Tag Archive for: Billy Loughnane

Wise Eagle gives Adam Nicol a Saturday winner to savour

Adam Nicol celebrated the biggest success of his training career when Wise Eagle swooped down the outside to win the £100,000 tote Summer World Pool Queen’s Cup at Musselburgh.

Nicol made his name as the rider of Phil Kirby’s popular mare Lady Buttons, but when injury brought a premature end to his days in the saddle, he took out a licence to train.

Among the first of his horses stabled at his yard on the north-east coast at Seahouses was Wise Eagle, bought for a mere 7,000 guineas.

Danny Tudhope and trainer Adam Nicol receive their prizes
Danny Tudhope and trainer Adam Nicol receive their prizes (Steve Welsh/PA)

Nicol said of his 9-1 winner, who was ridden by Danny Tudhope: “He’s unbelievable. I was lost for words. They tried to interview me on TV and I couldn’t speak.

“We’re a family business, there’s me and my partner and we’ve only just taken on a member of staff. My dad does all the tractor work while my mum looks after our two-year-old child.

“We’re with the horses seven days a week so for him to pull this off like that is unbelievable, we bought this horse for 7,000 guineas because Tom Clover said he hated it in Newmarket and needed a change of scenery. He was the second horse we got in.

“At the time I didn’t even have a gallop in so we took him down to the beach at Bamburgh. We actually bought him as a dual-purpose horse, but I’ve told the lads until he gets exposed on the Flat we’ve got to carry on as there’s so much more money.”

Danny Tudhope with Wise Eagle
Danny Tudhope with Wise Eagle (Steve Welsh/PA)

Nicol went on: “He’s just improved and improved. We started running him in jumpers’ bumpers and he beat a good horse of Donald McCain’s called Dear Sire so I realised he might be decent. He won his first race off 67 and has won today off 98.

“He’s so versatile, I even took the cheekpieces off today as I worried he might be fresh so we’ve got those still up our sleeve. He’s won round Pontefract over two-mile-two yet he’s won over a mile and a half at Newcastle.

“We can look at the Northumberland Plate, the Chester Cup is an option, there’s the Copper Horse race at Royal Ascot and there’s a one-mile-six handicap at the Guineas meeting too. It’s brilliant to be thinking of races like that.

“The lads who own him, they are just builders and the like from the village. I told them to ring the club back home to get some extra crates in because they won’t be shutting tonight!”

Billy Loughnane with Gweedore
Billy Loughnane with Gweedore (Steve Welsh/PA)

Billy Loughnane continues to rack up landmark wins and having won the Brocklesby at Doncaster last weekend, ensured his first ride at Musselburgh was a winner.

Riding Gweedore for Katie Scott in the tote.co.uk Bet£5Get£20 Musselburgh Silver Arrow Handicap, despite being unshipped on the way to the start Loughnane bounced the 7-2 joint-favourite into an early lead and he made all to win by two and a quarter lengths to once more prove his liking for the course.

Clifford Lee enjoyed an armchair ride on Karl Burke’s Silky Wilkie (6-1) in the tote World Pool Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap, while Joe Fanning made all on Finn’s Charm (9-1) in the tote World Pool Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap

Loughnane stars as Doddie’s Impact bags Brocklesby

Billy Loughnane has carried all before him on the all-weather circuit this winter and showed he is just as effective on turf by winning the first race of the new season on Doddie’s Impact at Doncaster.

The Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby Stakes is the traditional curtain-raiser on Town Moor and attracted a field of 16 unraced juveniles, with €250,000 purchase Valadero the 3-1 market leader for last year’s winning owners Amo Racing.

Favourite backers looked sure to collect when Kevin Stott grabbed the initiative with two furlongs to run, but he understandably showed signs of greenness close home, allowing Doddie’s Impact a chance.

Trained by Robyn Brisland, the son of Pearl Secret is named in honour of the late Scottish Rugby Union legend Doddie Weir, with a percentage of prize money won going to MND charities, the disease which cruelly cut short Weir’s life.

Showing the tenacity his namesake was famous for, Doddie’s Impact (10-1) stuck to his task gamely to win by a neck.

Loughnane said: “It’s class. Mr Brisland had him in good shape. I’d been in during the week to have a sit on him and I thought he’d go close.

“I think he had a tough opponent today, but he knuckled down well and he wanted to win.

“I was riding without my claim in that race so it was brave of Mr Brisland to put me up.”

Doddie’s Impact (left) gets up to win the Brocklesby at Doncaster
Doddie’s Impact (left) gets up to win the Brocklesby at Doncaster (Nigel French/PA)

Mike Hocking, of Cross Channel Racing who part-own the winner, said: “We’re trying to raise money for the charity and what a story.

“It’s all about raising money and awareness for MND to try and find a cure.

“We are donating 50 per cent of the prize money to the charity and we have nine other yearlings so anyone can get involved. I can’t tell you if this is the best one though!”

Brisland, meanwhile, has loftier in targets in mind for Doddie’s Impact, saying: “It’s an amazing story and fingers crossed they can have a lot of luck.

“We can starting dusting off our top hats and go to Royal Ascot now.”

No stopping Loughnanes again at Wolverhampton

Mark and Billy Loughnane continued their excellent run of form as they made it seven and six Wolverhampton winners this week respectively at Dunstall Park on Thursday.

The father and son combination teamed up for a Monday double at the Midlands venue, while the 7lb claiming apprentice also enjoyed a winner for Sean Curran to make it a treble on the day.

Together the Loughnanes claimed another two successes at Wolverhampton on Wednesday and wasted no time in adding to their tally on Thursday’s card either, with 13-8 shot Algheed following up last week’s course victory in the opening It’s Time To Turn To talkSPORT Fillies’ Handicap.

Loughnane senior was keen to heap praise on his son, who has now ridden 12 winners since January 5.

Mark Loughnane at Wolverhampton
Mark Loughnane at Wolverhampton (Simon Marper/PA)

“I keep saying it, but it’s just awesome – it’s the best feeling ever,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“Billy rides so well and his confidence is good. I’ve blown him up all the time and I need to stop now because he’s blowing himself up! He can talk and he can ride away.

“The horses are in great form and it’s just great. It’s a proud house and we’ll just keep it level.”

The Worcestershire trainer swiftly doubled up with the Luke Morris-ridden Serenity Rose in the talkSPORT Download The App Restricted Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Serenity Rose and Luke Morris in full flight
Serenity Rose and Luke Morris in full flight (Simon Marper/PA)

Second on her last two starts, the three-year-old went one better as the 5-6 favourite.

He went on to complete his hat-trick in the Spreadex Sports Get 40 In Bonuses Classified Stakes, with 8-1 shot Won Love pulling clear of his rivals in the hands of Cam Hardie.

Loughnane added: “His first run for me over six furlongs was good. He’d been running over five furlongs before that and he just wanted to blitz.

“He hasn’t got the best wind in the world and we just want him to relax. The key today was that they went flat out.

“I said to Cam just to keep hold of him and let him finish off and it worked a treat.”

Florida calling for red-hot youngster Billy Loughnane

Billy Loughnane continued his red-hot form with a double at a frosty Wolverhampton on Wednesday – and his reward will be a trip to the warmth of Florida for a month to further hone his trade.

The apprentice rode a treble at Dunstall Park on Monday, including two winners for his father, Mark.

And the family partnership teamed up successfully with City Escape and Broughtons Flare to make it 12 winners for the young rider since the turn of the year.

City Escape (5-1) earned his third win at the track, with Loughnane showing plenty of confidence to collar Richard R H B in the extended nine-furlong BetUK over 40,000 Live Streamed Races Handicap.

And after 11-4 favourite Broughtons Flare backed up a course and distance win nine days previously in the extended mile of the Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Football Odds Handicap, getting the better of Hot Day by a short head, the trainer revealed his plans for the youngster.

“It’s happy days, but we’ll probably send him to America now,” he said.

“I’m not sure if it is the right thing to do, as it is very hard to stop momentum.

“He is going to a friend of mine in Miami, David Meah. He has 20 horses out there and a lad down the road has 50.

“He is not going out there to ride races, he is just going to learn pace. It is different gravy and he will come back better – and that’s what we want. I’m as proud as punch, though.”

Plumette/Wolverhampton
Plumette completed a double for jockey Rossa Ryan (Simon Milham)

David Loughnane (not related) was also among the winners, as Plumette (11-1) came with a wet sail to mow down The Nail Gunner in the dying strides of the seven-furlong handicap under Rossa Ryan.

Though Ryan found gaps closing on him at every turn, he eventually found daylight as the mare went on to score following a 168-day break.

“I probably thought she was a pound or two too high, but she always runs well fresh,” said Loughnane.

Wolverhampton Racecourse
Wolverhampton kept the show on the road after an inspection (Simon Milham/PA)

“We have kept her nice and fresh and she’s only 80 per cent fit. I knew she’d be doing her best work near the line.”

That made it a double for Ryan, who had earlier scored on the James Tate newcomer Majestic Warrior, a close relation to the useful Bright Approach, who justified favouritism in the extended nine-furlong maiden, scoring by a handy two and a quarter lengths, despite running green.

Ryan Sexton/Wolverhampton
Ryan Sexton was among the winners on a frosty afternoon (Simon Milham/PA)

Ryan Sexton made plenty of waves last season with a half-century of winners and the 3lb claimer was on the mark for trainer Alan Brown when Crownthorpe (13-2) battled back to deny Fast Style in the extended mile handicap.

It was the former Richard Fahey-trained eight-year-old’s second win in as many starts since joining the North Yorkshire yard.

“Changing yards has done him the world of good,” said Sexton. “He’s a decent enough horse going forward. Alan’s horses are bouncing and they are all coming into form now.

“He normally gets dropped out and comes with a late run, but there was no pace on today, so we said we would get on with it. He seemed to be enjoying it. Every time I gave him a squeeze, he picked up. He just found another gear.”

Kensington Agent/Wolverhampton
Clifford Lee and Tony Carroll combined to score with Kensington Agent (Simon Milham/PA)

The Tony Carroll-trained Kensington Agent (4-1) was fresh from a 51-day break and dropped in trip, she duly gained a first all-weather success in the six-furlong handicap under Clifford Lee.

She had gone close at Kempton last time over seven furlongs, but this was the four-year-old’s first success since scoring at Bath in June 2021.

Lee said: “She ran well the last day when and has done everything well this time. She was back to six and I got first run.”