RACING:THE TURF Club is set to investigate the circumstances in which four horses were killed at Tramore races on Sunday afternoon. A combination of fast ground and tight bends contributed to an incident-filled four-day festival at Tramore last week but there was an unfortunate heavy toll on Sunday.
Four horses were killed during the day including the Jimmy Coogan-trained Mr Bones who suffered a broken pastern after appearing to slip up. Separate Ways broke a shoulder in the featured handicap hurdle, Laffan Island suffered a severed tendon in the Beginners Chase and Hampshire Express had to be put down after finishing runner-up in the conditions chase due to a fractured stifle.
The Turf Club’s chief executive Denis Egan said yesterday there will be a review of what happened but added that quick ground can make Tramore a difficult track to ride.
“We will review all aspects of what happened but Tramore is difficult at the best of times in terms of the layout of the track. The problem is when conditions are fast it can be difficult for horses to go around the bends. The problem is not as bad on soft ground,” he said.
“We must talk to everyone and I don’t want to come to come to premature conclusions but we want to minimise the risk of accidents and injuries,” Egan added.
Jimmy Coogan, trainer of Mr Bones, said yesterday he wouldn’t blame anyone for what happened. “I’m in racing long enough now and I would just put it down to one of those things. I wouldn’t blame anyone. Everyone knows Tramore isn’t a Grade One track but they do a good job with what they have,” he said.
“I don’t know if the ground was a bit rough, or he missed a step, but it is part of racing,” Coogan added.
Ireland’s champion trainer Willie Mullins has become a beneficiary from the fallout of English trainer Howard Johnson’s recent controversial disqualification with top owner Graham Wylie sending Mullins seven horses for the upcoming season.
Wylie is dramatically cutting back on his bloodstock interests and will have a string of just 20 horses. The other 13 will be based with the British champion trainer Paul Nicholls. The seven with Mullins will be Wylie’s first trained in Ireland.
“I’m going down to 20 horses and I will only have two trainers . . . Willie is going to have Back In Focus, Boston Bob, Felix Yonger, On His Own, Prince De Beauchene, Drive Time and Rupert Lamb. Paul has six horses already for me and the other seven are Tidal Bay, Tigre D’Aron, Zhakiera Spirit, Prospect Wells, Frankie Figg, Roger Beantown and Grandiso. All the rest of my horses will be going to the sales,” Wylie said yesterday.
THIS Saturday's Galileo Futurity at the Curragh has an enviable record in producing classic talent and Aidan O'Brien is preparing to pitch a particularly strong team at the Group Two feature, writes Brian O'Connor. The champion trainer has half of the 18 entries for the seven furlong event that were left in the race after yesterday's forfeit stage including the maiden winners David Livingston and Astrology, both of whom are already 25 to 1 for next year's Epsom Derby. The 2008 Derby hero New Approach won the Futurity four years ago as the subsequent Irish Derby hero Cape Blanco did in 2009. Other famous names to win include Giants Causeway (1999) and Hawk Wing (2001.) Jessica Harrington scored with Pathfork last year and is set to rely on the impressive Leopardstown winner Dragon Pulse this time. One proven classic winner that could appear on Saturday is the 2009 Irish Derby winner Fame And Glory who is left in the Irish Field Leger Trial over amile and six furlongs. Ground conditions at the Curragh yesterday were "good to yielding".
