Thousands of people from Clare will be making the annual trek across the river Shannon next week to attend Listowel’s seven-day Harvest Racing Festival, which kicks off on Sunday afternoon. A firm favourite with race goers from all over Ireland and beyond, this year’s festival promises to be bigger than ever with an increase in attendances forecasted during race week at the popular North Kerry town.
Action on track over the seven days that runs from this Sunday until Saturday, September 18, is headed by the Wednesday’s Guinness Kerry National.
Weights for this three-mile event were published last week with the 40 contenders headed on 11st 10lb by Michael Hourigan’s top-flight performer Mossbank. Hourigan, who also has JP McManus’ Dancing Tornado (10st 12lb) in the field, has said he will let both Mossbank (who is returning for an 876-day break) and Dancing Tornado take their chance in this €150,000 contest. Last year’s winner, Northern Alliance is set to defend his title and Tony Martin’s charge, who scored 12 months ago under champion jockey Ruby Walsh, is more than capable of again putting up a bold showing.
One horse with a definite chance is the progressive Alfa Beat. This grey son of Environment Friend has showed remarkable improvement since joining Charles Byrnes’ Ballingarry, Limerick yard. His won his first outing (landing a tidy gamble in the process) for his present trainer when scoring off a mark of 82 in a handicap chase at Roscommon back in June and remains unbeaten in his three outings since then. His latest victory came in the valuable Guinness Handicap Chase at Galway last Sunday week that saw his rating over the larger obstacles rise to a current mark of 137. That figure leaves him with 10st 10lb to carry next Wednesday and he has to be rated a major player on what he has achieved so far.
Spancilhill trainer Noel Glynn has his recent Killarney winner, Gonebeyondrecall entered and the Durra House handler will be hoping that quite a few of the higher rated horses come of the race to enable his charge get a run.
Off his present mark of 124 (9st 11Ib) Gonebeyondrecall is going to need quite a few to drop out before he would be guaranteed a run, but Glynn is not giving up hope.
“We do need a good few to come out for our horse to get in,” he said.
“He is in serious form at the moment and, while he has won only once over fences, he does have plenty of experience having run eight times in chases so far.
“The Kerry National is big pot and, if we get in, he will definitely run. If it looks like he won’t make it, there is a nice race on the opening day (the Dawn Milk Handicap Chase) for him. We’ll make a final decision nearer the time.”
Elsewhere over the week at the Kingdom venue, Clare trainers like Donie Hassett, John Brassil, John Hassett and the Quinn brothers’ Joe and Denis are just some who will be represented, while local favourite Derek O’Connor, who is winding-up for the start of the 2010/11 point-to-point season on Septmber 25, will also be in action.

Cape Blanco just champion

Aidan O’Brien landed a record-breaking sixth Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown last Saturday but not with the more fancied of his three runners as 6/1 shot Cape Blanco upstaged his better fancied stablemate Rip Van Winkle with a fine front-running performance under an enterprising ride from Seamie Heffernan.
Rip Van Winkle was the subject to some hefty wagers in the ring prior to this Group 1 contest with the weight of money seeing Johnny Murtagh’s mount go off 8/11 favourite to add this €750,000 prize to his tally.
Setting a scorching pace, Cape Blanco was soon several lengths clear of Sea Lord with Beethoven a close up third. Clear turning into the home straight, Cape Blanco never looked like being reeled-in by the chasing pack as this season’s Irish Derby winner strode to the line for a five-and-a-half length victory over Rip Van Winkle, who got up in the dying strides to snatch second place from Henry Cecil’s UK raider Twice Over.
While the success of Cape Blanco may have been a reversal for those that backed him at a very skimpy price, his victory came as no surprise given that he is top-class horse in his own right.
Unbeaten as a two-year-old, this tough Galileo colt was never going to stop once he stole a march on his rivals and he was full value for his impressive success. The ease in the ground was also a big factor in Saturday’s result. The powers that be at Leopardstown were watering the track all week in light of the recent fine spell, but heavy rain at the Foxrock venue on Saturday morning meant that ground conditions changed dramatically.
It was surprising to see divots fly as the six-strong field went down the back and that certainly played to the strengths of Cape Blanco, who handled it better than most.
“Cape Blanco has always been a very good horse and we always thought that 10 furlongs on nice ground would suit him and that is what he had this afternoon,” said winning trainer Aidan O’Brien. “Seamus (Heffernan) gave him a great ride and got the horse into a nice rhythm.”
Reflecting on Rip Van Winkle’s demise, O’Brien remarked, “Rip is a real miler with lots of speed who just about gets 10 furlongs. We had to take our time with him today and get him relaxed. Johnny (Murtagh) felt the ground was on the slow side for him too.”
Successful jockey Heffernan, who is a vital part of the team at Ballydoyle, was delighted with the way the race panned out.
“It was always the plan to make the running. Cape Blanco stays well and has a great cruising speed. If I had the choice I would have ridden Rip Van Winkle, so it is a good job I don’t have any say in who rides what.”
It was a memorable afternoon for O’Brien and the South County Dublin track as he completed a brilliant four-timer that included a smooth success for his Murtagh-ridden 7/2 shot Lillie Langtry in the other Group 1 contest on the card, the Matron Stakes. Murtagh was at his very best here when bringing this daughter of Danehill Dancer form last-to-first in the closing stages to beat the Kieren Fallon-ridden Spacious by a neck.