Jack Kennedy shared further success with Gordon Elliott at Thurles on Thursday as the Bull On Syndicate-owned Jungle Prose scored a clear-cut success in the mares’ handicap hurdle. the 100/30 chance led at the third last hurdle and made the best of his way home to win by five and a half lengths from the Declan Queally-trained 2/1 favourite Natural Look.
Listowel’s Fiona Dowling was in the saddle as the Gavin Cromwell-trained Vera Verto won the final race in the Corinthian Challenge Charity Race Series at Leopardstown on Saturday. Owned by the From The Clouds Partnership, the 15/2 chance raced clear inside the final furlong to win by an easy five and a half lengths from the Andrew Kinirons-trained Morning Dew.
Gavin Ryan bagged his first Group 1 success as the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Proud And Regal won the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. It was a huge day for the O'Brien clan as father Aidan made history at Doncaster where the Ryan Moore-ridden Auguste Rodin gave the Ballydoyle maestro his 11th success in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes and Joseph O'Brien was on the mark, also at Saint-Cloud, as the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden Tranquil Lady took the Group 3 Prix de Flore. The Irish dominated at Cheltenham on Saturday where Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy were winners with the four-year-old Pied Piper, Elliott and Davy Russell won with Chemical Energy, Willie Mullins and Brian Hayes scored with Dads Lad, Charles and Philip Byrnes were winners with Shoot First and John McConnell was on the mark with the Tom Scudamore-ridden Encanto Bruno. McConnell was also a winner at the track on Friday with Ben Harvey’s mount Seddon and the Simon Torrens-ridden Fennor Cross. In all seven of the 14 races at Cheltenham over the weekend were won by Irish-based trainers.
