Tipperary jockey Jake Coen clocks up fourth winner of career at Clonmel races

Above: Declan Ryan, Bulmers, makes a presentation to Keith and Maeve O’Brien, representing winning owners Robcour, following the success of Garde La Peche in the Bulmers Summer BBQ Race Evening Beginners Chase. Also included is Eimear Horan

Killusty teenager Jake Coen, younger brother of flat jockey Ben Coen, who was also on the mark at the same day’s Flat fixture at Fairyhouse, has really come into his own since switching his allegiance to the National Hunt game 12 months ago. The 18-year-old was seen to good effect with his handling of Sea Aster for his boss Gordon Elliott in the Bulmers Light Beginners Chase at last Friday’s Bulmers Summer BBQ evening in Powerstown Park, Clonmel.

The five-pound claimer was clocking up the fourth win of his career and was cheered home by his delighted mother Ann. Sea Aster was registering her second victory and had clearly built on the promise of a solid run behind Saylavee at Killarney last month to win as she pleased. Taking command off the last bend, the 7/2 chance opened up before the second last fence and was good value at the line for her easy eight-length win over market leader Kudasheva.

Said Coen, “She had two good runs over fences this year and the race in Killarney was a lot hotter than today’s race but she jumped well and put the race to bed coming down the hill”.

David Doyle, son of Moyne trainer Tim Doyle, was another young talent to shine and he further advertised his potential when giving the John Ryan-trained Barbaha Queen a confident ride to land the Bulmers BBQ (QR) Handicap Chase.

The amateur was notching up his fifth success on the track and his second over fences. Fairyhill-based Ryan, who followed up with a one-two via 11/1 shot Killashee and Father Jed in the Clonmel Show July 7 Handicap Chase, said of Bahara Queen “She was entitled to it after her run in Limerick and David gave her a peach of a ride. He’s only four miles from me and rides work for me the odd time”.

Henry de Bromhead also completed a quick-fire double, thanks to the Mikey O’Connor-duo-ridden Garde La Peche and Tag Man. Bulmers Summer BBQ Race Evening Chase scorer Garde La Peche was continuing the good run being enjoyed by Clonmel’s Robcour but Brian Acheson said “That’s our first win of the new season and we didn’t expect it!”

The runners were well strung out from the outset but the mare was driven out to score by two and a quarter lengths. “She had been disappointing over hurdles but that was really good. She loves fences and Mikey gave her a super ride,” said de Bromhead. “Chasing is her gig and we’ll kick on from here. She seems to like that ground and I think she’ll keep going for the summer”.

O’Connor rode out his claim aboard Tag Man, who made a successful all-the-way debut over fences in the Bulmers Novice Chase with a three-quarter length win over fellow joint favourite Moonovercloon. De Bromhead was full of praise for his jockey; “He’s a great rider who’s doing really well. He’s a massive part of the yard, a big team player and he will get more opportunities. I thought Tag Man jumped really well against more experienced horses but he has a bit of class and we’ll look for something similar now”.

Walnut Beach can be a quirky customer at times but the conditions of the Powerstown Park Beginners Chase suited him and Pat Flynn’s runner dictated it from the front under Shane Fitzgerald to come out on top by a convincing three length margin from Faux Fur.

The 7/2 chance was running off a mark of 122 and Flynn said “He always runs a nice race but he’s a devil on the Flat. You can’t get him going in his races and he can throw it away early on”.

Above: Aine Purcell from Newcastlewest in Limerick and Bill Comerford, Rathgormack, county Waterford, winner and runner- up in the Best Dressed Competition, kindly sponsored by Bulmers and the Talbot Hotel Clonmel, at Clonmel Races. Also included are Declan Ryan (Bulmers) and the style judges Elaine Walsh (Ryan Design), Laura Jones (Talbot Hotel) and Mark Kehoe (Tipperary and Kilsheelan/Kilcash GAA). Picture: John D Kelly

More than 700 tickets for the BBQ package were sold in advance of the meeting and there was a great atmosphere and tempting cooking smells around the enclosures throughout the evening. Eugene Cooney, the racecourse’s sales and marketing manager, reflected “We had great support from local companies, as well as Cashel and Thurles, a birthday party group all the way from Dublin and our usual group from Anthony’s Inn in Piltown”.

Declan Ryan, the regional sales manager for Bulmers, commented “We have 120 staff from the factory here this evening and are also entertaining all our local customers and publicans as a way of saying thank you to them. We look on it as a way of just bringing a lot of large businesses like Abbott, Boston Scientific and Tipperary County Council together for a Friday evening out.

"The event is bigger than last year and we’re just trying to grow it with the introduction of the Best Dressed person award, sponsored by Bulmers and the Talbot Hotel Clonmel, with two tickets for the winner to see Coldplay in Croke Park plus overnight accommodation”.

Declan interviewed the 10 finalists before announcing Aine Purcell from Limerick as the winner. Said Aine, “I’m down here on holidays and just decided to come along with my sister Fionnuala, who was another finalist. We’ve had a great time”.

Racing at Clonmel now takes a break until September 5 but there will be plenty of entertainment for all the family at Powerstown Park on Sunday, July 7 when Clonmel Show, first held in 1865, takes centre stage.