Willie Mullins and Dylan Browne McMonagle opened their accounts at the Breeders’ Cup as the HOS Syndicate-owned Ethical Diamond scored a surprise success in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Saturday night.
The Donegal jockey, who made it back to the Curragh on Sunday to be crowned champion jockey, brought the 28/1 chance from off the pace to leading well inside the final furlong to beat the race’s two-time winner Rebel’s Romance by a length and quarter.
Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk, runner-up in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and a dual Classic winner this year, was sixth. On Friday, O’Brien had won his 21st Breeders’ Cup race when the Christophe Soumillon-ridden Gstaad landed the Juvenile Turf. On a huge night for the O’Briens, the champion trainer’s youngest son Donnacha saddled his first Breeders’ Cup winner with the Oisin Murphy-ridden Balantina taking the Juvenile Fillies event.
Jack Kennedy landed a double as Gordon Elliott repeated last year’s feat of saddling four winners on the opening day of Down Royal’s two-day autumn fixture on Friday. He was robbed of success in the opening maiden hurdle when his front-runners Theflyingking, ridden by Kennedy, and Kazansky both came down at the final flight with the race between them, leaving Henry de Bromhead’s Some Song to collect.
But almost everything else went Elliott’s way, with the James Smith-ridden Creadan Grace giving him his first winner of the day in the three-mile handicap hurdle. The James Power-owned 12/1 chance got up in the dying strides to pip Aengus King’s 11/1 shot Fill The Tank by a shorthead. Elliott and Kennedy took the three-runner Listed bottlegreen Hurdle with the 1/4 favourite Casheldale Lad which drew clear from the last to score by all of seven lengths.
Kennedy was also in the saddle as 4/6 favourite Romeo Coolio scored by twice that margin in the two-mile three-furlong beginners' chase. In the KTDA Racing colours, the six-year-old made a winning start to his career over fences when coming home clear of de Bromhead’s 11/4 shot Kotail Divin. The Ronnie Bartlett-owned Skerry Hill made a winning start to his career with a battling success in the concluding bumper. A 4/7 favourite under Harry Swan, the four-year-old saw off the sustained challenge of Tom Hogan’s 10/1 chance Hopeful Hero by three and a quarter lengths.
Jack Kennedy doubled up again as Gordon Elliott added three more winners to his weekend haul at Down Royal on Saturday. Kennedy was in the saddle to win the opening three-year-old hurdle on with the French import Mange Tout, an 8/15 favourite.
She held a clear advantage until headed briefly by Bill Durkan’s 5/1 chance Wizard Of Odds before the second-last hurdle but asserted again to score by four lengths for owners Robcour. The same trainer and jockey combination took the Grade 2 Kildress Plumbing Chase with the Bective Stud-owned 8/11 favourite Firefox.
Leading before the final fence, the seven-year-old went clear for a four and a quarter-length win over Henry de Bromhead’s Gorgeous Tom. A 10/11 favourite, the four-year-old Ballyfad completed the trainer’s treble with a battling success in the concluding bumper.
In the Gigginstown House Stud colours, he led under Josh Halford inside the final furlong to beat Philip Fenton’s 3/1 chance Lexington Wood.
Phillip Enright and Robert Tyner took the second division of the two-mile maiden hurdle with I’m Slippy at Cork on Sunday. Owned by Brendan Keogh, the 1/3 favourite got things wrong at the second-last hurdle but he went on to score in fine style, beating Philip Fenton’s 66/1 shot L’as De Watt by five lengths.
Upcoming Fixtures
Fairyhouse – Tuesday, November 4 (First race 12.15pm)
Dundalk – Wednesday, November 5 (First race 2.15pm)
Clonmel – Thursday, November 6 (First race 12.37pm)
Dundalk – Friday, November 7 (First race 5.15pm)
Gowran Park – Saturday, November 8 (First race 12.28pm)
Naas – Sunday, November 9 (First race 12.20pm)
