VETERAN IRISH jockey Niall McCullagh hopes to keep his recent big-race hot streak going with a vengeance in Scotland today as he teams up with Croisultan in the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup.
The Liam McAteer-trained runner is the sole Irish challenger among a 27-strong field for the famous sprint handicap but in McCullagh, Croisultan has a rider in top form on his back.
The 42-year-old Co Carlow native has long been one of the most high-profile jockeys in India during winter breaks on the sub-continent but McCullagh has broken out from behind the shadows of some better known colleagues in recent weeks.
Saddlers Rock provided him with one Group Two success last week in the Doncaster Cup and he wasn’t long following that up at the Curragh last Sunday as Manieree secured another Group Two pot in the Blandford Stakes.
Croisultan has been well backed in recent days to give McAteer a victory in a race he almost won with Majestic Times who was a narrowly beaten third six years ago. The horse ran an encouraging warm-up at the Curragh last weekend when third to Bewitched in the Renaissance Stakes.
“He ran really well last time and he needs some ease in the ground. If it is drying out then we would want some more rain really. He has won a Listed race and has been placed in Group Threes and I’m happy with the draw (seven), as he’s alongside Mac’s Power and High Standing, who should take him through,” Co Meath-based McAteer said yesterday.
“I think six furlongs is his best trip and I’ve got my fingers crossed, as he needs a bit of luck,” he added.
Co Tipperary-based trainer John Grogan has secured the services of Kieren Fallon for his consistent filly Katla who lines up in the Group Three Dubai International World Trophy at Newbury.
Katla hasn’t run since winning the Listed Sweet Mimosa Stakes at Naas in July and she drops to five furlongs this afternoon for a race that has attracted the progressive sprinter Deacon Blues from James Fanshawe’s yard.
Last year’s Listowel Festival wound up with a bang due to the Charles Byrnes-trained Pittoni and the horse is back again for today’s festival finale, the Slan Abhaile Race.
After Pittoni finished fourth in the same race last year, Byrnes was fined €2,000, the horse was banned for 42 days and jockey Derek Fox got a seven-day suspension under the non-trier rules.
Today he faces a decent field including Luska Lad, runner-up to Galileo’s Choice at Killarney last time, and Nina Carberry’s mount Elyaadi, runner-up in Royal Ascot’s Queen Alexandra Stakes in June.
Elyaadi has been mixing it against some good stayers and this drop in class could suit John Queally’s mare.
Local trainer Tom Cooper can combine with his son Bryan to land the Beginners Chase with Lucky William, who didn’t enjoy the best of luck in four starts over fences last winter.
