News:A major new half-a-million dollar bonus for any horse that can win both the Irish St Leger and the Melbourne Cup in the same season was announced yesterday by Steve Bracks, premier of the state of Victoria.
Bracks revealed at Leopardstown that 500,000 Australian dollars (€308,000) will go to the connections of the horse that can emulate Vintage Crop who won both races in 1993.
"Vintage Crop did it and Vinnie Roe came close so I think there's a chance it will happen again at some stage," said the Australian politician.
The Killarney May festival continues this evening where Conna Castle bids to get his chasing career back on track in the two-mile Beginners race.
Jimmy Mangan's horse was expected to be one of the leading novices of last season but after a promising debut at Galway, when just beaten by Vic Venturi, Conna Castle fell on his only other start over fences and was campaigned over hurdles afterwards.
Davy Russell teams up with him tonight and Conna Castle can get the better of Zeroberto and the locally-trained Dreux.
Zeroberto's trainer Dermot Weld will fancy his chances with the Navan runner-up In A Rush in the fillies maiden and Weld may also land the concluding apprentice handicap with Gentleman Jeff.
