Racing News round-upKatie Walsh excelled on Parrot Cay to secure her first winner over hurdles at a muddy Thurles yesterday. The gelding, trained by her father Ted and owned by her mother Helen, was delivered with a perfectly timed challenge to get up close home in the Cashel Maiden Hurdle.
The 10 to 1 shot made ground on the outer in the straight and jumped the last upsides Ballycullen Boy, finding a bit extra close home to score by a neck.
"I've had him four years and he's had a few problems. He has a patient owner!" said Ted Walsh. "That's Katie's first winner over hurdles so it's great."
Brother Ruby was also on the mark when giving Templers Hall, the 11/10 favourite, a strong drive to get home in the Horse And Jockey Handicap Chase.
Grangehill Dancer appeared to be travelling best into the straight but Walsh forced Willie Mullins' charge up to challenge and he found more after the last to score by two-and-a-half lengths.
Ruby later teamed up with his father when riding Bryansford Belle in the mares beginners chase but the 7 to 2 favourite was collared on the run-in by Sea Diva, who scored by a length-and-three-quarters.
The testing conditions didn't seem to inconvenience Jog On, who ran out an impressive winner of the Clonoulty Handicap Hurdle with Davy Russell on board.
Folk, trained by Ismail Mohammed and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, made virtually every yard of the running in the UAE 1,000 Guineas yesterday to deny hot favourite Greetings at Nad Al Sheba in the style of a nice filly.
McEvoy said: "That was impressive. She travelled like a really nice filly and picked up well when I asked her. Hopefully, there is more to come from her as she was running all the way to the line."
Richard Guest has been fined £2,750 by the disciplinary panel of the Horse Racing Regulatory Authority in relation to criminal charges brought against him last November. Guest, along with two stable employees, Richard Dalton and Louise Tidman, appeared at Durham Magistrates' Court after the death of a horse in their care and were were each given two-year conditional discharges for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal when What's A Filly was put down after developing a severe infection in her near-hind leg.
Trainer Gerard Butler was fined a total of £1,750 by the disciplinary panel of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority after one of his runner's tested positive for a prohibited drug.
