News Round-Up: Essex, the runaway winner of last year's totesport Trophy, made a successful return to action in the Paddy Power October Handicap at Naas yesterday.
Rory Cleary's mount just held the late challenge of Davorin to score by a short head in the mile-and-a-half race, with Mister Hight taking third and Blessyourpinksox finishing fourth.
Essex, who was returned the 9 to 2 second favourite, was having his first start on the Flat since seeing off Solerina in the Irish Cesarewitch last October.
Michael O'Brien's five-year-old then went on to mark himself out as a smart performer over jumps, landing a gamble in the Pierse Hurdle, although he disappointed slightly when only 12th in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The plan now is to run him in the Leopardstown November Handicap before launching another campaign over hurdles.
Essex's win gave Cleary his 31st win of the season, leaving him five behind apprentice championship leader Chris Hayes, who earlier won the Derrinstown Stud EBF Birdcatcher Nursery on Taqseem, owned by race sponsor Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Hayes drove Taqseem home by two and a half lengths from the Cleary-partnered Set Fire to complete a double for trainer Kevin Prendergast whose Andramad had provided Declan McDonogh with his 50th success of the season.
Queen Titi, who landed the Listed Ali Retza and Mamadi Soudavar Garnet Stakes under Kieren Fallon, and newcomer The Wild Swan, winner of the six furlong juvenile maiden for Seamus Heffernan, completed a 36th birthday double for trainer Aidan O'Brien.
Meanwhile, O'Brien's chances of landing a third British trainers' title is rated as only 100 to 30 with Michael Stoute the firm favourite at 1 to 5.
O'Brien failed to close the gap at the top of the table at Newmarket on Saturday with Oratorio (fourth in the Champion Stakes) and Horatio Nelson (runner-up in the Dewhurst). Stoute has won the championship seven times in the past while O'Brien has two titles to his name.
Despite defeat, Horatio Nelson was predictably cut in the betting for the Guineas and Derby. O'Brien said: "He ran well. He ran a great race and was coming home really well." Fallon added: "It was a rough race all the way through." Horatio Nelson only got the go-ahead to run shortly before the first race when stablemate George Washington was withdrawn.
O'Brien explained: "To have run him (George Washington) and to have given him a hard race in ground that he did not like at the end of a long season might just leave its mark. He will definitely not run again this year."
Noel Meade introduced two promising novice hurdlers at Cork yesterday. Mr Nosie and Ballyagran had both won bumpers first time out and the pair look to have bright futures ahead after justifying favouritism in impressive style.
Mr Nosie earned a 16 to 1 quote for Cheltenham's Supreme Novices' Hurdle by Cashmans, while Ballyagran will be aimed at some of the better novice hurdle races this season. Meade was also successful in the bumper with Back To Bid.
In Italy Frankie Dettori scooped the Grand Premio del Jockey Club at San Siro aboard Cherry Mix to provide Godolphin with a welcome Group One success.
The Italian sent the four-year-old grey to the front down the back straight before setting sail for home off the final bend in the 12-furlong feature.
Cherry Mix, last seen finishing 12th in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, readily put daylight between himself and his seven rivals and never looked like being caught when hitting top gear.
Salutino came from out of the pack to take second with Malinas finishing third. Dettori completed a double on the French-trained Needlecraft. They were his only two rides of the afternoon.
Earlier on the card Lateral took the Group One Gran Criterium for German trainer Peter Schiergen.
Hoo La Baloo made an impressive winning debut over fences in the Victor Lucas Memorial Novices' Chase at Market Rasen yesterday.
Paul Nicholls' four-year-old was unbeaten in three French Hurdles races and made the transition to fences with consummate ease, beating The Rising Moon by a distance.
Ruby Walsh allowed the 11 to 8 favourite to stride on as the tapes went up, with Hoo La Baloo taking a keen hold during the first circuit before settling into a rhythm.
He looked to have matters well under control when Howard Johnson's Coat Of Honour fell three out, with second-placed Tighe Caster suffering a similar fate at the penultimate fence.
The departure of those two rivals left the gelding to coast home at his leisure and give connections their second consecutive success in the race following My Will 12 months ago.
