RACING NEWS:DERMOT WELD'S Mad About You got her season back on track with an authoritative display in the Bruce Betting Newbridge Gladness Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.
The four-year-old, placed four times at Group One level last season, including in the French and Irish 1,000 Guineas, was always prominent in the hands of Pat Smullen. Beaten at odds-on on her seasonal reappearance two weeks ago, this was much more like it as she smoothly took up the running a furlong and a half out.
The 9 to 4 favourite never looked like being caught and was two and a half lengths clear of the running-on Dohasa at the line with Kargali in third. ”
Rockcliffe is bred to be a decent horse on the flat and can prove the point in this evening’s 11 furlong maiden at Limerick. The son of Group One winner Rebelline and is a half brother to the Irish 2,000 Guineas candidate Recharge but his racecourse experience to date has been confined to two bumpers. The first at Punchestown yielded a good enough performance to make him favourite subsequently at Dundalk. Rockcliffe disappointed there but this sort of trip may be what he requires.
Murtagh teams up with Bibury in the seven-furlong maiden for three-year-olds and an extra furlong could suit this one. Derby winning jockey Kevin Manning will be on board Born To Rock in the mile maiden and there won’t be any 20 to 1 available about Jim Gorman’s horse this time as there was when finishing a half length runner-up to Toraidhe at the Curragh. Haunting Melody has a couple of lengths to make up on Vaticano from Dundalk running last time but with Pat Smullen up it could be a different story now.
- Jockey Matt O’Connor’s condition in Cork University Hospital continues to improve. He was knocked unconscious at Thurles back on March 26th but is now breathing unaided. Dr Walter Halley, former chief medical officer for the Irish Turf Club and a member of the jockey’s family, said: “The situation is that he has been weaned off the medically induced coma, is off the ventilator and is breathing under his own steam. He has full movement of both upper and lower limbs and is obeying commands. He is still being monitored and will be for some time to come, but this is a huge improvement and of great relief to his family.”
