Kevin and James Smith combined with Son Of Hypnos to easily win the Boardsmill Sires Handicap Chase at Downpatrick.
Northern Ireland trainer Ross Tumilty recorded a landmark first winner under rules when his Custers Mistake stayed on best to land the Toals Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle at Downpatrick.
Nostringsattached, who finished runner-up on her handicap debut when last seen in October, made a winning reappearance by going one place better in the Racing Again May 10th & 11th Handicap at Cork.
Aidan O’Brien’s Qipco 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy pleased connections in a gallop on Friday ahead of next week’s Classic.
Trainer Dermot Weld registered his first winner of the season with a brother to his classic winner Homeless Songs today, as well-backed Spoken Truth (13/8f) landed Cork's Buy Tickets At CorkRacecourse.ie Maiden.
My Racing StorySponsored By Tote
I'm from a place called Eadestown, just outside Naas, beside Punchestown racecourse. I had a pony when I was younger at home and I was kind of mad for a bit of speed! I got into Michael Halford's when I was 12 or 13. I rode out there on my school holidays and weekends for five years before I left school. There were some brilliant lads in Michael Halford's at the time like Sean Corby, who rode as an apprentice for a while, Shane Foley was stable jockey and Conor Hoban was apprentice there. You can see from Michael Halford's track record, he had some brilliant apprentices over the years including Gary Carroll. It was a great place to learn and I learned plenty. I was still very weak and green and I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to be good enough to be a jockey but, in fairness, it was the route for me. I had a crack at college in Carlow, but I didn't enjoy that - I only lasted about three weeks! I missed the horses a lot.
Weather has always been the number one topic of conversation in Ireland which is most odd considering we don’t actually get extreme weather events like other countries and for the most part we don’t even have seasons.
Up to last Saturday it had rained almost every day since July, but that hasn’t stopped our population discussing the weather incessantly. Weddings, funerals, business meetings, casual encounters in the street, every conversation starter is invariably about the weather.
Sandown jumps finale preview with Stephen Harris | Formscan
Emma Nagle is joined by betting expert Stephen Harris to preview the jumps finale at Sandown. Will Willie Mullins be crowned champion trainer?
By Gary Carson - ASK ANYTHING was originally set to carry top weight in this when it was cancelled earlier in the month but has less on his plate now after the addition of a couple of higher rated rivals. Gavin Cromwell's charge ran a cracker when last seen in a competitive novice handicap final at Navan last month and there appears scope for further improvement at this marathon trip from the Ask gelding. Frontal Assault is a significant addition to the field having run well to finish fourth in the Irish National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday. He's just a pound higher and is entitled to be a big player. Another Gordon Elliott-trained runner that could play a part is the mare Jumping Jet, who has a feather-weight with Carl Millar taking off 7lb.
