Johnny Ward: A popular treble falls short in Scotland and more Mullins greatness at Leopardstown
Kemboy and Monkfish both caught the eye at Leopardstown. Johnny Ward By Johnny Ward Sunday 7 Feb 2021, 7:48 PM Feb 7th 2021, 7:48 PM 2,782 Views 8 Comments
A general view of the runners and riders at Leopardstown today.
Image: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
Image: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
IF NOTHING ELSE, a life of punting horses throws up plenty to talk about.
On the eve of day two of the Dublin Racing Festival, day one having produced a scatter of remarkably impressive winners of top-rung races, WhatsApp was a hive of rumour about three horses – a popular treble.
IT IS a huge weekend of national hunt racing with the Leopardstown Festival and for most Irish runners a final chance to see if they are true Cheltenham Festival material.
The big race over the two days is the Irish Gold Cup (Sunday, 3.40) with a small, but select, field of just five and MINELLA INDO trying to put his fall in the Savills Chase behind him.
It may not be last chance saloon for the Henry De Bromhead runner to prove his Gold Cup worth, but he certainly needs a convincing victory to keep himself in the first half dozen in the betting and a wet week will certainly have played in his favour and be against Kemboy.
Safety appeal to Limerick farmers in bid to reduce deaths in 2021
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THERE were 19 fatal incidents on farms in 2020, with three of these being children under the age of 18, and nine being farmers aged 65 or more. This follows 25 fatalities in 2017, 15 in 2018 and 19 in 2019.
In County Limerick, Danny Mullins, aged 77, from Anglesboro, died following a tragic farm accident in July. Many Christmases were destroyed following Bertie O Rahilly’s sad death in a farm accident just over the border in Knocknagoshel on December 24.
Minister of State for Farm Safety at the Department of Agriculture, Martin Heydon highlighted the significant number of fatalities on Irish farms in 2020 as a result of workplace incidents.