Tipperary jockey Rachael Blackmore celebrates her birthday with a Roscommon double

Rachael Blackmore turned 29 last Wednesday and celebrated a day early with a double at Roscommon on anothe great week for Tipperary trainers and jockeys.

On a night that female riders won five of the seven races on offer, Blackmore teamed up with trainer John O’Shea to win the Connolly’s Red Mills Rated Novice Hurdle on 6/1 chance Amschel which got up in the closing stages to deny the Gordon Elliott/Davy Russell combination with the gambled-on 15/8 favourite Boot Camp.

Blackmore’s second winner came in the shape of 12/1 shot I Keano which won the Roscommon Racecourse Handicap Hurdle for trainer Denise O’Shea.

It was her 20th winner of the season. Blackmore was another who’s week was to get better and she weighed in with a winner at Limerick for Henry De Bromhead on Saturday when Nick Lost took the Cliona Hagan Plays Live July 26th Chase and then at Sligo the following afternoon, she won on the Jimmy Finn-trainer Dorkas in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Rated Novice Hurdle.

Mouse Morris won the Larry O’Farrelly Memorial Handicap Hurdle with 5/2 favourite Spring Watch which was ridden by Donie McInerney. There was a poignant moment at Leopardstown on Thursday when the Edward O’Grady-trained Slippery Serpent won the Red Bean Roastery Qualified Riders Maiden. The 5/1 chance was carrying the colours of Friends Of Maria Syndicate, named after the trainer’s late wife.

Aidan O'Brien and his son Donnacha were first off the mark for the new week when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with 4/11 favourite Christmas at Roscommon on Monday. As they so often do, the pair doubled up late in the evening when 4/1 chance Conclusion won the Roscommon Herald Handicap.

The week was only to get better for the champion trainer who was among the winners at both Dundalk and Leopardstown on Thursday. His son Donnacha won the 8f maiden on the all-weather on 7/2 chance Indianapolis and then travelled to the Dublin venue to win on another 7/2 chance Lucius Tiberius in the Irish Stallion Farms Nasrullah Handicap after Seamie Heffernan had won the opening fillies’ maiden on the hugely impressive 1/2 favourite Goddess. O’Brien sent out 5/1 shot Fantasy to land the 5f maiden under Michael Hussey at Navan on Saturday and the pair completed a double later on the card when Fire Opal, at odds of 4/1 took the near-6f maiden.

And to wrap it up, there was also the small matter of an overseas-Group 1 double, shared with Ryan Moore on Saturday. U S Navy Flag made all the running to win the Darley July Cup at Newmarket and then at the revamped Paris Longchamp, Royal Ascot winner Kew Garden won the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris, a 72nd Group/Grade 1 winner sired by Galileo.

Denis Hogan has his horses in top form and he scored with the Killian Leonard-ridden Gopsies Daughter in the 5f handicap at Navan on Saturday. Another Tipperary trainer on the mark was David Marnane who won the 5f handicap at Dundalk on Thursday afternoon with 15/8 joint-favourite Alfredo Arcano which was ridden by Oisin Orr and Fozzy Stack got in on the act when 8/11 favourite Wishing Star won the 10f maiden under Chris Hayes. Cahir apprentice Shane Crosse was also a winner during the week, scoring on Eos for Joseph O'Brien at Dundalk on Thursday.