Hassett and Stepdance claim Tramore Derby Handicap glory

Irish Examiner

08-07-2025

The Tramore Derby Handicap, worth €20,000, topped the bill on Tuesday night's meeting at the sun-soaked Waterford track, and the lion's share of the spoils stayed local as Stepdance emerged triumphant for Henry de Bromhead and the Dawson family.
The five-year-old mare, having her first run of the season, was given an ultra-confident ride by Wayne Hassett, who waited and waited before allowing his mount, the 3-1 second-favourite, to quicken into the lead with a furlong to go.
'I'm delighted for the Dawsons – they're great supporters of the game, and of ours,' said de Bromhead. 'My father trained for their father many moons ago, so we have a lot of history together. John has been very patient with her, and it's nice to get her to win one.
'Wayne gave her a lovely ride. He was very confident on her. She had been working well, and when those fillies start winning, anything can happen. I've stuck her into an apprentice race in Limerick at the weekend.'
The Follow Tote On X Claiming Race got the evening's entertainment underway and while the lightly raced Figaruso was not seen in competitive action since being beaten favourite in a Ballinrobe Maiden Hurdle in August 2022, he landed some nice bets under a positive ride by Mikey Sheehy.
An imposing sort, he was sent to the front from the outset and despite having plenty of challengers on the turn for home, the Matt Quinn-trained six-year-old found plenty to make light of his 1065-day absence.
Jeaniemacaroney ended a series of runner-up finishes on the level with a well-deserved victory in the Tote.ie Maiden.
Dylan Browne McMonagle, riding for Joseph O'Brien and owner JP McManus, kept it simple from the outset, as he grabbed the rails slot and made all the running. Odds-on favourite Seo Linn held every chance but was unable to get by the determined winner.
Said the winning rider: 'I dictated things in front, and she's got a bit of pace and was able to pick it up when I went for her. I thought the favourite would be hard to beat, but our one has been hitting the crossbar, and she deserved to get her head in front.'
The in-foal No Niki No became the third consecutive winner on the card to make all the running, doing so for Eoghan O'Neill and jockey Chris Hayes.
'She's a great ride around there, and those type of tracks,' said Hayes. 'She's got gate speed and she's nimble underneath you. She pricks her ears when in front, but you'd swear she had been around here 100 times because she was changing her lead, giving herself a bit of room and then cutting the bend.'
Hayes later completed a 26-1 double, doing so with the same front-running tactics. This time it was the Joseph Murray-trained Make Good, in the Racing TV Free Trial Now Handicap. Allowed an easy time up front, the ten-year-old quickened at the bottom of the hill and won for the sixth time in his career.
In the Racing TV Handicap, the race for the early lead, which neither jockey on Out On Friday and Gotta Catch'em All wanted to lose, resulted in sizzling early fractions which, unsurprisingly, neither was able to maintain.
Wesley Joyce, riding Ina Mina for trainer Michael Mulvany, was happy to allow the race to develop in front of him, and when the inevitable pace collapse happened, he sent his filly to the front and on to a 15-length victory.
'We're still only learning about her,' said Mulvany. 'She's a filly that seems to be strengthening up, and now that she knows where the winning line is, hopefully she can do it again. We'll see what the handicapper does with her, but we could go back to Ballinrobe, or maybe to Galway.'
Miss Gitana, a four-year-old filly trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Leigh Roche, made all the running in the Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap. Twice a winner in Britain when trained by Mark Prescott, she was unsuccessful in early forays over hurdles for current connections, but this victory gives her something to build upon.