2019 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, won one of his prep …

IN the second of our audio series previewing the Limerick Racecourse Mr Binman Christmas Racing Festival, we hear from Patrick Mullins on one of the biggest stars of the sport. Mullins was in the plate when Faugheen rolled back the years at Greenmount in the Grade One Novice Chase on St Stephen’s Day 2019. The top amateur and assistant trainer to his father Willie, the dominant force in Irish national hunt racing, tells Dave Keena of the epic contest with Gordon Elliot’s Samcro. Samcro, of course, would go on to win the Grade One 2m5f novice at the Cheltenham festival that season, but this day in Limerick belonged to Faugheen. As for Patrick, well he might speak to Frankie Detorri about improving one aspect of his post-race celebrations… Relive the moment below