Tag Archive for: Tramore

Quais De Paris set to step up after Tramore triumph

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Willie Mullins is eyeing a step up in grade for Quais De Paris following his winning stable debut in the David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle at Tramore.

The five-year-old finished third in his sole appearance in France and transferred to Closutton for €180,000 in November 2021.

Making his first appearance for 428 days, the son of Masked Marvel was sent off 1-5 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend for the two-mile contest.

Always to the fore in the testing going, Quais De Paris drew clear after the last to score by just over three lengths.

“It’s great to get the annual cheque from David Flynn,” said Mullins, who was winning the race for the fourth year in a row.

“I think he is a nice horse but he didn’t win like I thought he would. I think he is a good horse but the ground out there is very testing after the rain last night.

“Paul kept it simple, went around the outside and just kept out of trouble. I think he is a horse you can follow for the rest of the season. I’m hoping he will upgrade now into Listed and graded races.”

Quais De Paris ridden by Paul Townend jumps the last to win The David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Quais De Paris ridden by Paul Townend jumps the last to win The David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

Townend added: “He showed a lovely attitude. He had the run in France to his name and he jumped great today. The ground is very testing but he stayed well on it.”

Gavin Cromwell’s Ahead Of The Posse (2-1 favourite) obliged favourite backers in the Ryan’s Cleaning Services Handicap Hurdle.

There was further success for the Danestown handler and jockey Keith Donoghue when Tyre Kicker (5-2 favourite) gave them a double on the card by taking the concluding Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase.

“This fella disappointed us a little bit over hurdles,” said the winning rider said of Tyre Kicker.

“We knew he was a good jumper and he had the experience from running in a couple of point-to-points. We thought he would be better over fences, but we thought he would do a bit more over hurdles.

“He jumped brilliant today and he won well. Hopefully he can progress now into what we thought he might do. He loved the trip today, he travelled well and went through the ground well.

Tyre Kicker ridden by Keith Donoghue goes on to win The Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Tyre Kicker ridden by Keith Donoghue goes on to win The Tom Carroll Memorial Handicap Chase during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

“He probably wasn’t seeing it out over three miles over hurdles. It was a winnable race today and he will have to step up the next day, but we are back on track with him anyway.”

Eoin Doyle has his eye on Thyestes Day at Gowran Park following Ardera Ru’s (9-2) victory in the Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle.

He said: “Patrick Mullins rode her in a Listed bumper and thought she was a lovely mare. She was placed then in a few bumpers but just wasn’t getting home.

Ardera Ru ridden by Shane O’Callaghan goes on to win The Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Ardera Ru ridden by Shane O’Callaghan goes on to win The Tramore Medical Clinic Handicap Hurdle during Savills New Years Chase Day at Waterford and Tramore Racecourse (Niall Carson/PA)

“Then I started running her on better ground, which wasn’t ideal either. I got her wind done and she seems to be getting home a lot better now.

“She is relaxing a bit more and breathing a bit better. I think she will win over fences as well. There is a race at Gowran on Thyestes day that she might go for next.

“The horses are running well and we had a winner in Limerick as well.”

A mistake at the second last from 4-5 favourite Lisnagar Fortune handed Gordon Elliott’s Cardamon Hill (13-2) success in the Jack de Bromhead Memorial Maiden Hurdle, while the Core Bullion Traders Rated Novice Chase went the way of 11-8 favourite Whiskeywealth.

Minella Indo fends off Stattler in New Year’s Day thriller

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Minella Indo repelled the challenge Stattler in a thrilling finish to the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore.

Willie Mullins has farmed the New Year’s Day feature in winning eight of the last 10 runnings, but Minella Indo’s battling display in the hands of Rachael Blackmore ended the Closutton handler’s five-year stranglehold on the Grade Three contest and gave Henry de Bromhead his second win in the race after Champagne West’s success in 2017.

Winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2021 and runner-up to stablemate A Plus Tard 12 months later, Minella Indo was always to the fore, close to the coattails of outsider Roi Mage in the two-mile-six-furlong event, with the Paul Townend-ridden 4-5 favourite Stattler tracking not far behind.

It was not until the final circuit when the race developed into a contest and with Townend producing Stattler to challenge at the second last, it was left to the big two in the market to fight out the finish.

Although momentarily headed on the run-in by the strong-staying National Hunt Chase winner, Blackmore conjured up more from her ever-willing mount inside the final 50 yards to regain the advantage in the shadow of the winning post.

It has been a frustrating Christmas period on the track for De Bromhead with A Plus Tard ruled out of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown with a late setback, while another of his stable stars, Bob Olinger, failed to sparkle when upped to three miles in the Christmas Hurdle.

Trainer Henry De Bromhead saw Minella Indo score for the first time since the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup when winning the Savills New Year's Day Chase at Tramore
Trainer Henry De Bromhead saw Minella Indo score for the first time since the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup when winning the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore (Brian Lawless/PA)

And on a day when Tramore honoured De Bromhead’s son Jack – who died in a pony racing accident in September – with the running of the Jack de Bromhead Memorial Maiden Hurdle, the Knockeen handler was understandably emotional after seeing his dual Cheltenham Festival winner return to top form.

He said: “It’s an emotional day when you see pictures of Jack up around the place. Often these things don’t happen in racing, but to win the big race here at our local track on this day is fantastic.

“I’m delighted for Indo and (owners) the Maloneys and for everyone. It’s brilliant to see the crowd here and the roar he got was amazing. We know everyone is thinking of us and it’s just brilliant. The support from everyone really helps us through it.

“The horse deserved it and Rachael was brilliant on him. She gave him a really good ride and he jumped brilliant apart from the last possibly. He just got under it a bit. I thought we were going to get done but Rachael really got him over the line, it was fantastic.

“We will enjoy today, this is a fantastic race to win. He hasn’t won since the Gold Cup. We were thinking about the Irish Gold Cup but we might just head straight to Cheltenham, we will see.”

Betfair cut the winner to 20-1 from 33-1 for a second success in the blue riband in March.

Stattler leads latest Mullins challenge on Tramore feature

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Willie Mullins is bidding for a seventh win in eight years in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore by fielding three of the five runners in the Grade Three race.

Hot on the heels of dominating Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, the champion trainer will be hoping Stattler can emerge as a Gold Cup prospect.

Mullins used Tramore as a stepping stone to Gold Cup glory for Al Boum Photo, who won this race four years in a row, but his retirement means there will be a new name on the roll of honour.

Winner of the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March, Stattler faces stablemates El Barra and Cilaos Emery and perhaps more pertinently Henry de Bromhead’s 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo.

“Stattler, Cilaos Emery and El Barra, the three of them will go down there,” said Mullins.

“Stattler was three from three last year and I just thought I’d go down there for softer ground and we’re going to get that down there.

“He’s in great form, but he’s up against it with Henry’s horse. I just thought it was a great place to be starting his season.

“I think he has (improved again). He’ll probably want a further trip, but two miles and five (furlongs) around there in heavy ground, the type of horses that are going to be down there, stamina is going to come into play and that’s his forte.

“It’s going to be a tough task for the other two. Cilaos Emery just might not handle that ground and El Barra has the benefit of a few runs but possibly the conditions of the race won’t suit him.”

Pat Griffin’s Roi Mage completes the field.