There was a fitting end to the 2019 racing season at Bettyville Park today when Paul Nolan and owners Manverton Limited, who enjoyed first race success on Sunday with Our Friend, had another outstanding success with Fortune Street, (9/4 favourite), by six and a half lengths in the concluding event of the two-day festival fixture – the Jim Whitty Memorial (C & G) (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.
On his fifth start Fortune Street had the assistance of champion point-to-point jockey Barry O’Neill, led over six furlongs out, travelled well two furlongs out, and went clear from over a furlong out. “It’s the first time with the ground and the way the race was run that everything just panned out for him,” said Nolan.
Liz Doyle who trains at Kitestown, Crossabeg, just across the fields from the racecourse, got a winner on the board when Mark Walsh on board Cayd Boy, (11/10 favourite), in the County Wexford Vintners Maiden Hurdle for local in-form handler Liz Doyle. “I’ve always loved him and hopefully he can go on. He needs to step up and improve as he’s quite babyish still. His jumping was a bit babyish as well. I think he can be nice, whether he is a proper horse I don’t know but it’s a lovely start. He handles soft ground very well.”
Jockey JJ Slevin from Caim teamed up with his cousin, Joseph O’Brien from Carrick-on-Suir, and they won the Casey Precast Handicap Chase with Punches Cross, (7/1), on Sunday, and they were back amongst today’s winners when Anything Wll Do, (6/4 favourite) won the two mile Kehoe Farming Rated Novice Hurdle by two lengths for the 15-member Dublin-based Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, who were celebrating their 50th winner.
“He travelled much better today, he took a look in front down to the second last but he’s won easy at the line,” said JJ Slevin, who added; “He’s a half-brother to Stand Up And Fight, he’s a nice horse going forward and he’s a good hardy four-year-old. He’ll jump a fence in time.”
Paul Nolan’s Discorama (Davy Russell) was strongly fancied in the four-runner MW Hickey Memorial Chase, the only Listed race run over the track), but he found on better in Champagne Classic, (7/4) who was completing a double for jockey Robbie Power. Half an hour earlier Power was aboard Silver Sheen, (15/8 favourite) for Kildare trainer Jessica Harrington who won the Michael Moore Car Sales Volkswagen Portarlington Maiden Hurdle by two and a half lengths.
The jackpot pool of €27,572.26 returned 793.7 winning units and €24.30 each, which isn’t surprising since six of the seven favourites won and the other finished in second place. The Tote aggregate was €108, 680 (7 races) compared with €73,206 (8 races) last year.
The annual general meeting of Wexford Racecourse Supporters Club takes place in the Ivy Room, Wexford Racecourse, on Friday, November 22nd at 8 pm. Membership may be renewed on the night. All welcome to attend.
2020 fixtures at Bettyville Park are as follows; Tuesday, March 17th; Friday, April 3rd (evening); Saturday, May 16th; Friday, May 22nd €; Wednesday, June 3rd; Wednesday, June 17th €; Friday, July 3rd €; Friday, August 7th €; Saturday, September 5th; Sunday, October 25th, and Bank Holiday Monday, October 26th.
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