RACING/News round-up: Cork teenager Davy Condon continued his recent rich vein of form at Roscommon yesterday when he notched up his 20th career success aboard Portlant Fella in the first division of the Tonlagee Maiden over seven furlongs.
Condon, who 24 hours earlier teamed up with Aljay to score for Harry Rogers at the venue, oozed confidence aboard the Joanna Morgan-trained gelding before landing the spoils from Markino and Sassania, with well-supported market leader Clovis Site a disappointing fifth.
"He wants fast ground - that's the bottom line with him," said the winning handler, who trains the three-year-old for the 10-member Portant Fellas Syndicate, which is headed by Father Sean Breen.
Pat Smullen was otherwise busy riding in Longchamp for Dermot Weld but Pat Shanahan deputised successfully on the lone reserve Rowan Flower when the easy-to-back 4 to 1 chance held the frustrating Colourfast by the minimum margin in the second division.
Smullen teamed up with the filly Nashwan Rose in the listed Prix de Liancourt over 10 furlongs at the Paris track but only finished 10th.
Shanahan was back in the winner's enclosure later when he completed a 39 to 1 double on Tim Doyle's Euro Friendly in the second division.
Pat Martin's Lee's Lodge and Timmy Houlihan came out on top in the first division.
John Oxx and Fran Berry, out of luck in the opener with Clovis Site, got it right in the Gerry & Pat Rogers Memorial Handicap over 12 furlongs when Ebaraya battled back gamely to pip outsider Ali Shuffle, who unshipped rider Donal Manning moments after filling the runner-up berth.
Former champion apprentice Manning was taken to hospital with slight concussion after the tumble and was later stood down for 21 days.
Frances Crowley is another trainer with her string firing on all cylinders in recent weeks and the Piltown handler finished the session on a bright note when Octagonal scored in the hands of Paul Carberry in the finale.
Meanwhile, Street Cry, winner of the Dubai World Cup earlier this year, has been retired, according to Godolphin's official website.
The four-year-old, a contender for the horse of the year title in America, has had his career cut short after suffering from an inflammation of his right-fore ankle.
The son of Machiavellian, who was being aimed at the Grade One Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington Park on October 26th for which he was the 3 to 1 favourite with Coral, will stand at Sheikh Mohammed's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky for the 2003 covering season.
His trainer Saeed bin Suroor had been confident about the colt's chances in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
He said: "I think he would have won the Classic. It is very sad that the injury means he cannot run in that great race. It always seems to happen with the good ones."
Dual Classic winner War Emblem is the new favourite with Coral for the Classic following Street Cry's retirement.
Breeders' Cup Classic betting: 5-1 War Emblem, 7-1 Medaglio D'Oro, 8-1 Hawk Wing, Repent, Macho Uno, 10-1 Came Home, 12-1 Momentum, Nayef, 16-1 Lido Palace, E Dubai, Grandera, 20-1 Bar.
Florida Pearl will be entered for the Grade One James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 9th.
This was confirmed yesterday by trainer Willie Mullins, who said: "I will go no further than to say the horse will be entered. He has been back in training a month and would be fit enough to run if I decided that he should."
Florida Pearl has competed in all three runnings of the €140,000 event so far, winning in 1999, finishing fourth to Looks Like Trouble in 2000 and then filling third place to Foxchapel King last year.
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