Tipperary Review 2007
The vagaries of the weather are an important element in the fortunes of any racetrack and this was evident at Tipperary racecourse this season.
It is hard to imagine that the underfoot conditions were so quick for the opening meeting on April 12th that the ground had to be watered to make it safe. The most impressive winner of that fixture was the Edward O’ Grady trained Clopf, in the Thomastown Castle Race. Clopf is one of the fancied horses for this year’s Champion Hurdle.
Watering was necessary a week later, as the ground was still firm and it was a similar story for both fixtures in May.
On the 7th June, there was an unusually large attendance to welcome back the prodigal son, Kieran Fallon. He didn’t disappoint the large crowd, when winning the first race on The Bogberry for his retained stable of Aidan O’Brien. He got a rapturous reception on his return to the winners enclosure. The elements really changed in June and the meeting on June 21st had to be abandoned because of inclement weather. One does not expect heavy ground on the 21st or 22nd of July, but such was the case. However, it didn’t prevent Michael O’Brien’s great warrior, Essex, from winning the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle.
The good to firm ground returned for the August 30th fixture. The most controversial finish of the day was between Aidan O’Brien’s two runners, Achill Island and Magna Cum Laude. Some punters thought that if Seamus Heffernan had been more aggressive that he could have beaten Kieran Fallon on the 2/7 favourite. Subsequent events did not confirm this, as the winner went on to run a super race in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park. With Johnny Murtagh on board he was just touched off by Nownownow. Magna Cum Laude’s form seemed to regress as he failed to win in subsequent outings.
It was firm on September 13th when Tony Martins Equator dawdled in for Ruby Walsh in the Packie Downey Memorial Hurdle. He could be one for the notebook.
The highlight of the year at Tipperary is the Super Sunday fixture. Track specialist Senor Benny supplemented his August success when winning the Listed Abergwaun Stakes. The O’Dwyer Steel Novice Chase proved the horses for courses theory when Paul Nolan’s French Accordion sluiced in from the favourite, Cool Running, who had finished third in the Galway Plate. The winner had previously scored in another Grade 3 in 2005 when successful in the Joe Mac Novice Hurdle. French Accordion went on to win the Grade 2 Fortria Chase on his next outing.
Salford City won the Grade 2 Killerk Construction Tipperary Hurdle for winning Grand National trainer Gordon Elliott and this horse who finished fifth to North Light in the 2004 English Derby is being aimed at the Champion Hurdle in March.
In the Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes Michael Halford’s Eastern Appeal got a great ride from Michael Kinane to hold off the challenge of Excelerate. Winning breeder Anthony Phelan failed to get €3,000 for her at the sales, but he now has a valuable broodmare.
Nine bumper winners went to post for the Tipperary Co-Op Hardware & Supervalu (Pro-Am) Flat Race and winning trainer, Colm Murphy, described his winner Zaarito as an exciting jump prospect and one to watch.
The final meeting of the year on October 9th was on good to firm ground and was a national hunt card. More will be heard of winners such as Albanov, Native Royal and Call Bewleys.
Manager Peter Roe was very pleased with attendances this season, as they were well up on last year’s figures. With a strong group of sponsors such as Killerk Constrution, Dwyer Steel, Coolmore, Ballykisteen Hotel and Golf Resort and Pat Tallis Construction, the future looks bright at Tipperary Racecourse.
