Life’s a beach for Williams after Laytown win with Ivasecret

Worcestershire trainer Ian Williams made the journey over to Laytown worthwhile after Ivasecret romped to victory at the once-a-year seaside meeting.

The fixture occupies a unique place in the calendar as the only official race event to take place on a beach in Britain and Ireland, with racing having featured on the strand since the 1860s.

English raider Ivasecret (7-4) rewarded favourite backers with a dominant display in the Tote.ie Claiming Race.

Turning out just two days after finishing sixth at Bath, the six-year-old took over racing inside the final two furlongs and soon sealed the deal, powering six lengths clear without being fully extended by Seamie Heffernan.

Williams said: “We came last year, had a look around and liked it. We wanted to come and have some winners!

“We really enjoyed the experience last year, so we came back and had some runners.

“It is unique – it must be for him to win like that, believe you me! He has got bags of ability, but plenty of issues. He has done what he has done tonight and he has done it well.

“It is a great place to bring horses if you want to do something a little bit different.

“We will definitely come back, it is great and there is a huge crowd – although I don’t know what it would be like when the weather is pretty rough!”

Jamie Osborne has enjoyed success at this meeting in the past, including a 2018 treble, and Williams was delighted to take over the bragging rights.

He joked: “Jame is getting old! People have to appreciate that Jamie is getting a bit past it these days. I’m sure Saffie will be bringing horses out here soon.”

Heffernan completed a quick double when Claire O’Connell’s 12-1 chance Roman Harry upset odds-on shot Jeaniemacaroney, swooping late to prevail by three-quarters of a length in the Pride of Place Maiden.

O’Connell said: “We have had him here to the beach a few times. He has just been a very unlucky horse, he gets claustrophobic. The fact there was only 10 runners, he had a bit of space. We were hoping to get a bit more space.”

David Marnane was delighted to be among the winners at Laytown again as Jered Maddox lunged late to claim his second win at the track.

Although predominantly a Dundalk specialist, with seven of his nine previous wins coming on the all-weather in County Louth, Jered Maddox did strike on this card 12 months ago and was an 8-1 shot to repeat the feat in the curtain-raising Download The New Tote App Handicap.

Ridden by Luke McAteer, the eight-year-old finished strongly over the straight six furlongs, getting up in the final stride to beat Not Forgotten by a short head.

“He’s a talented horse on his day. He obviously loves the place – it is a funny track, some horses just come alive here and he does,” said Marnane.

“He won really easily last year and then he has been high in the handicap. He has had a couple of disappointing runs, but the handicapper has been fair to him now and dropped him down quick enough. I think he was pretty much off the same mark (as last year’s win here).

“We love to have one to run here. Unfortunately, most of the yard is two and three-year-olds, so they can’t run. We have got to hold on to him for another year!”

Ado McGuinness is one of the few trainers in double figures in terms of winners at Laytown and added to his tally with 11-4 joint-favourite Cherry Pink in the Gilna’s Cottage Inn Handicap.

A runner-up on the turf at Gowran Park a fortnight ago, the Elzaam filly went one better with a half-length success under 3lb claimer Adam Caffrey.

McGuinness said: “I thought this would be too quick for her, she is not a sprinter. I just said ‘we are going’ and decided to run her.

“I definitely did think it would be too sharp for her, but he (Caffrey) was very good on her. He gave her a chance early doors and she did it well.”

Jungle Cove sprang a 22-1 surprise for Jessica Harrington and Jody Townend in the Oneills.com Handicap.

Townend said: “He loved it! They thought it might spark him up a bit. He has plenty of ability on his day. It is hard to ride a winner here and it is good to get it on the CV.”

Carrying the Kyprios colours of Moyglare Stud, Tough Talk proved a class apart in the concluding Tote, Never Beaten By SP (Q.R.) Race for the formidable partnership of Ger Lyons and Derek O’Connor, bolting up by 10 lengths from fellow 13-8 joint-favourite Quar Shamar.

The four-year-old ended a nine-race losing run since scoring on his racecourse bow at the Curragh back in April 2022, when he edged out Little Big Bear, who went on to claim Group One glory in the Phoenix Stakes that season.

O’Connor said: “I think the whole atmosphere and the beach, the surface and the crowd just lit him up. He really enjoyed it.”