.Bryan Cooper celebrates after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup last Friday.
IT should be some craic in Blennerville tomorrow evening, when a local hero comes home with a very special trophy.
The whole of Tralee – along with the village west of the bridge – erupted last Friday when jockey Bryan Cooper rode Don Cossack to Gold Cup glory in the famous Cheltenham Festival.
Now the talented rider returns to Blennerville on Thursday night with the Gold Cup and you can expect big crowds in the village to welcome him. Bryan was giving his tips for the festival two weeks ago in Skelper Quane’s Bar at a preview night in aid of Blennerville school.
We’d say there might be a few (more) pints drank in celebration there tomorrow night…not out of the cup of course! The word at the moment from Tom at Quane’s, is that Bryan is due in the village at around 8.30pm if you want to head along.
.Winners of The Castle Bar Rollover, Danny Diggins and Tom Clifford (front) with Mandy McKenzie Vass, Paul Barry, Jamie Wrenn, Peter McKenzie Vass and Sean Fitzgerald. Photo by Dermot Crean
AND so it ends.
After 195 entries, 28 races, €19,500 in prize money, the winner of The Castle Bar rollover was announced on Friday evening…but what a dramatic way to win the cash!
The ‘Speed And Degrees’ duo of Tom Clifford and Danny Diggins were languishing behind in the field with one race to go, but that was about to change dramatically.
(click to enlarge) The final leaderboard in the Cheltenham Rollover in The Castle Bar.
Outsider, Solar Impulse, came home at 28/1 in the last race of the festival to catapult the boys into the top spot to win by two points and secure the €6,000 top prize.
So what was the winning formula?
“We picked the horses and studied the form, but Tom is the real horse man, he knows what he’s doing,” said Danny Diggins.
“I studied the form every day,” said Tom Clifford, a native of St Brendan’s Park. “I tried to win it for my mother Chrissie who passed away in 2011. She loved the horses and finished second in the competition years ago,” he said.
It finished off quite a week at the famous pub on Rock Street, with huge crowds, great entertainment and fantastic racing to enjoy with a local lad, Bryan Cooper, winning the Gold Cup.
One question remains; will they break the €20,000 prize money milestone for the Rollover next year? Scroll down for photos…
In front; Dave Dillane, Mark Leane, Chloe Lyons .Middle; Patricia O’Connor and Aisling Curran. Back; Cathy O’Connor, Jennifer Lyons, Darragh Moloney, Sharon Cronin, Sean Reidy and Sarah O’Connor at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Christine Leahy, Gary Sheehy, Irene Tobin and Catherine Sheehy at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot CreanMartina Horgan, Joey Tobin, Jenny Tobin, Irene Doyle, Pauline O’Shea and Martin O’Shea at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean.David Flaherty, Mark Fitzgerald, Kieran Foley, Timmy O’Sullivan and Terry O’Sullivan at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Paul Ryan, Brian Hayles, Kieran Callinan, Karen Hayles and Lisa Ryan at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot CreanJacqui O’Brian, Michael Hickey, Geraldine O’Leary and Tommy O’Regan at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Fiona Leahy and Siobhan Sentry at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot CreanTrish Moran, Dinny O’Connor and Ger Moran at Gold Cup day at the Castle Bar on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
.(click to enlarge photo) Sandra Leahy (centre) winner of the Best Dressed Lady competition at The Castle Bar on Wednesday receives her prize of a Sam McAuley’s hamper of products with €150 from Sheila O’Sulivan (second left). Also included is, from left; Aileen Riordan in third, Alex Buhl in fourth and Kim Kerins (second) . Photo by Dermot Crean
IN case you hadn’t noticed (which would be excusable if you haven’t opened a newspaper, or turned on a radio/TV/computer/phone/tablet/hearing aid since Monday) there’s a popular racing event going on at the moment.
This would explain the bustling crowds at The Castle Bar in Rock Street since Tuesday, as the interest in Cheltenham intensifies.
The Rollover competition in the bar hit record levels this year with 195 entries generating a prize pot of €19,500. This is making it the place to be to watch the results come in, as evidenced by the amount of punters there on Wednesday.
Of course there was the added attraction of a Best Dressed Lady and Gentlemen’s competition with some great prizes up for grabs.
The first prize for the ladies went to Sandra Leahy in a black and light grey dress who picked up a €150 hamper from Sam McAuleys for her stylish efforts.
In second place was Kim Kerins who won a voucher for Cassidys Restaurant, Aileen Riordan was third and awarded a voucher of Gruaig on Pembroke Street for her troubles, while Alex Buhl was handed a voucher for Paddy Power for coming fourth.
The dapper Vincent Sheehy was the deserving winner of the men’s prize of another Sam McAuley’s hamper (with more masculine products, of course). Jeremiah Naughton won the runner-up prize of a voucher for Paddy Power.
The atmosphere is expected to be equally as electric today for St Patrick’s Day while the crowds will be out the door again for Gold Cup day on Friday, traditionally the busiest day of Cheltenham week, when by the end of the racing , the winner of the Rollover will be €6,000 richer. Scroll down for photos…
Sheila O’Sullivan presents the Best Dressed Man runner-up prize of a voucher for Paddy Power to Jeremiah Naughton (left) and the first prize to Vincent Sheehy (right) at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Maura Lynch, Sarah Barry, Niamh Cullinane and Dara Barrett at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Catherine Tobin, Alice O’Sullivan and Karen Lynch at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Mary Doyle, Margaret Ryan, Mary Roche, Sandra O’Callaghan and Kim Kerins at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean.Joyce Brosnan, Laura McCrohan and Claire Moran at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanVincent Sheehy, Denis O’Sullivan, Aidan Teahon, Eddie O’Shea, Michael ‘Sling’ O’Brien and Ronnie McElligott at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Conor and Roisin Kearney at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot CreanJennifer and Brian Mackey at The Castle Bar on Wednesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT’S Cheltenham week and for The Castle Bar this means four days of entertainment, craic and thousands of euros to be won in their annual Rollover competition.
Running since 1998, locals took to the Rollover competition straight away and it has now grown to the stage where there are around 170 entries for this year so far. At €100 per entry, that’s a lot of prize money to be won!
Looking forward to a hectic week at The Castle Bar are Gerard O’Sullivan, Dermot Carey (who was winner of the Rollover 2015), Mike Galvin, Brendan Sheehan, Fergal O’Sullivan, Adrian Griffin, Darren O’Sullivan, John Breen and Adrian O’Sullivan. Photo by Dermot Crean
You can enter as an individual or get a few friends together to split the cost of the €100. Pick your horse in each race over the four days and try to earn as many points as possible. It’s easy to follow and there’s still time to enter, so contact the bar on 066-7123485 or message them on Facebook (here) before the start of the first race on Tuesday.
The Rollover is just part of a host of events and entertainment at the famous watering hole on Rock Street in the next four days, on what is arguably the bar’s busiest week of the year.
“A lot of people take their holidays for the week and watch the racing here,” said Gerard O’Sullivan of The Castle Bar. “The customers have a great week, they enjoy the craic and the buzz around Cheltenham,” he said.
“There is also a charity element to the Rollover and we’ll be making a presentation of funding to the ‘Inspired’ group at their table quiz in the Bar on Wednesday, March 23,” he said.
There is also a ‘Dingbatts’ competition on Tuesday for the charity, where customers have to work out cryptic clues to name famous horses.
On Wednesday it’s a chance for both men and women to get dressed up with some great prizes to be won. Sam McCauleys have given a beauty hamper of €150 for the Best Dressed Lady prize (2nd prize is a voucher for Gruaig Hairdressers on Pembroke Street), with a similar hamper of men’s goodies for the Best Dressed Man (second prize is a voucher for Cassidy’s Restaurant).
There will also be entertainment on St Patrick’s Day, while Friday traditionally sees the biggest crowds for Gold Cup day, which is great craic even if you have no interest in racing. It’s all set up for a great week in The Castle.
.Denise Shanahan, Murt Murphy, Bryan Cooper, Maura O’Donnell, Tom Quane and ‘Skelper’ (centre, on Bryan’s shoulder) at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
TRALEE’S Bryan Cooper and Philip Enright shared some of their tips for the Cheltenham festival last night at a ‘Preview’ fundraiser for Blennerville school.
Racing fans present in Skelper Quane’s in the village, heard expert tips from the top jockeys and other well-known figures from the racing world such as photographer Pat Healy, bookmaker Berkie Browne, Limerick Racecouse manager Conor O’Neill and MC for the evening, Murt Murphy.
They were asked for their fancies for the major races at the festival next week as Bryan Cooper is set to be a busy man riding for Gigginstown. He is one of the favourites to be leading jockey at the Cotswolds festival and was keeping his cards close to his chest on whether he’ll plump for Don Cossack or Don Poli in the Gold Cup.
The event managed to raise over €600 for the school while some of the lads’ tips might earn a lot more if the bets are placed right! Scroll down for photos…
.Clodagh Quane, Laura Couchman, Geraldine Cooper, Damien Fitzgerald and Seamus O’Sullivan at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.James Murphy, Liam Murphy and Linda Jones at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot CreanKevin O’Brien and Michelle Greene at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Susan Goodwin and Helen Moriarty at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Anthony O’Regan and Kieran Kennedy at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean.Nora Corridon and Denise Shanahan at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot CreanPatrick, Johnny and Seamie Foley at the Cheltenham Preview Night in aid of St Brendan’s NS Blennerville at Skelper Quane’s on Thursday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
