Inside Track: At least there was one winning Carroll at Ascot

Royal Ascot was good for many, among them Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden, Willie Mullins, Joe Murphy and other trainers.

Also, jockeys Oisín Murphy, Ryan Moore and Gary Carroll. Revellers in the daily crowd of over 70,000 had no doubt a good time as well. O’Brien and Gosden vied for the leading trainer title, and trainer Murphy basked in the glory of his biggest race win.

Murphy is from Tipperary and presides over a training complex that would fit into a corner of O’Brien’s place in the same county.

READ NEXT: Louth GAA club | Division Two round-up

In other words, he’s a small trainer, and in fairness, the TV people gave him a great reception after he secured the biggest win of his career with 33/1 shot Cercene.

Murphy regularly has runners at Dundalk, and nearly always makes the long journey to see them run. His jockey, the aforementioned Gary Carroll, is the latest in a family line that stretches back to when his grandfather, Frankie Carroll, booted home many National Hunt winners. His dad, Raymond, also had a career in the saddle.

Your writer was betting in shillings when the most senior of the trio brought a 100/8 chances over the line in front in a big ‘chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.

We’re talking here about the early 1960s, when getting 13 shillings on presenting the bookie with your docket made you feel like a millionaire.

No such feeling of elation last week. Independent Expert, whose name was up in lights on these pages last week, failed to deliver. And how.

Running in a field of over 20, the mare, in which your writer has the smallest of interests, finished in front of just one runner.

In other words – again – she came in second-last. At odds of around 20/1, she carried just a few quid from this quarter, and, hopefully, nobody else’s.

READ NEXT: Louth GAA club | Division Two round-up

It’s probable IE will be aimed at less ambitious targets, maybe a race at Dundalk’s July 12th or August 15th meetings, when it won’t be necessary to wear tails and toppers to gain entry to the parade ring.

The British racing establishment was out in strength – and finery – at Ascot. For a time it seemed it might have to endure a Cheltenham-type Irish dominance, with Aidan O’Brien getting ever closer to a century of winners with early strikes at the five-day meeting, and Willie Mullins showing he’s able to weave as much magic on the Flat as over jumps.

On the day he and his wife got a lift to the meeting in a Royal carriage on one of the days, Mullins sent out the winner of a long-distance races, providing proof, if it were really needed, that they’ve got everything right at his base in Carlow, feeding, exercising, planning etc.

Not backing his and O’Brien’s winners is this quarter’s regret.