Jim Bolger continued his recent rich vein of form at Clonmel yesterday when Calladine, a winner of a seven-furlong apprentice handicap at the Curragh on Friday, followed up in the hands of Kevin Manning in the Air Malta Handicap over an additional three furlongs.
The betting market suggested that Manning would be back in the winner's enclosure half an hour later. He teamed up with the 1 to 3 shot, French Style, in the maiden, but much to the dismay of odds-on backers, the partnership was never travelling well and could finish only fourth behind Sesame Heights. Manning suffered a further blow afterwards when he was banned for two days for failing to ride out the odds-on chance in the closing stages, thus losing out on third place to newcomer Returning.
Frances Crowley remarked of the winner, "That was her last, last chance and she'll be visiting stallions soon."
Ardmore, Co Waterford trainer Garrett Ducey took the Aer Rianta Beginners Chase, with Clash Of The Gales keeping up a relentless gallop in the straight for Pat Crowley to score by 15 lengths.
However, her task was eased somewhat when leader Blackburn crashed out at the third last, tragically shattering a hind leg, before Arthur Moore's 5 to 2 favourite Lyreen Wonder came to grief at the penultimate fence when giving chase to the 10 to 1 winner. Super Franky, the medium of a decent gamble from 9 to 1 to 9 to 2, was being pushed along when blundering here also, unshipping rider Philip O'Brien.
The Ryanair Maiden Hurdle was not short of incident also. Although Arthur Moore's Ellenjay came home clear of Gypsy Melody it could have been a different story if Pateley wasn't brought down by Alcapone when they were both in contention at the final flight.
The Niall Madden-trained Teknash landed the four-year-old hurdle under Paul Carberry.
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