THE CURRAGH:IRELAND'S RICHEST day's racing of the year turned into a benefit for British trainers Richard Hannon and Mark Johnston, whose only regret must be that the Goffs Million series is no more.
The marketing ploy which began in 2006 at the height of the Celtic Tiger came to an end in much harsher economic times at the Curragh yesterday with the balance of payments firmly in favour of those across the Irish Sea.
Hannon notched another one-two in the Sprint, with Lucky General leading home Full Mandate, and yielding a €1.3 million payoff in the process, while the Mile Million went to Johnston’s Shakespearean, who held off Marfach in a thrilling finish.
Yesterday’s crowd of 8,234 was down almost 2,000 on last year.
“I’ve just heard one of mine (Jukebox Jury) has just won a Group One in Germany by a whisker, so this must be the best five minutes of my life,” Johnson said after the Roundwood, Co Wicklow-born jockey Joe Fanning made virtually all the running.
“He was very game. They were queuing up to have a go, but this fella is very laid back and really put his head down,” Fanning reported.
The jockey later got a one-day suspension for his use of the whip in this race.
Shakespearean started a well-backed 3 to 1 shot, but Johnston admitted: “I was surprised he wasn’t more fancied. He was the only to have done it in Group company. Mind you, I was praying for the line to come!”
There were no such dramatics in the Sprint as Richard Hughes powered Lucky General clear of his stable companion to emulate the Hannon one-two in 2008’s fillies event.
Owned by Welsh-born Julie Wood, one of Hannon’s most powerful owners with 23 horses, the €60,000 purchase came through the field to win by almost two lengths.
“They went very fast early and I dropped mine out. He quickened up really well,” Hughes said. “This is great because I picked wrong last year.”
The bulk of the money might have gone overseas but the classic impact yesterday very definitely came in the Group Two Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, where St Nicholas Abbey’s three-quarter- length victory saw him slashed to 8 to 1 favourite for next year’s Derby.
Aidan O’Brien’s Montjeu colt scythed through the pack to cut down Layali Al Andalus, and the 2 to 5 favourite looked to be value for more than the winning margin.
“He’s a lovely horse. And he came forward lovely from his first run. Johnny was impressed and he gave him a lovely, educational ride, coming through like that,” O’Brien said. “He might have another run in the Racing Post Trophy.”
It was a 10th Beresford victory for the trainer, although St Nicholas Abbey has some big shoes to fill since last year’s renewal was won by a certain Sea The Stars.
If that black-type event went very much to plan, it was a different story in the CL Weld Park Stakes with the 25 to 1 outsider Lady Springbank, who was half-a-length too good for the English raider Bikini Babe.
Local trainer Paul Deegan was saddling his first Group winner with the filly who only came to him a month ago, having been trained in England by the now banned Karl Burke.
“She came here for soft ground so we were worried about the going but she handled it beautifully,” said Deegan.
Co Dublin trainer Ado McGuinness’ decision to try sprint distances with Toufan Express continues to pay dividends as the seven-year-old was a neck too good for Tornadodancer in the six-furlong handicap.
The end of the Irish Cesarewitch turned into a family affair as star apprentice Gary Carroll pulled off a gamble on Dani California to edge out his brother Tim on Silverhand.
It was another big handicap success for Carroll on a Willie Mullins-trained runner after Sesenta’s Ebor success at York in August.
