Limerick Racing News
Denis Hogan was full of praise for jockey Mark Enright after Solar Heat landed the 2m handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse on Tuesday.
It was on Enright’s suggestion that Hogan claimed the 10-year-old at Galway in September at a cost of €4,000 and she was winning here on just her fourth start for new owners, the Platinum Thoroughbred Racing Club.
At odds of 12/1, she scored a two-length success over Mighty Jeremy.
Enda Bolger won the Risk Of Thunder Chase over the banks’ course at Punchestown for the tenth time in 12 years on Sunday when the high-class Yanworth prevailed under Mark Walsh.
Sent off the 5/6 favourite, the nine-year-old won by a length and a half and now heads to Cheltenham next month.
He had travelled to Cheltenham for a race at the track’s November meeting but was rerouted to Punchestown and only arrived home on the Friday evening.
Charles Byrnes sent out another winning favourite on the card as Alpine Cobra took the 2m6f maiden hurdle.
A well-backed even money chance, the six-year-old came from off the pace under Kevin Brouder to win by a length and a half from the Henry De Bromhead-trained Fully Charged to win for the Nay Syndicate.
Rathkeale trainer Eric McNamara was among the winners at Cork on Sunday where Lily Trotter ran away with the 2m opportunity handicap hurdle.
Sent off a 10/1 chance, the six-year-old came from well off the pace to lead after the second last hurdle under Brien Kane and went clear to win by five and a half lengths from Macho Mover.
Other Racing News
Pat Smullen receives Cartier Award
Pat Smullen was recognised for his brilliant career in the saddle with a Cartier/Daily Telegraph award in London early last week.
Smullen was the Award of Merit winner on a night that saw Enable declared the Cartier Horse of the Year for a second time.
One of the outstanding jockeys of his generation, Smullen was crowned champion jockey on nine occasions, winning a multitude of big races around the globe.
In more recent times, Pat has been hugely involved in fundraising for the fight against pancreatic cancer after his own diagnosis with the disease early last year.
His fund-raising efforts have resulted in over €2.5 million being raised for Cancer Trials Ireland, his campaign highlighted by the Pat Smullen Champions Race For Cancer Trials Ireland at the Curragh in September which saw stars from the past including Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Charlie Swan and Paul Carberry return to the saddle.
2019 Horse Racing Ireland Awards nominees announced
A total of 35 nominations have been made for the Horse Racing Ireland Awards, an increase of nine on last year.
The awards, which will be presented early next month, draw on nominees from across the Irish racing industry.
Once again, a public vote will decide the outcome of the 2019 Ride of the Year winner with the contenders, chosen by Pat Smullen and Barry Geraghty, to be announced next week.
Eight category winners are decided by a ballot of the Irish racing media – Horse of the Year, National Hunt Award, National Hunt Achievement Award, Flat Award, Flat Achievement Award, Point-to-Point Award, Racecourse of the Year and the Emerging Talent Award which is a new category for 2019.
Members of the Racegoers Consultative Forum, the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, the Irish Jockeys Association and the Irish Stablestaff Association will also vote on the Racecourse of the Year Award.
Upcoming Fixtures
Fairyhouse – Tuesday, November 19 (First Race 12.25)
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 20 (First Race 2.25)
Thurles – Thursday, November 21 (First Race 12.15)
Dundalk – Friday, November 22 (First Race 5.45)
Gowran Park – Saturday, November 23 (First Race 11.50am)
Navan – Sunday, November 24 (First Race 12.30)
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