The four-man Irish team wrapped up the jump jockeys series against their Australian counterparts when Ken Whelan and Brian Bowens each won at Moonee Valley, Melbourne to give the Irish a final winning score of 47 to 28. Whelan, who only came onto the team as a late substitute, has proved a big hit down under and rode his third winner when the 11 to 2 shot Kingston Dream beat the favourite, Taylors Bridge, by half a length in the Aus$37,000 Channel 9 Hurdle. Whelan delighted the crowd when performing a Frankie Dettori-style flying dismount on returning to the winners enclosure.
Bowens was more restrained but no less effective when winning the $42,000 Waterford Crystal Chase and trainer John Meagher was fulsome in his praise of the rider.
"Mr Meagher told me the horse would win and he was correct," Bowens said after his 10-length success. It was the sixth Irish win in the eight race series.
Both Dance Design and Casey Tibbs began their journey to Arlington, Chicago yesterday where on Saturday, they will run in the Beverly D Stakes and the Secretariat Stakes respectively.
The Dermot Weld-trained horses will fly out from Amsterdam today for the two Grade One races and Michael Kinane will ride.
