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Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Poignant scenes as Irish jockey wins race named in memory of late brother
It's over 20 years since jockey Seán Cleary tragically died following a fall at Galway but his memory lives on thanks to his brother Rory, and indeed his son Seán junior. Cleary was just 22 and one of the country's most promising young riders, but sadly passed away in November 2003 a week after he suffered severe head injuries from a fall off the Paddy Mullins-trained All Heart. In a tragic turn of events, Cleary's young girlfriend Maggie Farrell gave birth to their baby boy just days before he passed away in hospital. Incredibly his now 21-year-old son, Seán Cleary-Farrell, is now an apprentice jockey with Willie Mullins and has been catching the eye by riding a handful of winners for Closutton this season. The Cleary family are from Athlone and on Tuesday night at nearby Roscommon the annual Seán Cleary Memorial Handicap took place and resulted in a very poignant winner. Rory Cleary was just 16 when his older brother Seán died but has gone on to become a very successful jockey, famously winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2021 on Mac Swiney. On Tuesday morning he had no ride in the race he had won twice before but with Jamie Powell stood down following a fall he came in for the winning ride on Thatwilldoso. Cleary punched the air after crossing the line first on the four-year-old filly in a victory that clearly meant an awful lot to the 37-year-old. 'It's my third time to win this race. Trainers next year should be looking for me!,' joked Cleary. 'It's a nice spare to get, especially for that race. It was nice and felt very special. 'It's great and fair play to Roscommon racecourse for holding his memorial handicap in my brother's name. It's our local track and it's a very special place to win for me and with all our family and friends able to come here. 'Out of the back straight I didn't think I'd be the firing line at all but when I got into the home straight and got a bit of light she rallied home really well. 'It's been a while since I won the race and I wouldn't mind winning it again.' Rory was just 16 when the accident involving his brother happened and in an interview with the Irish Daily Star in 2019 said: 'I was in Italy the day it happened. I was riding in an international challenge over there. 'I only found out about Seán's accident when Michael Halford met me at the airport. I thought I was after doing something wrong in the race when I saw the boss there to pick me up. He brought me to the hospital and that's when I knew about it first.' Cleary's biggest came in the Covid-hit Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh in 2021 when famously partnering Mac Swiney to win for veteran trainer Jim Bolger, with who Cleary has been associated with for many years.
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Pappano bidding to give Mullins another major prize
Fresh from further success at Royal Ascot, Willie Mullins takes aim at another major Flat prize in Britain this weekend as Pappano lines up for the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. The master of Closutton claimed his 11th and 12th winners at the Royal meeting last week, with Ethical Diamond striking gold in the Duke of Edinburgh before Sober laughed at his rivals in the traditional finale, the Queen Alexandra Stakes. Pappano, a talented Flat performer for John and Thady Gosden before changing hands for 200,000 guineas last October, was pulled up on his stable debut in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but must be considered a major contender for the 'Pitmen's Derby' at Gosforth Park on Saturday. 'Obviously he had his first run for us in the Triumph, but looking back at his Flat form in England it looks like most of his best form is on the all-weather,' said Mullins' assistant, David Casey. 'He got balloted out of the Copper Horse in Ascot last week and this was the next step for him. 'I think the trip will suit and hopefully he'll run a good race.' While Pappano missed Royal Ascot, James Owen's East India Dock was not disgraced when attempting to follow up his Chester Cup success in the Ascot Stakes. The Triumph Hurdle third was beaten less than two lengths when sixth to Henry de Bromhead's Ascending with his Newmarket handler happy to return to the well only 11 days later. 'He's come out of Ascot really well and I thought he ran a cracker there, he wasn't beaten far at all and we were really pleased with his run,' said Owen. 'As I say he's come out of it well and he'll be having a break soon before he goes back jumping, so it's worth another roll of the dice.' Brian Ellison's defending champion Onesmoothoperator has been travelling the globe since landing his locally born handler the race he cherishes most of all 12 months ago. A winner of the Geelong Cup in Australia during the winter before running respectably in the Melbourne Cup, he has most recently been campaigned in Dubai and will now carry the burden of top-weight for his Tyneside return. Onesmoothoperator a hugely popular winner of the Northumberland Plate @NewcastleRaces for local lad @BERacingLtd — Ashley Iveson (@AshIveson) June 29, 2024 'He's in great form, obviously he's 12lb higher and has top-weight, but I couldn't be happier with him,' said Ellison. 'We gave him a good break after Dubai and the plan was just to come straight here. 'He gets dropped in, so it doesn't matter where he's drawn and he's a superstar. He's definitely improving and has definitely got better and his work has been brilliant. 'It would be fantastic if he could do it again, we'll see.' Also returning for another crack at the Newcastle feature is Thomas Faulkner's Golden Rules who went agonisingly close in 2023 and after a spell on the sidelines since then, heads back to the north east following a Kempton tune-up which is the same route connections followed two years ago.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Ominous signs' as Willie Mullins makes a scene spending £1m at sales with rich history of Cheltenham Festival winners
No one sources better talent MULLINS' MILLION 'Ominous signs' as Willie Mullins makes a scene spending £1m at sales with rich history of Cheltenham Festival winners Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THERE were 'ominous signs' for his rivals as Willie Mullins made a scene spending over £1million at a sales proven for Cheltenham Festival winners. The Closutton boss signed for nine horses in all with top lot among his purchases being a Nathaniel gelding out of former Nicky Henderson mare Floressa. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Willie Mullins and right-hand man Harold Kirk splashed more than £1million on top talent at the Tattersalls Derby Sale - a proven hunting ground for Cheltenham Festival winners Mullins has had two Nathaniels before and both have won at the Festival. Burning Victory won the infamous 2020 Triumph Hurdle that saw Goshen unship Jamie Moore at the last when miles clear. While the late Concertista won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle the same year. But they were out of Flat mares, whereas this new kid on the block is bred for the jumping game. Every Willie Mullins purchase By Sam Morgan The reigning Irish and British champion jumps trainer bought nine horses at the sales all in all. Here they are in full: £150,000 - Nathaniel gelding £140,000 - Messire Corton - half-bro to Grade 1 winner Black Corton £135,000 - Fontaine L'Abbe - a three-year-old gelding by Goliath Du Berlais £128,000 - Miss Mam - a Masked Marvel filly £120,000 - Crystal Ocean gelding £111,000 - Masked L'As - a three-year-old Masked Marvel gelding £105,000 - Mystic Des Bordes - granddam is the mother of Kopek Des Bordes £102,000 - Mystere Du Chenet - a three-year-old Doctor Dino gelding £50,000 - King Of The Blue - gelding related to former Listed Prix Wild Monarch winner Fiumicino Total spend: £1,041,000 Mullins and his sales guru Harold Kirk went to a shade over £150,000 to land lot 138 who, through his dam's sire Poliglote, can be linked to current Mullins superstar Fact To File as well as former champs Politologue and Don Poli. The three-year-old gelding was immediately given a future target - the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland MSL Mercedes-Benz Sales Bumper in December. The second most expensive purchase made by the all-conquering trainer was £140,000 Messire Corton - a half-brother to Black Corton. The Paul Nicholls-trained Black Corton put Bryony Frost on the map and was a 14-time winner including the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton. Of the nine purchases Mullins made only one cost less than £100,000. Mullins had three Cheltenhan Festival winners from this sale last year alone in the shape of Kopek Des Bordes, Lecky Watson and Final Demand. It's clearly been a happy hunting ground for him and he told Tattersalls about why he loves this sale so much. He said: "I've got a nice few horses - it's been a lucky place for us. "I like the type of horses that are sold here and they've been good to us - so why change? "The Nathaniel gelding is out of a jumping pedigree - we've had two Cheltenham winners out of Nathaniel with a Flat pedigree. "We're very happy with the purchases. Goliath Du Berlais is a nice stallion coming through too and we always look at his stock. "I get Harold to do all the work! "Sales are not my first love so he's quite busy for the two or three days before the sales, he whittles them down, we have a look and we make a decision then when they're in the ring. "I'm very happy with the value I'm getting here. "I'll put saddles on these horses as soon as I can. Why let them go out in a field? "I believe in getting stuck into them straight away." Kirk added: "We've bought more horses here this year than we ever have. "If you go back years we had Cousin Vinny, Wicklow Brave and Pique Sous from this sale." Mullins has had a busy few days having saddled a winner at Royal Ascot as well. He was in the Royal Procession on Saturday - hours before Sober claimed the Queen Alexandra under Ryan Moore. Mullins will take aim at a number of the money-spinning Flat races over the summer, possibly with King Charles' horse Reaching High. He looked to be travelling incredibly well in the Ascot Stakes but couldn't find a run through when it mattered most. He's also been keeping tabs on the sales, with his most expensive purchase of the season so far being the £300,000 paid for the hugely promising Poetisa. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Ominous signs' as Willie Mullins makes a scene spending £1m at sales with rich history of Cheltenham Festival winners
THERE were 'ominous signs' for his rivals as Willie Mullins made a scene spending over £1million at a sales proven for Cheltenham Festival winners. The Closutton boss signed for nine horses in all with top lot among his purchases being a Nathaniel gelding out of former Nicky Henderson mare Floressa. 1 Willie Mullins and right-hand man Harold Kirk splashed more than £1million on top talent at the Tattersalls Derby Sale - a proven hunting ground for Cheltenham Festival winners Mullins has had two Nathaniels before and both have won at the Festival. Burning Victory won the While the late Concertista won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle the same year. But they were out of Flat mares, whereas this new kid on the block is bred for the jumping game. Every Willie Mullins purchase By Sam Morgan The reigning Irish and British champion jumps trainer bought nine horses at the sales all in all. Here they are in full: £150,000 - Nathaniel gelding £140,000 - Messire Corton - half-bro to Grade 1 winner Black Corton £135,000 - Fontaine L'Abbe - a three-year-old gelding by Goliath Du Berlais £128,000 - Miss Mam - a Masked Marvel filly £120,000 - Crystal Ocean gelding £111,000 - Masked L'As - a three-year-old Masked Marvel gelding £105,000 - Mystic Des Bordes - granddam is the mother of Kopek Des Bordes £102,000 - Mystere Du Chenet - a three-year-old Doctor Dino gelding £50,000 - King Of The Blue - gelding related to former Listed Prix Wild Monarch winner Fiumicino Total spend: £1,041,000 Mullins and his sales guru Harold Kirk went to a shade over £150,000 to land lot 138 who, through his dam's sire Poliglote, can be linked to current Mullins superstar Fact To File as well as former champs Politologue and Don Poli. The three-year-old gelding was immediately given a future target - the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland MSL Mercedes-Benz Sales Bumper in December. The second most expensive purchase made by the all-conquering trainer was £140,000 Messire Corton - a half-brother to Black Corton. The Paul Nicholls-trained Black Corton put Bryony Frost on the map and was a 14-time winner including the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton. Most read in Horse Racing Of the nine purchases Mullins made only one cost less than £100,000. Mullins had three Cheltenhan Festival winners from this sale last year alone in the shape of Kopek Des Bordes, Lecky Watson and Final Demand. It's clearly been a happy hunting ground for him and he told Tattersalls about why he loves this sale so much. He said: "I've got a nice few horses - it's been a lucky place for us. "I like the type of horses that are sold here and they've been good to us - so why change? "The Nathaniel gelding is out of a jumping pedigree - we've had two Cheltenham winners out of Nathaniel with a Flat pedigree. "We're very happy with the purchases. Goliath Du Berlais is a nice stallion coming through too and we always look at his stock. "I get Harold to do all the work! "Sales are not my first love so he's quite busy for the two or three days before the sales, he whittles them down, we have a look and we make a decision then when they're in the ring. "I'm very happy with the value I'm getting here. "I'll put saddles on these horses as soon as I can. Why let them go out in a field? "I believe in getting stuck into them straight away." Kirk added: "We've bought more horses here this year than we ever have. "If you go back years we had Cousin Vinny, Wicklow Brave and Pique Sous from this sale." Mullins has had a busy few days having saddled a winner at Royal Ascot as well. He was in the Royal Procession on Saturday - hours before Sober claimed the Queen Alexandra under Ryan Moore. He looked to be travelling incredibly well in the Ascot Stakes but couldn't find a run through when it mattered most. He's also been keeping tabs on the sales, with his most expensive purchase of the season so far being the FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Katie Walsh pays tribute as 'horse of a lifetime' who won at Cheltenham dies
Katie Walsh has dubbed popular grey Thousand Stars the 'horse of a lifetime' after the 21-year-old passed away on Thursday. The gelding, who arrived in Ireland from France 18 years ago, fell into the hands of Closutton maestro Willie Mullins in 2009 and hit the ground running, winning a handicap at Naas on yard debut under icon Ruby Walsh, brother to Katie. For the next seven years, the son of Grey Risk would become a jumps hero, winning the 2010 County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and tasting Grade 1 glory on four occasions, often battling it out with superstar stablemate Hurricane Fly. Upon his retirement in 2016, having earned over €1.4 million in prize money, Thousand Stars was placed in Walsh's care. He often appeared on RTE racing, with Walsh on board to interview winning jockeys. "He was a fantastic horse and I had some great days on him. He was the horse of a lifetime and lovely to be around," admitted Walsh, speaking after the grey's death following a bout of colic. "The County Hurdle was a great day, it was my second winner at Cheltenham. I rode him in a lot of Grade 1s, chasing home Hurricane Fly on numerous occasions. He ran in a lot of top-class races. "It just goes to show how sound he was of wind, legs and everything. That's the standout part about it all. He had a lot of runs in France before he went to Lar Byrne and then went to Willie's. He definitely stood the test of time and was a very sound horse." During his time with Mullins, Walsh, her brother, and current Closutton No. 1 Paul Townend all got a leg up on Thousand Stars, and the endearing grey won a total of 10 times. Most notable was his Cheltenham Festival success in 2010, when Walsh steered the then-six-year-old home as a 20-1 shot in the County Hurdle. Their partnership resulted in three wins from 17 outings. The gelding had an affinity for Auteuil, and he and Walsh combined to win the Grade 2 Prix la Barka Hurdle there in 2014. Five of Thousand Stars' wins came at the French track, including the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies D'Auteuil in 2011. His other Grade 1 win was in the Morgiana Hurdle that same year, with Ruby doing the steering. "He was with us a long time, it was lovely to have him," Walsh, who herself retired in 2018, continued. "I used to do all the RTE work and the jockeys' interviews on him. He was a great horse for that. "From the day I went to Willie's, he was there and since he retired, he's been with us. He was always around the place and it was great to get the opportunity to look after him and I'm sorry he's gone." Carlow trainer Mullins was also enamoured with the grey, and said upon the gelding's retirement in 2016: "He was an iron horse. He was tough and sound. He never showed off at home. You would never see him do a flashy piece of work but he saved everything for the track. He was a favourite of everyone in the yard."
