O'Callaghan Hotels sponsor all eight races at Leopardstown tomorrow on the closing day of the Irish 1997 Flat Race Season. This has been a memorable one for hotelier Noel O'Callaghan who enjoyed Group race success in England and Ireland with his fine filly Lady Alexander, the only one to beat the vaunted King Of Kings.
An appropriate first race winner in the Mont Clare Hotel EBF Nursery would be Lady Alexander's stable companion Holly Hedge.
What is more you can make a sound case for him as he scored with great ease at the Curragh, beating Ballyellery trained by Aidan O'Brien who has been so hard to beat in nurseries this season.
There is always an Irish Cesarewitch connection with the Sunday feature race and top weight will be carried in the O'Callaghan Hotels Leopardstown November Handicap by Winged Hussar whose brave weight-carrying attempts in amateur handicaps earlier in the summer were finally rewarded when he beat his stablemates Torn Silk and Sirinndi at the Curragh.
He belongs to the Dundalk Racing Club who down the years have enjoyed much good fortune with the horses picked out for them by their trainer John Oxx and Winged Hussar a fully exposed performer will still take all the beating. Wizard King looked very fortunate to beat Orange Grouse at Tipperary and is now 2lb worse off in the Alexander Hotel Knockaire Stakes. He is, however, such a robust battler and such a marvellous traveller that he may defy the odds and repeat last year's victory.
The O'Callaghan Hotels Inter Varsity Handicap invariably provokes great competition amongst the institutions of third level education and Euphoric will give his associates a good run.
The postponed Limerick October Bank Holiday meeting also takes place tomorrow but is bereft of its Munster National. However, Valentine Gale (12.45), Cailin Supreme (1.15), Zaffaran Run (1.45) and Swiss Tune (3-45) each stand out as good bets.
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