Séamie Heffernan Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/seamie-heffernan Sports News, Live GAA scores, GAA fixtures Mon, 06 Jul 2020 14:21:10 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/www.sportsnewsireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sni-icon.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Séamie Heffernan Archives - SportsNewsIreland https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/tag/seamie-heffernan 32 32 229439223 Séamie Heffernan banned for 22 days by Chantilly stewards https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/uncategorized/seamie-heffernan-banned-for-22-days-by-chantilly-stewards https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/uncategorized/seamie-heffernan-banned-for-22-days-by-chantilly-stewards#respond Sun, 05 Jul 2020 20:47:30 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=5212 Ballydoyle-based jockey Séamie Heffernan was suspended for 22 days by Chantilly stewards this afternoon after exceeding the permitted number of strokes with the whip in the Prix du Jockey Club. Heffernan hit the seventh-placed Order Of Australia 11 times during the day’s feature race in France, six times more than the permitted limit. Forty-seven-year-old Heffernan, […]

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Ballydoyle-based jockey Séamie Heffernan was suspended for 22 days by Chantilly stewards this afternoon after exceeding the permitted number of strokes with the whip in the Prix du Jockey Club.

Heffernan hit the seventh-placed Order Of Australia 11 times during the day’s feature race in France, six times more than the permitted limit.

Forty-seven-year-old Heffernan, who rode Russian Emperor in the Investec Derby at Epsom yesterday, already knew he would have to quarantine for 14 days on his return to Ireland.

The quarantine period was due to expire the weekend of the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (18th July) at The Curragh, but the ban handed out today will then begin on 19th July and keep the jockey out of action until 9th August.

Speaking this evening, the Co. Kildare-born rider said:

“I got a fairly strong suspension, but there’s strict rules there. My horse was going to go over the rail, I had a white paint all around my boot, but those are the rules and that’s the way it was.”

Last weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winning rider, continued:

“He (Order Of Australia) was on the rail and going to hang in over the rail and I thought he was going through it, so I was using my stick for safety reasons. But the rules are what they are. I’m very disappointed and very sorry it happened, but there you go. Twenty two days is what they gave me, but there’s a lot worse things going on in the world. I’m really, really sorry that it probably looked bad, but I felt I had to do it at the time to stop the horse colliding with the rail.”

French racing authorities reduced the permitted number of whip strikes to five last year, with stewards having been directed to increase the punishment in line with the number of hits above the limit and importance of the race.

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Fancy Blue lands Prix de Diane for Donnacha O’Brien https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/uncategorized/fancy-blue-lands-prix-de-diane-for-donnacha-obrien https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/uncategorized/fancy-blue-lands-prix-de-diane-for-donnacha-obrien#respond Sun, 05 Jul 2020 19:37:31 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=5205 Fancy Blue (13/2) led home an Irish 1-2-3 in the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, giving Donnacha O’Brien his first Classic, and Ireland a first victory in the race since Séamus McGrath’s Sweet Mimosa 50 years ago. Twenty-one-year-old Donnacha O’Brien, son of Irish champion flat trainer Aidan, and brother of former Dubai […]

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Fancy Blue (13/2) led home an Irish 1-2-3 in the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, giving Donnacha O’Brien his first Classic, and Ireland a first victory in the race since Séamus McGrath’s Sweet Mimosa 50 years ago.

Twenty-one-year-old Donnacha O’Brien, son of Irish champion flat trainer Aidan, and brother of former Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby-winning trainer, Joseph, had incredibly only three winners to his name before today’s win in France.

His filly, Fancy Blue, had finished an eye-catching runner-up behind his father’s Peaceful (11/4) in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh three weeks ago. With rivalry renewed in France today, the form was turned as Fancy Blue took the win, with Jessica Harrington’s Alpine Star (6/4f), winner of the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, taking second, ahead of Peaceful in third.

With Harrington’s filly making much of the running under Stéphane Pasquier, she was eventually worn down by Fancy Blue in the hands of Pierre-Charles Boudot, as Peaceful made her challenge on the outside for Séamie Heffernan. In a tight finish, a head separated the winner and runner-up, with a further head back to the third.

The winning trainer, speaking at Fairyhouse, said of his maiden Group 1 victory:

“I always knew she was a very good filly and we always thought the step up in trip would suit her. It definitely did. Pierre-Charles is a very good rider and I told him beforehand he should do what he wants. There was no pace early so he went forward on her and sat upsides the leader. It was exactly what I would have liked him to do. She quickened up well and stuck at it.”

French jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, who tracked the favourite Alpine Star throughout,  said:

“We didn’t go that fast so I took her up to just behind the leaders and it was pretty straightforward. She produced a sustained burst of acceleration and was really brave at the finish. There’s a lot that goes into the kind of run of big wins I’ve enjoyed in the last year, but mostly it’s a case of being lucky to get on these good horses.”

Fancy Blue and winning rider Pierre-Charles Boudot. Credit: @FranceGalop.

Donnacha O’Brien immediately hinted that the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh on 18th July might be the next target for his Classic-winning filly:

“We’ll get her home and see how she is tomorrow. We might have a look at the Irish Oaks at The Curragh.”

Trainer of the runner-up Jessica Harrington was pleased with her filly’s performance, coming just 15 days after her win at Royal Ascot, with the Moone-based handler admitting:

“She’s gone very close and it was a whisker either way. Maybe the ground was a bit too quick for her but that’s life. It’s quite a funny feeling to be disappointed after running second in a Group 1. She ran her heart out. She seems to stay and she did everything right and maybe the ground was probably a bit quick.”

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Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Reaction https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/dubai-duty-free-irish-derby-reaction https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/dubai-duty-free-irish-derby-reaction#respond Sat, 27 Jun 2020 21:15:12 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=5084 Séamie Heffernan, who won his fourth Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with the victory of Santiago on Saturday evening, was full of praise for the recent Queen’s Vase winner, stating: “He’s a tough horse – a mile and six (in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot) back to a mile and a half in the […]

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Séamie Heffernan, who won his fourth Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with the victory of Santiago on Saturday evening, was full of praise for the recent Queen’s Vase winner, stating:

“He’s a tough horse – a mile and six (in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot) back to a mile and a half in the Curragh really suited me. I was always comfortable. I would have liked to have had a better draw and a cleaner slot, but it worked out.”

The 47-year-old Ballydoyle jockey continued:

“It wasn’t an ideal draw and I took a gamble in dropping him in, but if you go forward and you get trapped wide he’s a horse that gets competitive. He wants to go and race and win.”

MV Magnier, son of Coolmore supremo John, spoke of the significance of winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby from a breeding viewpoint:

“The Irish Derby is the pinnacle of Irish racing. It is a stallion-making race and many great champions have won it over the years.”

The winning handler, Aidan O’Brien, who claimed his 14th win in The Curragh classic, said he believed the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner was a likely St Leger horse:

“We’re delighted. He’s a lovely horse. We thought he would be a Leger horse we were going to look forward to next year. A lovely, clean-winded, honest horse. The St Leger looks a lovely race for him. We think he will be a lovely Cup horse next year but he has plenty class and travels well.”

The Wexford-native was also delighted with the performance of the runner-up and third-placed horses, saying:

“They are two lovely horses (Tiger Moth and Dawn Patrol) and are two babies, they are progressing. In a month’s time they will be even better we think.”

Image of Santiago and Séamie Heffernan by Patrick McCann/Racing Post, provided by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).

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Santiago wins Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/santiago-wins-dubai-duty-free-irish-derby https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/santiago-wins-dubai-duty-free-irish-derby#respond Sat, 27 Jun 2020 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=5079 Santiago (2/1f) provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with an incredible 14th win in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday evening at The Curragh. The recent winner of the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot won Ireland’s Premier Classic by a head from his stable mate, Tiger Moth (11/1), giving his rider Séamie Heffernan a fourth […]

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Santiago (2/1f) provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with an incredible 14th win in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday evening at The Curragh.

The recent winner of the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot won Ireland’s Premier Classic by a head from his stable mate, Tiger Moth (11/1), giving his rider Séamie Heffernan a fourth success in the Group 1 race.

In what was another great race for Team Ballydoyle, Dawn Patrol (10/1) was third home, ahead of Order Of Australia (33/1), meaning the Co. Tipperary establishment trained the first-four home in the mile and a half contest.

The winning handler said of Santiago post race:

“Santiago is a lovely, straightforward horse. He likes to take his time in his races and Séamus got a lovely run through and stayed very well.”

The Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster was immediately mentioned as a next possible race for the son of Authorized.

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One Voice wins Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/one-voice-wins-group-3-blue-wind-stakes https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/one-voice-wins-group-3-blue-wind-stakes#respond Sun, 21 Jun 2020 21:52:08 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=4917 It was a case of another day, another big Jessica Harrington winner. On Saturday, the Moone-based handler won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes with Alpine Star, today the Commonstown Stables trainer won the Leopardstown highlight, the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes with One Voice. Harrington’s regular jockey, Shane Foley, was on […]

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It was a case of another day, another big Jessica Harrington winner. On Saturday, the Moone-based handler won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes with Alpine Star, today the Commonstown Stables trainer won the Leopardstown highlight, the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes with One Voice.

Harrington’s regular jockey, Shane Foley, was on board One Voice (16/5), who was just caught by stablemate Silence Please in a Listed race at Navan 11 days ago. The filly showed plenty determination today when stepped up into Group company, holding off a determined challenge from Aidan O’Brien’s Snow by half a length.

The Harrington/Foley combination also won the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Maiden for two-year-olds on Oodnadatta (5/1). Given an enterprising ride by Foley, the daughter of Australia led from the gates and saw off all comers in the home straight, with the staying-on Minaun her closest rival, finishing a length and a half behind in second.

Recent Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas-winning trainer Ger Lyons claimed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden over 7 furlongs with Ides Of August (3/1). Colin Keane always looked confident in the saddle as the Newtown Anner Stud-owned and -bred colt got the better of the Donnacha O’Brien-trained 11/4 favourite Southern Cape by half a length.

Donnacha’s father, Aidan, was also among the winners at the South Co. Dublin track this afternoon as Numen (7/1) and Séamie Heffernan recorded a highly impressive victory in the three-year-old Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden over 1m 2f.

Joseph O’Brien’s Patrick Sarsfield (6/5f) was an easy winner on debut for his new yard in the TRI Equestrian Handicap under Declan McDonogh, while 20/1 Getawiggleon gave Limerick trainer David Geary his first success when guided to victory by Conor Maxwell in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden for three-year-olds.

Seven-pound apprentice Joey Sheridan rode a well-judged race on Turbine (14/1) to win the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap, and Pádraig Roche’s Lieutenant Silver (50/1) was a surprise winner of the Leopardstown Handicap under Gary Halpin.

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Peaceful part of O’Brien/Heffernan four-timer at The Curragh https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/peaceful-part-of-obrien-heffernan-four-timer-at-the-curragh https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/peaceful-part-of-obrien-heffernan-four-timer-at-the-curragh#respond Sat, 13 Jun 2020 21:29:12 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=4680 Last weekend, Aidan O’Brien enjoyed Qipco 1000 Guineas success with Love, this weekend he claimed the Group 1 Tattersalls 1000 Guineas with another impressive winner, Peaceful (3/1). Peaceful, a maiden winner at Thurles last October had 14 pounds to find on the 6/5 favourite and Group 1 winning juvenile Albigna according to the ratings. The […]

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Last weekend, Aidan O’Brien enjoyed Qipco 1000 Guineas success with Love, this weekend he claimed the Group 1 Tattersalls 1000 Guineas with another impressive winner, Peaceful (3/1).

Peaceful, a maiden winner at Thurles last October had 14 pounds to find on the 6/5 favourite and Group 1 winning juvenile Albigna according to the ratings.

The daughter of Galileo, however, was an impressive winner on Saturday evening, providing her trainer with a ninth success in the race, and her rider, Séamie Heffernan, with his fourth.

With Valeria Messalina making the early running, the eventual winner chased her throughout before Heffernan took Peaceful to the head of the field with a furlong to race. Despite a challenge from Fancy Blue, So Wonderful and New York Girl, Heffernan’s mount stayed on well to claim a two-length victory, with the disappointing favourite Albigna never looking comfortable in the fillies’ Classic and finishing unplaced.

In what turned out to be an O’Brien family clean sweep of the first four places, the runner-up Fancy Blue (12/1) is trained by Donnacha, Aidan’s son, third-placed So Wonderful (13/2), who was a further head back, is trained at Ballydoyle by O’Brien Senior, while fourth placed filly New York Girl (14/1), another head further behind, is trained by Joseph O’Brien.

Following the race, Aidan O’Brien said:

“Donnacha (O’Brien) loved her when he won on her in Thurles last year and then she went to Newmarket and couldn’t walk a yard in the heavy ground but still kept fighting and wasn’t beaten far at the line. That’s the sign of a really good filly, she just wouldn’t lie down. She’s obviously very good.”

Peaceful’s win made her sire, Galileo, the winning-most sire of Group 1 horses since the introduction of the European pattern in 1971, as the Coolmore-based stallion claimed his 85th winner at the highest level, moving him ahead of the deceased Danehill.

Lancaster House claimed an all-the-way success in the Coolmore Calyx Gladness Stakes, providing Aidan O’Brien and Séamie Heffernan with the second leg of their Curragh four-timer. Winner of his first three outings last year, Heffernan bounced him into an early lead. With his market rival, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Speak In Colours, appearing to be travelling better a furlong out, Lancaster House (6/4) found plenty for his rider’s urgings to give O’Brien a first win in the race since Excelebration in 2012.

Snow (5/1), a sister to 2018 Doncaster St Leger winner Kew Gardens, was the Ballydoyle combination first winner of the day, as she beat her stable companion Salsa by three-quarters of a length in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The much-travelled Magic Wand (4/5f) brought up the O’Brien/Heffernan four-timer when winning the final race on the card, the Lanwades Stud Stakes (Group 2) over a mile. The mare had four and a half lengths in hand on Hamariyna (11/2) with Silk Forest (11/4) another two and a quarter lengths back.

Magic Wand and Séamie Heffernan.

Jessica Harrington, whose Albigna disappointed in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, won the Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden with 30,000 guineas purchase Dickiedoods (5/2f), under Shane Foley.

Gavin Cromwell’s Mutadaffeq (16/1) won the EquiNectar Handicap when edging out Jerandme by a nose, while Edification (14/1) came home late to snatch the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ragusa” Handicap for Mark Fahey and jockey Gavin Ryan. .

Colin Keane, winning rider in Friday’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, partnered Kieran Cotter’s Strong Johnson (7/2f) to victory in the Platinum Bloodstock & Eyrefield House Stud Handicap.

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Cormorant wins Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial as Aidan O’Brien has 4 Leopardstown winners https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/cormorant-wins-derrinstown-stud-derby-trial-as-aidan-obrien-has-4-leopardstown-winners https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/racing_irish/cormorant-wins-derrinstown-stud-derby-trial-as-aidan-obrien-has-4-leopardstown-winners#respond Tue, 09 Jun 2020 17:30:02 +0000 https://www.sportsnewsireland.com/?p=4591 Monday at Naas may have been dominated by Shane Foley, but Tuesday at Leopardstown was a Ballydoyle benefit day as Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners had a four-timer, while jockey Séamie Heffernan rode a double at the South Co. Dublin venue. Cormorant (12/1), a 1.05m Guineas son of Kingman, lead from start to finish […]

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Monday at Naas may have been dominated by Shane Foley, but Tuesday at Leopardstown was a Ballydoyle benefit day as Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners had a four-timer, while jockey Séamie Heffernan rode a double at the South Co. Dublin venue.

Cormorant (12/1), a 1.05m Guineas son of Kingman, lead from start to finish to win the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial by half a length over 1m 2f. The winner, under jockey Pádraig Beggy, brought home a Ballydoyle clean sweep of the places, as the 11/8 favourite Russian Emperor (Séamie Heffernan) failed to peg back the leader, with Iberia (5/2) finishing another length and a half back in third place.

Tiger Moth (16/5), a half brother to Coach House, won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden under Wayne Lordan, a race where O’Brien trained the first four home. Tiger Moth got the better of stable companions Dawn Patrol, the 5/4 favourite, by half a length, with Order Of Australia (11/2) third and Amhrán Na Bhfiann (22/1) fourth.

Ennistymon (11/8f) and Séamie Heffernan won the first race of the day as the full sister to Seán O’Casey got off the mark when bravely edging out Shamiyna (9/2) by a head, with 100/1 shot Astadash a further half length behind in third in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Heffernan later claimed a double when a brilliant front-running performance from Love Locket (6/1) saw her avoid trouble in the Leopardstown (Fillies) Trial Stakes (Group 3) over 7 furlongs. The daughter of No Nay Never beat Know It All (5/1) from the Johnny Murtagh stable with Precious Moments (11/1) in third.

With Aidan O’Brien and Ballydoyle having taken the first four races on the card, Jim Bolger broke the Co. Tipperary stranglehold on proceedings when Kevin Manning drove Ten Year Ticket (8/1) home to win the Holden Plant and Rental (C&G) Trial Stakes over 7 furlongs.

The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding held off King Of Athens (10/1) by a neck with Prince Of Naples (16/1) another length and three-quarters behind. A sad postscript to the race was confirmation that the favourite, a three-year-old son of Galileo, Year Of The Tiger (6/5f), who went wrong in the home straight, suffered a fatal injury.

In the Leopardstown Handicap, Confidence High (28/1) was a good winner for Andy Oliver and jockey Billy Lee. Another big price runner, David Garrick (18/1) was runner-up for trainer Edward Harty, with Star Of Cashel (10/1) in third.

Divisions 1 and 2 of the Leopardstown Handicap went to Lady Savanah (22/1) for Tom McCourt and jockey Andrew Slattery and Palabres (20/1) for trainer Peter Fahey and Colin Keane respectively.

Wednesday sees racing at Navan where the 7-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes over 1m 2f will be the feature of an 8-race card which starts at 1.00pm.

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