RACING: Timmy Houlihan was once described as being "no bigger than a can of Coke" but the 20-year-old apprentice had the champagne popping after winning the McDonogh Handicap on Vinthea at Galway last night.
The James Burns-trained filly had a featherweight 8-1 on her back and made the most of it to beat the unlucky Desert Trail by a length. It was win number 47 of Houlihan's career and the most important since his first at Tralee less than four years ago.
That winner was trained by Michael Hourigan and it was he who described the diminutive youngster as being "no bigger than a can of Coke!" Yesterday Hourigan looked on approvingly and declared: "He's lucky he didn't grow much. A lot of lads do and they find it very hard."
Burns booked Houlihan well in advance as it was becoming clear the form of her last race, a fourth at Ascot, was working out extremely well. "The fifth won a Listed at Goodwood today and with the weight she had, I thought it would take a very good one to beat her today.
"Tim gave her a great ride and he is well worth his 5lb claim. I went into great detail about it with him and he was well primed," Burns said.
Houlihan reported: "I was handy enough all the way around and she ran on really well." Vinthea had enough to hold Desert Trail who overcame a poor draw to challenge on the turn in. Desert Trial drifted right at a critical moment, however, and afterwards was fighting a losing battle.
Master Papa finished third with the joint-favourite Masani in fourth. The other market leader Gateman was in trouble in the dip and the English raider was reported "distressed" afterwards.
Vinthea is from the family of Vintage Crop and Burns added: "She's no Vintage Crop but seems to have his tenacious nature. Maybe she is still well handicapped but we've put her in the Matron Stakes."
Torduff Boy's trainer Paul Nolan faces an anxious wait ahead of today's Plate but there was the consolation last night of Biondo's 20 to 1 victory in the seven-furlong handicap.
"If it rains, Torduff is a 20 to 1 shot. If it doesn't he has a very good chance. I just wish it was last week when we had the ground. But he is in really good form,"said Nolan.
The former Wexford hurler bought Biondo on the advice of her former trainer Ger Lyons and she could run again over hurdles on Saturday.
The weather is also a major factor in whether or not Mutakarrim will carry a 2lb penalty for winning last night in tomorrow's big hurdle. "If it continues to dry out, he will definitely run but the ground is all important," said Dermot Weld who was getting off the mark for the week.
The newcomer Blatant was all the rage in the three-year-old maiden and was backed down to evens favourite. The Oxx runner raced smoothly to the straight but was green when challenged by Ulysees and by the time he ran on, it was too late.
Ulysees got Michael Kinane off the mark for the festival and Discerning Air put him on the 48-winner mark for the season, 13 ahead of Pat Smullen, with a smooth success in the last.
Kinane will ride Rock Of Gibraltar in today's Sussex Stakes and has been booked to ride Dermot Weld's Agnetha in tomorrow's King George V Stakes.
Feabhas survived a stewards' inquiry to keep a hard earned victory in the juvenile maiden. The newcomer Canouan looked slightly unlucky in third, being denied a clear run up the stands rail.
Second day figures
A record Tuesday attendance of 22,216 made their betting presence felt last night. The Tote total of €1,070,228 was a record for the day and up almost €60,000 on last year.
The bookies turned over €2,255,950, a Tuesday record, compared to €2,177,085 last year.
The biggest betting race was the sixth race at €447,819. There were seven winning tickets to the €178,480 Jackpot pool and each received €19,122.
