Remarkable fifth in a row for Holland in Clonmel Unraced

A monthly video record of the major SIS UK and Irish races run during 2024 with accompanying reporting.

04/02 - Clonmel: Rural Kennels Open Unraced - Romeo Taylor

ROMEO TAYLOR credited trainer Graham Holland with a remarkable fifth successive vicory in the event when upsetting odds-on Ballymac Danica to land the €8,000 final of the Rural Kennels Unraced Stake over 525 yards at Clonmel.

The favourite had scored by eight lengths when the pair met in the second round but it was a different story on the night that mattered most with the Dave Firmager-owned May 2022 whelp riding a bump to take command.

His advantage was eroded by Ballymac Danica along the back but, crucially, she was forced to check at three-quarters with her late rally failing by half a length to peg back the 28.74sec winner.

Romeo Taylor was following previous Holland inmates Newinn Session, Jackslittlething, Swords Rex and Rural Kihei in winning the famous National Meeting-supporting competition.

11/02 - Towcester: bet365 Northamptonshire Sprint - Broadway Murty

BROADWAY MURTY provided trainer Sean White with his biggest success with victory in the Category Two speed test.

Owned by White in partnership with Josh Taylor, Broadway Murty had started 2024 with a narrow 450m Oxford victory but dropped back to two bends after being picked up there next time.

He landed a course and distance warm-up the week before the competition started and was foot-perfect in the event itself, going through unbeaten with victory in the final coming by three lengths from Romeo Crusade in 15.50sec.

24/02 - Shelbourne Park: 2024 Tote Gold Cup 525 - Boylesports Coco 

BOYLESPORTS COCO got the better of a serious early-paced battle to go from the front and claim the €16,000 final of the Tote Gold Cup over 525 yards at Shelbourne Park.

Trained by Dolores Ruth for John Boyle, she had to rely on distant fourth-place qualification behind Ballymac Finn in the opening round but beat that rival in both quarter and semi resulting in her going off 7-4 favourite in the final.

Taking a slightly course from trap two initially, Boylesports Coco cut back to the inside to fully assert at the opening turn and, although pressed hard throughout, she kept finding to ultimately hold Deadly Style by a neck in 28.52sec with Ballymac Finn a further length back in third.