Sky turns form on its head with fifth flat win

The J.P. McManus owned, Charles O'Brien trained Hurricane Sky reversed recent course and distance form with four rivals when winning the T.P. Quinn Memorial Apprentice Handicap at Leopardstown under jockey Tom Madden.

The nine year old gelding had contested 17 hurdle and 7 chase starts without success but was today recording his fifth flat success, when beating runner-up Temasek Star by four and three parts of a length.

That rival had finished fifth over course and distance in the Breast Cancer Ireland Apprentice Handicap 13 days ago in a race were Hurricane Sky finished seventh, and thus was also behind winner Kuraka (fifth today), runner-up Archer's Up (ninth), sixth-placed Black Label (fourth), while 21st placed Mystique Heights managed third place today.

Following today's race, O’Brien said “he (Hurricane Sky) ran very well here the last day from a coffin draw and I thought he’d come on a fair bit. I was hoping he’d come on enough to reverse the form - he's done that, and some!

“He’s in here again next week. I presume they will want him to leave the ground (go back jumping) at some stage but I’ll try and keep him on the ground for another week anyway.”

Quotes from Alan Magee