Tipperary trainers and jockeys among the winners as Aidan O'Brien gets flat season off to good start

Aidan O’Brien was among the winners on the opening day of the new Flat season at Naas.

He combined with his son and reigning champion jockey Donnacha to take the Naas Racecourse Business Club Madrid Handicap with Never No More.

A classic trial will be next for this colt who coped well with the step up from sprint distances to seven furlongs. “His previous runs had been over shorter, but he got the trip well and we’ll look at the 2000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown for him in a couple of weeks’ time,” said O’Brien. 

Fozzy Stack is known for making a fast start to the season and he was among the opening day winners as the Chris Hayes-ridden Wargrave landed the concluding 7f maiden. The well-backed 100/30 chance made all the running to win by two and a half lengths.

Harry Swan, son of nine-time champion jockey Charlie, enjoyed his first winner in Ireland and his second overall when Fiddlerontheroof landed the bumper at Navan on Bank Holiday Monday. The 16-year-old got off the mark at Worcester in September and was seen to good effect once again as he made much of the running on the 16/1 chance to see off the late challenge of 8/1 favourite The Big Getaway by a length and a quarter.

Trainer Evanna McCutcheon landed her first National Hunt winner when Our Jerry took the amateur riders’ handicap hurdle at Cork on Thursday. Tom Hamilton partnered the 7/2 favourite which had little difficulty in beating Galuppi by four and a half lengths. McCutcheon enjoyed high profile success with the smart sprinter Maarek which won a Group 2 at York in 2014 and a listed race at Beverley the following year.

Upcoming Fixtures

Clonmel - Tuesday, March 26 (First Race 2.20)