Category: RACING
-
You can’t please everybody so have to please yourself
There’s an old saying which deems that ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ and it’s one which I believe in and swear by to the nth degree. For example, despite being let down more often than a bouncy castle in high summer and having my heart broken with similar regularity to a chef cracking…
-
Thurles disaster may be averted after “Positive Meeting”
The potentially disastrous closure of Thurles Racecourse has been averted until the end of next March at least following what was described as a “Positive Meeting” between the property’s owners, the Molony family, and the HRI. Earlier this month, Irish racing – and the National Hunt sector thereof in particular – was sent into a…
-
Never doubt that they are watching…
I always feel a bit strange for a day or two after the men’s All Ireland SFC Final. Another chapter of the sporting year done. Summer gone before the farmers have even begun cutting winter wheat. “The hay is saved and Cork are bet the crowd do wildly roar”. Or at least that’s the way…
-
Selections for Killarney – July 18th 2025
1.25: CINNAMON COCO (JJ SLEVIN/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 1.55: AMBOYNA (DARRAGH O’KEEFFE/J. E. & T. KIELY) 2.30: COOL CHEERY (PAUL TOWNEND/WILLIE MULLINS) 3.05: DUTCH SCHULTZ – EW – (CONOR STONE-WALSH/GAVIN CROMWELL) 3.40: NURBERGRING (JJ SLEVIN/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 4.15: BIG ISLAND – EW – (DANNY MULLINS/BILLY LANNIGAN) 4.50: DUE COURSE – EW – (EOIN STAPLES (7)/GAVIN CROMWELL) 5.25: FRAHER…
-
Gosden launches incredible defence of Murphy but will anybody listen?
It would be wagered that it would be universally accepted that John Gosden is one of the nicest gentlemen in horse racing. Yes, I will admit that when Kieran Shoemark lost the role as ‘first jockey’ in Gosden’s yard I was highly critical of the trainer and his son and joint licencee, Thady, but, the…
-
Selections for Leopardstown – June 19th 2025
4.40: DIAL ME IN (DECLAN MCDONOGH/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 5.10: FERRYBANK – EW – (SHANE O’CALLAGHAN (5)/TED WALSH) 5.53: TILANI – EW – (CHRIS HAYES/DERMOT WELD) 6.28: JA’MARR – EW – (LUKE MCATEER/DAVID MARNANE) 7.00: ELUSIVE DUKE – EW – (RONAN WHELAN/KEVIN COLEMAN) 7.30: SUPER FLY – EW – (GAVIN RYAN/ANTHONY MCCANN) 8.00: CARTHUSIAN (SCOTT MCCULLAGH/JESSICA HARRINGTON)…
-
Tormey keeps up fine family tradition
When Hank Williams Jr had his hit song Family Tradition in 1979, he was referring to clan customs which the over sanitised political correctness of modern society would undoubtedly frown upon if not have a complete seizure. However, it’s highly unlikely there will be any protests around Ashbourne or Garristown anytime in the near future…
-
Shock as brilliant Blackmore bows out with immediate effect
The world of National Hunt racing is no doubt in as much shock as is this writer with the news on Monday evening that trailblazing lady rider Rachael Blackmore has called time on her glory-laden career with immediate effect. The 35-year-old native of Killenaule, Co Tipperary smashed glass ceilings not just in horse racing, but…
-
Shoemark shown the door in the hunt for a fall guy
Eric Cantona, Trevor Brennan, Roy Keane, Graham Geraghty and Paul Carberry. All supremely gifted sportsmen, yet each as enigmatic as the last. So much so that managing their quirks became the most pivotal component in making their genius flourish. They all thought Sean (Boylan) was mad making Graham Meath captain. It ended up being his…
-
Horses aren’t machines, jockeys are human, accept that and you’ll be grand
“Just as quick as it started, the firing stopped. And a terrible silence hung over the valley”… Yes, it’s the same quotation from the beginning of The Ballad of Michael Collins that appears in this spot this night every year. For the simple reason it best encapsulates the deflation of spirits that arrives with the…