Reigning champion National Hunt rider Ruby Walsh sustained a dislocated hip after his mount Johnny Ringo was brought down in the Bank Of Ireland Handicap Hurdle on the opening day of the Listowel Festival yesterday. Walsh was rushed to Tralee Hospital for X-rays which revealed the extent of his injury.
War Cabinet fell at the fifth last flight, bringing down the Eric McNamara-trained gelding.
Tralee trainer Tom Cooper saddled his first winner at Listowel when the David Casey-ridden Gallileo Strike held off Knockawad in a driving finish to this race. "He loves fast ground and will come back here on Wednesday for a mile handicap," said Cooper.
Michael Kinane dominated the Flat section of the card when completing a short-priced double on the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair Toreador and Bringontheclowns.
Toreador looked a class apart in the opening Castle EBF Maiden, and the Danehill juvenile duly justified 2 to 5 favouritism when heading Hasina at the furlong pole to score by two and a half lengths.
Kinane, now on the 63 winner mark for the season, adopted waiting tactics aboard Bringontheclowns in the Kingdom EBF Nursery. The topweight made gradual headway through the field, leading inside the final furlong to beat Jimjonpaddal by two lengths.
With five winning favourites on the opening session the punters already have the layers on the ropes, and in the hope that they can be kept there Triple Gold is napped to win the Brandon Hotel Maiden this afternoon.
She has made the frame in all three starts so far and as a filly that can make her running she will appreciate the drop back in distance. It was over an extended mile at Galway that she was beaten into third place by Lady Digby. Michael Kinane rarely rides a two-year-old for Paddy Mullins but he won this race for him last year and has now accepted the mount on the stable's Ulysses. This is the danger.
The Maktoum brothers could be on the target with Waased (2.35) and Tentpole (3.05). The former carries the Sheikh Hamdan colours and through Beat The Heat, Dermot Weld will be aware of just what is needed to beat the consistent Moyeala.
In the John Lynch Handicap John Murtagh has picked Sheikh Mohammed's Tentpole, who is the selection.
