Old allies Phillip Enright and Kinsale trainer Robert Tyner combined to win the two-mile six-furlong handicap hurdle with 3/1 favourite Big Debates at Ballinrobe on Monday evening. The eight-year-old is owned by Maurice Kelleher and he scored a two and three-parts of a length success over the Tom Gibney-trained Rare Conor which was ridden by Darragh O'Keeffe. Enright said of the winner which finished runner-up to Minella Indo in a point-to-point in 2018, “We never thought it would take this long for him to win a race and Maurice deserves a lot of credit for being so patient. He was unlucky the last day and while he missed the third fence there, the extra trip suited him.”
Enright has recently returned from an ankle injury that saw him miss both the Fairyhouse and Punchestown festivals but he’s quickly making up for lost time and enjoyed quite a day on Tuesday as he rode a winner at both Tipperary and at Ballinrobe. He again teamed up with Robert Tyner to win the opening division of the two-mile handicap hurdle at Tipperary with Nelson’s Point. In the trainer’s wife Mary’s colours, the 16/1 chance led before the final hurdle and comfortably beat the Willie Mullins-trained 9/4 favourite Attitash by a length and three-parts. Gavin Brouder and Enniscorthy trainer Leonard Whitmore combined to take the second division of the maiden hurdle with Queensteel. The nine-year-old mare races in the trainer’s own colours and at odds of 100/30 easily got the better of the Willie Mullins-trained 6/5 favourite Recite A Prayer under the Listowel conditional rider.
Enright’s trip to Ballinrobe certainly paid off as he stepped in as a late replacement for the side-lined Ricky Doyle to win the racecourse’s annual highlight, the McHale Mayo National Handicap Chase, on the Roberto Syndicate-owned Agent Boru for trainer Tom Gibney. He steered the 12/1 shot to a one and a quarter-length success over the Liam Cusack-trained The Dabbler.
Bryan Cooper and Paul Nolan combined for a very easy winner at Limerick on Thursday. The pair captured the opening division of the two-mile three-furlong handicap hurdle with the 20/1 shot Glen Robin which scored by a facile six and a half-lengths from the Stephen Ryan-trained Monatierna in the familiar colours of Kay Browne.
Phillip Enright rounded off a hugely successful week with another winner at Punchestown on Sunday. He teamed up with County Galway-based trainer Brian McMahon to win the two and a half-mile handicap chase on Powersbomb, the horse that gave McMahon his first winner as a trainer in 2014. Now 11 years of age, the veteran was recording his sixth career success and gamely got the better of the Joseph O'Brien-trained Us And Them. McMahon said, “John Staunton rides him out every day and had him spot on. He said to me yesterday that he’d run a big race even though it looked very competitive for the end of May. Phillip is able to switch him off and save a bit which he needs as he’s not the strongest finisher of all time. He came with one run to win which was fabulous. He might have a little break now and come back for Galway.”
