Tipperary Review 2011
The very first race of the 2011 Racing Season at Tipperary gave an indicator at what was to come in terms of quality as the Michael Mulvany trained Tough As Nails strode to an impressive seven length victory. Narrowly touched off in the Marble Hill Stakes and the Railway Stakes at the Curragh in subsequent outings, he was just one of several high class performers to run at Tipperary during what was another fine year for the course. Indeed, that very first meeting set the tone for the season as Dermot Weld’s Notable Graduate took the 3-Y-O Maiden on the card while Pittoni defeated Galileo’s Choice in the concluding conditions race over a mile and six furlongs. Notable Graduate subsequently went on to take his chance in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby whle Pittoni went on to win at Listowel and Naas before taking third place in the recent Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown. Galileo’s Choice subsequently scored at the Galway Festival over hurdles before taking the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown on Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes Day in early September.
The Abergwaun Stakes is one of our feature races and it proved to be a very competitive event with the Dandy Nicholls trained Inxile coming out on top. This was the horse’s fourth success in Ireland this season having also scored twice at Cork and on another occasion at Naas while on the same evening Jim Bolger’s An Ghalanta took the opening two year old maiden and Brendan Duke’s Roicead continued his rate of improvement when claiming the valuable sprint handicap, both races over the minimum trip of five furlongs. An Ghalanta subsequently third at Group and Listed races at the Curragh won by subsequent Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl and the highly regarded Born To Sea while Roicead subsequently won at Cork before taking third place in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh later that month.
The listed Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fairy Bridge Stakes took pride of place at Tipperary on August 18th and once again a high class event took place. Victory here went to the John Oxx trained Alanza who had earlier taken the Platinum Stakes at Cork and she then subsequently captured the Sceptre Stakes (Group 3) at the Doncaster St Leger Meeting. Anam Allta took second place in the Fairy Bridge Stakes and Dermot Weld’s filly then came back to Tipperary on ‘Super Sunday’ in early October to run away with the Coolmore Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes. The aforementioned Doncaster St Leger Meeting also had an interesting connection with Tipperary as The Stobart Doncaster Cup (Group 2) went to the John Oxx trained Saddler’s Rock, the same Saddler’s Rock who had lost his maiden tag earlier in the season in the Tipperary Racecourse Maiden on June 23rd and who looks a leading contender for next year’s Ascot Gold Cup while another high class maiden winner who won for the first time at Tipperary was Aidan O’Brien’s Wonder Of Wonders who was just touched off in the Epsom Oaks in early June before taking a close third place in a thrilling finish to the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh in July.
Other races worth mentioning are the likes of the Danehill Dancer Tipperary Stakes for two year olds in early July. David Wachman’s Requinto took the honours in fine style that evening before subsequently taking the Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) at Goodwood later that month while he proved himself to be a top class sprinting prospect when also landing the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster in September. While most of the above concerns the flat side of racing at Tipperary, the National Hunt races held here also produced some top quality performers and indeed the current leading fancy for the RSA Novice S’chase at next year’s Cheltenham Festival, First Lieutenant, opened his account over fences in the Like A Butterfly Novice Chase in early October while on the same card Edward O’Grady’s The Real Article confirmed himself as a most improved animal when taking the Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle in fine style. The Real Article had earlier went very close against Captain Cee Bee in the Kevin McManus Bookmakers Grimes Hurdle in July and has subsequently won a graded event at Down Royal.