Mi Esperanza proved ideally named for trainer Andrew Kinsella, after the four-year-old filly benefited from an enterprising ride by five-pound claimer GavinRyan to win the TipperaryRaces.ie Handicap.
The daughter of Dandy Man’s Spanish moniker translates to ‘My Hope’ and after a 10-year drought, albeit that he was not active for a significant portion of that period, her handler can be optimistic about the future as a result of this 16/1 success.
The day’s feature contest was hosted by Gowran Park in the evening fixture, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF McCalmont Stakes going to the progressiveLemista (5/2), who was completing a double for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane.
In terms of individual honours, jockey Billy Lee scored a Tipperary treble, while trainer Johnny Murtagh continued his blistering form with a cross-card treble.
Tipperary
It was a red-letter day for Kinsella, who last tasted success when Max Almighty prevailed in a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park in March 2010.
He did register 10 winners on the Flat in 2008 however and after taking time out to train as an engineer, will be hoping that this success will alert owners to his return.
Mi Esperanza only got in as a reserve and Ryan made the most of the opportunity, kicking for home inside the two to see off a rallying A Step Too Far.
“In fairness to Darren Bunyan (trainer of non-runner Snow Patch), he rang me first thing this morning so I was able to go early and we needed that” Kinsella told the Press Association.
“I have only two horses in training at the moment. There’s nothing I love more than training horses but it is hard when you are a small yard. You have to do the best you can with what you have because you don’t always have good horses.
“I’m happy this lady has done that so hopefully we can get a bit of notice again and people might consider me.”
Murtagh is red-hot right now and Shane Kelly propelled Measure of Magic (4/1) to a short head triumph over Mooniesta in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for juvenile fillies.
It was a first two-year-old victor for Murtagh of the campaign, Kelly delivering his run inside the final 100 yards to snatch the verdict.
Willie McCreery is another whose string are running into form and he and Lee combined to land the Tipperary Handicap with Jungle Jane (7/1).
Paddy Twomey was predicting bigger things for Sunday Sweet (7/4) after winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden for 3-year-old fillies and older, providing Lee with his second win.
The Limerick man made it a 10th victory in as many days on Silvertown in the Thank You To All Frontline Workers Handicap, for Andy Oliver.
It was a family affair in the colts’ and geldings’ version of that series as Andrew Slattery booted War Flight (10/3) to a two-and-a-half-length succession War Flight, trained for the Goodcraic Syndicate by his father Andy, while Aidan O’Brien had his customary two-year-old success with Kingman filly Swiss Ace (2/1), who was partnered by Wayne Lordan.
Darragh O’Keeffe warmed up for Monday’s resumption of National Hunt action by coming out on top of a three-way finish on the Ray Hackett-owned and –trained Rock On Seamie (18/1), who had a neck to spare from Out On Friday, with Tashman another neck back in third.
Gowran Park
Murtagh and Ben Coen combined for a double at Gowran, providing the Curragh conditioner with a treble on the day and a stunning strike rate seven winners from his previous 13 runners to that point.
Sonnyboyliston (10/3) claimed the It’s Not Rocket Science MansionBet Handicap for the Kildare Racing Club, seeing out the mile very well to score by a length and a half from Meaningful Vote.
The duo followed up 30 minutes later in the first division of the Mansion Bet’s Get Paid As A Winner Handicap and it was an even easier task for Coen, who took Wilderness (6/1) to the front out of the stalls and though challenged by Pillmakers Hill, the Cityscape filly asserted once more to take the honours by three and a quarter lengths.
The Classic-winning duo of Lyons and Keane added to their burgeoning haul and on the evidence of this success, Lemista’s graph might not have levelled off yet.
The three-year-old was always travelling comfortably and moved effortlessly into the lead off the bend, Come September coming out of the pack to claim valuable black type.
The Glenburnie crew had gotten off the mark when Roca Roma (1/2) defied a wide-draw to record a pillar-to-post triumph in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-old fillies.
There was a first winner of the season for Meath trainer Paddy Rogers and despite Mikey Sheehy charting a wide path, he rarely had cause for concern as The Lady’s Bid (8/1) scooted clear of the always-prominent Attack At Dawn in the Mansion Bet’s Get Paid As A Winner Handicap.
Denis Hogan and owner James McAuley received a boost ahead of Sceptical’s bid for Royal Ascot glory when Joe Doyle navigated Dalvey (9/1) to the spoils in the Division 1 of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-old colts and geldings but it was much tougher in the second division for Keats (8/13), who was giving O’Brien an Irish cross-card double to complement his 74th Royal Ascot victory (deliveredby Santiago in the Queen’s Vase).
The closing MansionBet Proud To Support Irish Racing Handicap went to Protagonist (3/1jf), who was having his first run for Jessica Harrington and moved to the front easily two furlongs out when asked to do so by Shane Foley.
