LEOPARDSTOWN REPORT:JOHNNY MURTAGH and Pat Smullen got together before racing at Leopardstown yesterday to promote the finale of the 2009 Flat Championship. The battle is on for the professional title with Murtagh currently holding a lead of four winners over Smullen on 85 after partnering Don Carlos to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
The Flat season finishes on Friday, November 27th at Dundalk and there will be fitting celebrations for the last day of the campaign, including music and entertainment. Murtagh said: “I would love to be champion jockey again as it has been a long time since I won the title, the championship is top of my mind. I’ll be going all out to win it between now and November 27th. I’ll miss one meeting due to the Breeders’ Cup. It will all be down to the last six meetings in Dundalk, each riding booking will be crucial. ”
Smullen added: “I think it will go all the way to the wire. I’m a few behind Johnny now and it’s not where I want to be. I hope to battle back and take the lead again. I say let the best man win and I hope it’ll be a great end to the season, especially for me!”
Free Judgement made the most of a drop in class when running out a comfortable winner of the JRA Killavullan Stakes. Jim Bolger’s juvenile was sent off at 7 to 1 having finished down the field in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on his latest outing and travelled kindly in the hands of Kevin Manning.
Lord High Admiral proved a tough nut to crack at the head of affairs but Free Judgement gradually wore him down to score by two lengths. Lord High Admiral held on for second, with Keredari picking up minor honours in third.
Manning was also on target in the Jockey Club of Turkey Trigo Stakes as he guided Joanna Morgan’s Raise Your Heart to a battling success. The 6 to 1 chance was brought through to challenge for the lead at the top of the straight and it soon became a two-horse race with Distant Memories the only threat. But Raise Your Heart found more and ran on strongly to score by two lengths. Manning went on to complete a treble and give Bolger a double as 6 to 1 chance Silent Decision took the Elmwood Handicap.
O'Brien outlines Breeders' Cup plans
The Ballydoyle Breeders’ Cup picture is becoming slightly clearer after Aidan O’Brien outlined plans for some of his team.
Dual Group One winner Rip Van Winkle looks set to fly the flag for the stable in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, while Irish 2000 Guineas victor Mastercraftsman has the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile as his main objective.
“Rip Van Winkle is in the Classic and we’ve also entered Mastercraftsman in that race, but his stated preference is for the Mile Dirt race,” said O’Brien.
“However, we are allowed to change preferences closer to the race.
“Man Of Iron is in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, while Alfred Nobel and Beethoven are both in the Juvenile Dirt.
“Lilly Langtry is in the fillies’ grass race (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf), while Viscount Nelson is in the colts’ grass race (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf).”
