Kildare Racing News: Keane and O'Callaghan strike with favourite at Navan

Michael O'Callaghan was on the mark with a very short-priced favourite as Studio City scored in fine style at Navan on Saturday. The 2/9 favourite, in the trainer’s own colours, made all the running under Colin Keane to take the five-furlong maiden by an easy six lengths from James McAuley’s Hilltop Gold.

A winner at far more rewarding odds was the Kieran Cotter-trained Speedacus which was next into the winners’ enclosure when landing the handicap over the same distance.

The Declan McDonogh ridden 8/1 chance was another all-the-way winner and he scored by a length and a quarter from 7/2 shot Curraheen Princess.

Jessica Harrington added to her week’s tally as 7/4 favourite Supagirl eased to a six and a half-length win in the apprentice handicap over 10 furlongs.

Another winner for Scott McCullagh, the three-year-old led two furlongs from home and raced clear to beat the Jarlath Fahey-trained Prime Chief in fine style.

Gary Carroll teamed up with Ger Lyons to win the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes on 14/1 chance Marbling at Fairyhouse on Sunday. The three-year-old led to the line to deny the Jessica Harrington-trained Nectaris by a nose.

Colin Keane rode 11/4 chance Affogato for Lyons in the race but the partnership could only manage sixth place. Eddie and Patrick Harty won the six-furlong fillies’ maiden with the newcomer Coralillo. The 17/2 chance, ridden by Chris Hayes, headed the front-running Finsceal Go Deo at the furlong pole and had a length to spare over Joseph O'Brien’s Basil Martini at the line.

Jimmy Coogan sent favourite backers home in the best of form as French Company landed the concluding 12-furlong handicap. The 7/2 chance was never far off the pace under Colin Keane and led a furlong from the finish to beat Pat Martin’s 8/1 chance Storm Steps by a length and a half.

Peter Fahey and conditional rider Neil Ryan landed the opportunity handicap hurdle at Sligo on Sunday with 13/2 chance Skippin Court.

In the colours of the Dexys Midnight Runners Syndicate, the five-year-old came from well off the pace to beat Dermot McLoughlin’s Peckham Springs by three and a quarter lengths and the winner heads for the Galway festival at the end of the month.

Ricky Doyle gave Josh Halley the perfect start to his training career when partnering Lihyan to win opening four-year-old maiden hurdle at Cork on Friday evening.

The 17/2 shot was Halley’s first runner and Doyle had him in front before halfway and made the best of his way home to score by four lengths from the Andy Slattery trained Burren Song.
Amateur rider Pat Taaffe rode his first winner over hurdles as Champagne Problem took the maiden hurdle for trainer Willie Mullins.

Owned by Taaffe’s mother Elaine and Tamso Doyle Cox, the 7/2 chance made all the running and hardly saw a rival as she won by 14 lengths from the Noel Meade-trained Royal Romeo.

Jessica Harrington recorded a treble at Limerick. The Niall McCullagh-ridden Dairerin, owned by the Sniper Alley Syndicate, landed quite a gamble when taking the seven-furlong handicap. Backed from 11/1 to 3/1 favourite, the three-year-old led on the line to pip Gavin Cromwell’s Earls by a shorthead.

Tom Madden stepped in to take the eight-furlong handicap on Himalayan Beauty, owned and bred by Sebastian Curran. The 15/2 chance led over a furlong from the finish and eased clear to score by six lengths from the Aengus King-trained Miss Cunning.

The Limerick treble was completed as Scott McCullagh partnered 6/1 shot Aurora Princess to land the eight-furlong rated race. The four-year-old led inside the final furlong to win by three-parts of a length from the Ross O'Sullivan-trained Monzoon which was ridden by Tom Madden.

Two other winners for Harrington came at Leopardstown where Dylan Kidd, on his first ride, partnered Jungle Cove to take the €100,000 Irish Stallion Farms ‘Nasrullah’ Handicap.

It was a stunning introduction from the 16-year-old from Trim who graduated from the RACE academy at the beginning of the month. He stuck tight to the rail to get the 20/1 chance home by three-parts of a length from the Ado McGuinness trained Casanova.

Earlier on the card, the Shane Foley-ridden Ha Ha Ha won the eight-furlong handicap for three-year-olds in the colours of the CBR Partnership. The 11/4 favourite added to a Listowel maiden success when beating the Ger Lyons-trained Torn by a length and a half.

Punters hardly knew where to look as the Seamie Heffernan-ridden Kodi Bear won the Kilminfoyle House Stud Maiden at odds of 125/1 at Fairyhouse on Wednesday evening.

In the colours of owner John Madigan, the twice-raced two-year-old made all the running and battled well when challenged by the Ken Condon-trained 6/1 chance Paulliac deep inside the final furlong to score by a neck for County Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray.

A somewhat sense of normality was restored as 4/1 joint-favourite Cailin Cliste landed the handicap over the same six-furlong trip for Currabeg trainer John O’Donoghue.