Tag Archive for: Ashroe Diamond

Diamond sparkles with Grade One verdict at Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond gained compensation for missing out on an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival with a dominant victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Placed behind the top-class pair of Marine Nationale and Facile Vega in successive Grade Ones earlier in the season, the six-year-old went on to claim a Grade Three prize at Fairyhouse in January, ensuring she headed to the Cotswolds as a major contender for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle – only to be ruled out on the morning of declarations.

Taking on several of those who did line up at Cheltenham, Ashroe Diamond was the 2-1 favourite to provide Willie Mullins with a sixth victory in the last 10 runnings of this Grade One contest and ultimately got the job done emphatically under an ice-cool ride from Paul Townend.

In a race run at a strong gallop from flag-fall, the market leader was buried in midfield for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey.

As the pacesetting Harmonya Maker faltered, 66-1 shot Whatcouldhavebeen made an eyecatching move to grab the lead and quickly took several lengths out of the field in a bid to cause a shock.

Townend, though, did not panic and Ashroe Diamond made up the ground comfortably between the final two flights, reeling in the leader and pulling five lengths clear on the run-in.

Willie Mullins claimed another Grade One prize with Ashroe Diamond
Willie Mullins claimed another Grade One prize with Ashroe Diamond (Tim Goode/PA)

Mullins’ assistant, David Casey, said: “She was very good, Paul said she did everything right.

“She got a bit keen, but she travelled like a dream and jumped brilliant. She did it very easy.

“Who knows what would have happened at Cheltenham, but it’s great to win today – it’s very important for the mares.

“Hopefully she’ll go forward next year. She got a nasty cut behind there and I’d say she’ll need a couple of stitches.”

Ashroe Diamond set to sparkle for Mullins at Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond leads an eight-strong Willie Mullins team into battle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The champion trainer has saddled five of the last nine winners of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One and appears intent on adding to his tally on Easter Sunday.

Ashroe Diamond looks the first string under Paul Townend, having won a Grade Three prize here before a late setback ruled her out of an intended appearance at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Patrick Mullins, who partnered the six-year-old to a high-profile bumper success at Aintree last season, said: “It was unfortunate she didn’t get to run in Cheltenham, but she’s been 100 per cent since and she’s definitely the number one.

“She’s obviously won at Fairyhouse and we’d like to think on her previous form in Grade Ones behind Facile Vega and Marine Nationale she’ll be hard to beat.”

Ashroe Diamond is joined by Night And Day (Daryl Jacob), Eabha Grace (Conor McNamara), Got Glory (Jack Foley), Hauturiere (Brian Hayes), Lot Of Joy (Nico de Boinville), Nikini (Patrick Mullins) and Pink In The Park (Phillip Enright).

“Night And Day missed Cheltenham as well and she’s a very talented mare,” Mullins added.

“She ran in this last year first time out, so that shows what we think of her and hopefully she can fulfil her potential.

“Got Glory is a mare with a lot of ability, but it is going to be hard for her on her first Irish start, and I ride Nikini, who ran all right in Cheltenham but the ground could be against her.”

Magical Zoe winning at Down Royal
Magical Zoe winning at Down Royal (Brian Lawless/PA)

Henry de Bromhead would undoubtedly love to win a prize named after his recently retired stable star Honeysuckle, who dominated her rivals in this race four years ago.

The trainer’s main hope appears to be Magical Zoe, who filled the runner-up spot in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with stablemate Rioga Choice an outsider.

Gordon Elliott’s trio of Halka Du Tabert, Harmonya Maker and Shecouldbeanything also feature, as does the Tony Mullins-trained Princess Zoe.

The latter finished fifth at Cheltenham and her trainer expects to see his Group One-winning mare in a better light stepping back up in distance.

He said: “If you take the Cheltenham run on face value, going up half a mile will be a big advantage to us, but now this is a Grade One and there’s no penalties we’re 5lb worse off with Magical Zoe.

“If the half-mile negates the 5lb we’re right in there. You have to decide whether you think it will or not and I think it will – I think the extra half-mile is crucial to Zoe.”

Festival absentee Ashroe Diamond rerouted to Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond will head to Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday having been ruled out of the Jack De Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday morning.

Winner of the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree last spring, Ashroe Diamond has taken well to hurdles this term, placing in both the Royal Bond and behind Facile Vega at Christmas, before scooping Grade Three honours in the Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle in January.

That marked her out as Willie Mullins’ number one for the mares-only contest at the Cheltenham Festival and she was seen as one of the biggest dangers to hot favourite Luccia.

However, Mullins was unhappy with her prior to declarations on Tuesday, so she will now miss the Festival and be rerouted to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final – a race the yard has won five times in the last 10 years, including in 2022 with Brandy Love.

“Willie wasn’t happy with her this morning so we’ve decided to wait for Fairyhouse,” said James Fenton, club manager for owners Blue Blood Racing.

“It’s disappointing, we know, and she was supposed to show well, but that’s horse racing and there’s plenty of ins and outs, so we will take it on the chin and look forward to the racing for the rest of the week now.”

Solerina strike has sparked Festival dreams for Diamond team

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Blue Blood Racing Club members are dreaming of Cheltenham Festival glory following Ashroe Diamond’s victory in the Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare has already tasted Graded success in the UK when plundering the mares’ bumper at Aintree last April and had highlighted her hurdling credentials with a pair of respectable performances when third in both Punchestown’s Royal Bond and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown earlier this season.

Sent off the even-money favourite at Fairyhouse, she proved she is one of the leading lights in the mares’ novice division by quickening up smartly off a sedate pace and galloping on strongly in the hands of Danny Mullins.

Ashroe Diamond after winning the Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse
Ashroe Diamond after winning the Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse (PA)

“It was a messy type of a race really,” explained James Fenton, club manager for Blue Blood Racing.

“No one seemed to really want to make it, Davy Russell went on and jumped the first hurdle and you could see he took a little look at the big screen and slowed the pace right down again. They all kind of stacked up then and we ran into a bit of trouble and got boxed in.

“She was full of running and we were kind of sweating a bit going down to the last, hoping she would be able to get out and when she did get out, she put her head down and found another gear compared to the rest of them.”

She will now head to Prestbury Park as one of the favourites for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Fenton is confident Ashroe Diamond has the right credentials to strike again at one of the major UK meetings.

“We were very happy with the performance at Fairyhouse and I would be of the opinion that a faster run race will suit her more,” he continued.

“Left-handed at Cheltenham will also suit her along with a sounder surface. So we look forward to going to Cheltenham now in six weeks.

“We’re looking at the Mares’ Novices’ for her at the moment. She might get an entry in the County Hurdle as well, we’re not sure yet – we leave that to Willie.”

He went on: “I always watch them go round the bend to see how long it takes them to pull up and Ashroe Diamond went right through the line. She has that gear which she couldn’t get into with being boxed in, but once she got into that gear, she went on and Danny took a fair while to pull her up – he said she was awesome.

“The excitement is building now and all the members are looking forward to it. Most had booked tickets and accommodation previously, it’s going to be an exciting six weeks and plenty of sleepless nights for me hoping nothing goes wrong.”

Connections hoping Diamond can sparkle at Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond bids to give Willie Mullins back-to-back victories in the Awardsandgifts.ie Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

The six-year-old struck Grade Two glory in the mares’ bumper at Aintree’s Grand National Festival last spring and has continued to produce a fine level of form since transferring to hurdles this season.

Winner of a Naas maiden on her return, she has not been disgraced in a pair of Grade One events since, finishing third in both Punchestown’s Royal Bond and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The daughter of Walk In The Park is second favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and has the chance to lay down a marker for that contest in this Grade Three event.

“We are looking forward to running, she’s in good order and we’re happy with her at home,” said James Fenton, club manager for owners Blue Blood Racing.

“Danny (Mullins) is riding her because Paul (Townend) is going to Cheltenham to ride Energumene and Patrick (Mullins) can’t do the weight and we’re delighted to see Danny get the leg-up – he’s as good a rider out there.

“We go with confidence and if she can reproduce the form of her last two runs, we give her every chance.

Ashroe Diamond ridden by Patrick Mullins celebrates winning the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt at Aintree Racecourse
Ashroe Diamond ridden by Patrick Mullins celebrates winning the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt at Aintree Racecourse (Nigel French/PA)

“It is a very competitive field and they all demand plenty of respect, but we would be very confident with our mare.”

Mullins is also represented by Saylavee who was on the scoresheet in Listed company at Punchestown last month, while owner Kenny Alexander won this in both 2020 and 2021 with Honeysuckle and Minella Melody respectively and sees his colours carried by the unbeaten Gordon Elliott-trained Halka Du Tabert this time.

Jessica Harrington’s Jetara is related to Champion Hurdle hero Jezki and made a pleasing hurdles debut when chasing home High Definition at Leopardstown.

Before that she won a Listed bumper at Navan and also has a course victory to her name.

“She is a nice horse and she seems to go on a bit softer ground than most of her relations – I just think she’s a really nice horse,” said Harrington.

“Two miles, two and a half furlongs at Fairyhouse will suit her. She won a bumper there over two and a half, she’s won a bumper over two miles and then last time she ran over two miles and was staying on all the way, so I think the distance is about right for her.”

Jetara kept on gamely to win the Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires In Swoop Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Navan
Jetara kept on gamely to win the Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires In Swoop Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Navan (PA)

A bold showing on Saturday could see the five-year-old book her ticket to Prestbury Park in March – with Harrington confirming the Mares’ Novice is on Jetara’s agenda, provided she continues on her upwards curve.

“The Mares’ Novice is two-miles-one and they’ll go a good gallop,” added Harrington.

“She was all out over two miles in the Listed bumper and stayed on well, so we’ll go on Saturday and see what happens.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Goodie Two Shoes and Jarlath Fahey’s track-and-trip scorer Whatcouldhavebeen complete the line-up.