De Bromhead and O’Keeffe open Tramore account with Lureka Du Noyer
Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O’Keeffe recorded a winner at Tramore on Wednesday evening when Lureka Du Noyer landed the WTW Willis Rated Novice Hurdle on the opening day of the meeting.
Racing for the Pimlico Racing syndicate, the five-year-old was sent off 5/2 favourite in the competitive novice event. O’Keeffe seized the initiative approaching the penultimate flight and produced a decisive leap at the last, carrying the advantage through to the line to beat Mark Fahey’s Mr Master Mac by around a length and a quarter. The runner-up had been listed at 3/1 in the market.
Positive start at a well-supported fixture
The victory provided a welcome early-season result for De Bromhead’s stable at a meeting that continues to grow in profile among summer Irish fixtures. The trainer praised the owners and those responsible for the evening’s running, noting the value of securing a winner at Tramore for connections.
Lureka Du Noyer’s performance was characterised by a prominent run and assured jumping in the closing stages, attributes that stood up well over the course and distance. The gelding’s win underlined his promise in novice company and will give connections a platform to consider targets for the remainder of the summer and into the autumn.
Context for the connections
- Trainer: Henry de Bromhead — a leading handler with a strong record at major Irish festivals.
- Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe — who partnered the gelding to victory with an enterprising ride.
- Owner: Pimlico Racing — the syndicate supplied the runner and now enjoy a winner at Tramore.
While this was a novice hurdle on a provincial card rather than a festival feature, wins of this kind are important for the management of a young hurdler’s career. A clear success over obstacles against a field of similar-aged rivals will help inform connections’ choices about whether to seek stiffer assignments or to consolidate at the same level.
What to watch next
For Lureka Du Noyer, the next steps will depend on how the horse comes out of this race and the type of programme De Bromhead elects to follow. The seasonal calendar offers a range of opportunities for improving novices, from mid-summer handicaps to graded juvenile hurdles later in the year. Observers will look to the horse’s future entries for signs that connections are confident of stepping up in grade.
Tramore’s meeting continues across the coming days, providing a platform for other trainers and owners to showcase potential festival-bound recruits and to prepare horses for targets at higher-profile meetings in the autumn and winter. For now, De Bromhead and O’Keeffe will take satisfaction from a neat, efficient victory and a positive start to their involvement at the seaside track.
The result adds to the narrative of the early-season novice division and highlights Tramore’s role as a useful staging post for emerging hurdlers.
