Forty two years after winning an Irish Cup with Ballyduff Bobby, Jimmy Browne was back on the podium today to accept the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup from John O’Sullivan & family following the brilliant success of his pup Bobby Browne. The Bobby in question, Jimmy’s nephew, was only a young lad back in 1983 but sadly is no longer with us which made it a very emotional victory for family & friends.
Bobby Browne, trained by Patrick & Tom ‘Saleen’ O’Connor continued the great success in the Irish Cup of pups beaten in the third round of the Derby. He was second favourite for this Classic behind Navalny before coursing got underway on Friday and their meeting in the quarter-final was eagerly awaited. The manner of Bobby Brownes success in that course this morning and his clock of 11.36 marks him out as a very worthy winner. Our congratulations too to his breeder Ian Bourke who was last week busy running a super meeting at Tipperary.
For the second successive year the Irish Cup runner-up was a bitch trained by Liam Dowling. Although quietly fancied for the Oaks earlier this month (beaten Rd2) Moyle Magic did not come with the same expectations as Ballymac Zena 12 months ago. However she made the top half her own and matched Bobby Browne stride for stride to more than half way.
The very top of the third quarter of the Irish Cup was red hot when you consider it contained Bobby Browne, Escalation & Coverbridge. Escalation would go on to win the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse in emphatic style for John & Alan Troy and Pat Sutton. Remember he had put out subsequent TA Morris Stakes winner Central Clever in Clonmel so he is an exciting All Age prospect. Coverbridge should also give Murty McMahon & friends some great fun next season but for today he had to give best in the Bill Chawke Irish Plate final to the evergreen Cool Spirit. The 2023 Irish Cup winner possibly made history by adding a Plate to a Cup (we will have to ask Gerry McCarthy) and he gave his Newry-Limerick Syndicate more reasons to celebrate after their recent Derby success.
Remarkably both of the bitch events today were won by Oaks semi-finalists albeit from different seasons. Ballymac Mulan (beaten by Revello Del Toro in recent Oaks SF) was a top class winner of the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes for the Dowlings. The runner-up Ballymore Lady gave our Irish Cup sponsors a great run and they can look forward to her second season. Marvelous Mover lost an Oaks semi-final in 2024 to Ballymaccallaway but kept the best for last this season by taking the new Greenmount Bitch Stake for John Flynn & family. The best final of the day came in the Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members Stake when Sydney Mozart, running for the McKiernan family and representing Co Cavan came back in the last stride to earn a just up decision over Tree Top Elvis representing Cashel. That wasn’t an easy one for Judge Bernard Goold who double jobs as Club Secretary for Cashel but he had a great meeting as did slipper Richard Quinn jnr.
It was in 2004 that the Irish Cup moved back to Limerick racecourse having spent four years in Tralee after the closure of Clounanna. The move to Limerick racecourse didn’t always meet with full approval from coursing purists and like any other coursing club, Co Limerick CC had many tweaks to make over the years. However it was an absolute pleasure to witness the coursing and the hares at Patrickswell this weekend. We send them our heartiest congratulations & thanks.