Waterford trainer Shay Barry pictured at Tramore Races
and they will tell you they are
very happy to leave the race track
with one winner on any given day.
Doubles are a bonus with trebles a
much rarer occurrence.
No wonder then that the normally
reserved Shay Barry was a picture
of delight at Tramore racecourse
last Friday evening after a 296/1
treble, the first of his fledgling
training career.
As a jockey Barry recorded his
first career success at Tramore on
the Paddy Mullins trained Arch
Duchess at the 1989 August Festival
and went over the next 14 years to
enjoy much success at his local
track.
Highlights included victory in the
first race of the new millennium on
No Problem while Barry also won
Tramore’s New Year’s Day Feature
on The Fonze in 2010.
There was a 280/1 treble on New
Year’s Day in 2004 so it was hardly
surprising the Waterford trainer was
thrilled to record his first training
treble at the seaside venue.
Having not trained a winner at
Tramore since he joined the training
ranks last season Barry made
amends in style when Time For
Bucks, Patsio and Kalanisi King
all obliged to get the bank holiday
weekend off to a fl ying start.
Such a successful evening
seemed a remote possibility in the
opening maiden hurdle when Time
For Bucks looked well beaten
approaching the second last hurdle
but rallied in the closing stages
to get the better of the Henry De
Bromhead trained Our Dougal by a
neck.
Winning owner Michael Duggan
delighted the Tramore crowd around
the parade ring as he raucously
roared his charge over the line and
then celebrated his first win for five
years in style.
Barry’s second win produced
an even closer fi nish when topweight
Patsio looked to have the 2m
handicap hurdle in his grasp but the
7-y-o had to work hard to hold off
the challenge of Seeyouallincoppers
by a diminishing short head.
It was much easier for connections
to watch the concluding bumper
where Kalanisi King, owned by the
trainer in partnership with Johnny
Burke, got a lovely run up the inner
with a furlong to go and kept on
well in the hands of seven pounds
claimer Katie O’Farrell to get the
better of Dixie Lee by a length and a
quarter. Tote backers were surprised
and delighted that the Tote paid out
€12.50 on the 9/2 winner.
Local success wasn’t confined
to Shay Barry as Eoin Doyle’s
Indian Temple won the beginners
chase while David O’Brien won the
mares’ maiden hurdle with Collen
Beag and New Ross based Seamus
Larkin won the handicap chase with
Dante Anna.
The threatened poor weather
stayed away for the evening and
eight times Grade One winner
Sizing Europe drew a sizable crowd
to the enclosure when he paraded
after the fourth race in the care of
Rosemary Connors.
Henry De Bromhead, in an
interview with Kieran O’Connor,
paid tribute to the “horse of a
lifetime” and put forward Sizing
Europe’s brilliant win in the Irish
Champion Hurdle in 2008 as his
most signifi cant win as it was a
fi rst Grade One for both horse and
trainer.
