WEST CORK, Ireland – Jamie Hurley took the top jockey honors riding two winners at the opening of the 2017 Road Racing season at Drimoleague on St Stephens Day.
Reenascreena based Hurley took the featured Grade A Pace on Maithi Buachaill and the Novice Pace on IB Tweedy.
In the Grade A, 2016 Horse of the Year RHYDS PONDER, was installed as favorite and set his usual brisk pace and led for the opening ten furlongs of the two mile contest.
Then he was joined by MAITHI BUACHAILL, who led at the the final turn with four furlongs to the finish and the two battled it out from there to the finish as MAITHI BUACHAILL stayed on top to win by 6 lengths. RHYDS PONDER lost nothing in defeat in finishing second. The winner is owned by Hurleys father James and Ger Hegarty.
Early in the day Hurley had a facile win aboard IB TWEEDY, who is owned by The One For The Road Syndicate, which comprises of Hurley ,James O'Driscoll, Richard Kingston and Karl Mitchell. IB TWEEDY is a four year old and looks a bright prospect for this season.
Champion jockey Deirdre Goggin got on the score sheet aboard SAUNDERS PARIS for her father Micheal. She led from the start of this mile contest and had three lengths in hand on YOUNG DEANO.
David Brickley teamed up with his retained Lakeview Stud ti take the Grade B.
RHYDS TRIXTER looked to have stolen a march on his rivals, but Brickley on DEMOCRAT slowly reeled in his rival to win by two length.The winner is owned by Derbyshire UK owner John Mycock.
TACTICIAN DU LYS, a multiple winner last winter, took an ultra competitive Grade C with regular jockey Timmy O'Leary sidelined with the flu, Micheal Goggin, Jr. came in for the spare ride on this imposing French Bred trotter and beat LAKEVIEW WALTER and MEADOWBRACH KIKI.
BEAUTYS HARMONY was friendless in the betting ring in the Grade D, but put his five fancied rivals to the sword, winning by six lengths for joint owners Richard Joyce and Matt O.Reilly.
The action switches to Durrus on New Years Day with racing on "The Boggy Road " starting at 1 45 PM.
RESULTS
GRADE A (Tommy McCarthy Memorial Cup)
1. Hurley / Hegarty MAITHI BUACHAILL J Hurley
2. Ned Forbes RHYDS PONDER Deirdre Goggin
3. Niall Forbes MOUNTAIN DEW LAD
GRADE B (P J Daly Memorial Cup)
1. Shanahan /Mycock DEMOCRAT D Brickley
2. L O Brien RHYDS ARTIST J Hurley
3. G Kane URI GELLER M Goggin Jnr
GRADE C (Joe O Sullivan Acorn Life Cup)
1. Kane / O Mahony TACTICIAN DU LYS M Goggin Jnr
2. R Joyce LAKEVIEW WALTER M O Reilly
3. D Brickley MEADOWBRANCH KIKI Owner
GRADE D
1. Joyce /O Reilly BEAUTYS HARMONY M O Reilly
2. N Forbes GADGIE PAN J O Reilly
3. H Bennett WELLFIELD DAMIAN Marie Moloney
GRADE E
1. M Goggin Snr SAUNDERS PARIS Deirdre Goggin
2. D Brickley YOUNG DEANO Owner
3. G Kane BIG JIM T O Leary
NOVICE
1. One for the Road Syn IB TWEEDY J Hurley
2. O Mahony / O Brien FAME EARNED T O Leary
3. D O Callaghan THE RED REBEL P O Brien
by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink