Search
Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
- Home
- News
Review curragh 13th Apr
Inis Meain and Danny Mullins win from Tarana
© Photo Healy Racing
Denis Hogan's versatile gelding Inis Meain took the return to Flat racing in his stride as he led all the way to land the Irish Field Alleged Stakes at the Curragh.
Second to Parish Hall in the Listed contest last season, the seven-year-old reversed the form as he followed up a victory in a Navan handicap hurdle on his last start in February.
Danny Mullins had his rivals on the stretch a quarter of a mile out in the Barry Connell colours and though Alive Alive Oh threatened briefly, her run petered out and it was left to Tarana to chase home the 8-1 winner, two and a half lengths in arrears.
The Paul Deegan-trained Sruthan was sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes and looks set for a big season after winning the Group Three event with some authority.
Chris Hayes always had him nicely positioned just behind the leaders and after taking charge half a furlong out the four-year-old forged on to beat last year's winner Custom Cut who tried to lead all the way, by a length and a half.
Not to be outdone, Sruthan's half-brother Srucahan (4-1 favourite) then came out and won the Cunninghams Of Kildare Handicap for the Deegan-Hayes partnership, leading inside the final furlong and just doing enough to hold Norville by half a length.
David Wachman's Booker (9-4 joint-favourite) took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, travelling sweetly up to join the leaders under Fran Berry and clearing away from the furlong pole to score by a length.
Berry doubled up when he delivered a late run on Tony Martin's Thomas Edison (7-2) in the War Horse At The Curragh Raceday Handicap to grab Little Rocky in the shadow of the post for a nose victory.
Ken Condon's juvenile Newsletter (10-3) won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden impressively by two and three-quarter lengths, and Dermot Weld's Sinkal (2-1) made a thoroughly pleasing winning debut in the race of the same name for three-year-olds.