By Dan Walsh at Wexford Races
Three pound claiming conditional jockey Conor Stone-Walsh from Cleariestown was the local hero at Wexford races today where he recorded a double success. And both his winning mounts were from Wexford stables.
First up was a four lengths victory on Menas Miracle (8/1) who won ‘best turned out’ in the handicap hurdle and trained at Tomhaggard by Conor’s uncle Benny Walsh. The six-year-old bay mare was bred by her owne today.r, Peter Aspell from Newbawn.
Half an hour later in the maiden hurdle, Stone-Walsh made it two on the trot aboard Stay Gold (Evens fav.) for Killena trainer Colm Murphy. The winning verdict was a neck, and the runner-up was Paul Nolan’s Coumeenoole ridden by Sean O’Keeffe.
Other placed local runners included Hatfield Hammer (Paul Nolan/Jordan Gainford), HMS Seahorse (Paul Nolan/Sean O’Keeffe) and Philip Rothwell’s Warm In Gorey (Tiernan Power-Roche) who finished six and a half lengths behind the best named winner on the day – Crowsatedappletart (7/1) from Michael Winters’ Kanturk stables in Cork in the handicap chase.
Jockey Brian Hayes had a double including success on Fine Margin (4/1) for the champion trainer Willie Mullins in the beginner’s chase. Aintree Grand National winning jockey and champion amateur Patrick Mullins was in charge in the absence of his father.
There was a big Wexford welcome for Jack Kennedy, who has broken a leg six times, and has just returned from injury and his first winner back came on Kimakiz Du Plessis (11/8 fav) for Gordon Elliott in the opening maiden hurdle.
It was a good day’s racing anchored by the GAA Cairde Loch Garman Race Day. Good crowd too, the restaurants and bars were busy, however, a biting wind took a lot of pleasure out of a July day.
Racing returns to Bettyville Park on Wednesday, July 23rd (afternoon) and Thursday, July 24th (evening); too important dates for your social and sporting diary.
WexfordLocal.com 