Under The Radar: David Marnane set for more Royal Ascot success?

Jamesie ran a big race in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012. He kept on well on the stands' side to beat all the other contenders who raced with him on that side, but was thwarted by Eton Forever, who raced on the far side. David Marnane watched with mixed emotions; delighted his horse ran so well, gutted to go so close and not win.

Then the following day, he sent out Dandy Boy to win the Wokingham.

Jamesie was an important horse for Marnane. He won a handicap at Meydan in January 2014 and, when he won the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh seven months later, when scoring by a nose from Group One winner Gordon Lord Byron, he provided his trainer with his first Group race winner.

Dandy Boy was important, too. Two years before he won the Wokingham, the son of Danetime won the Victoria Cup at Ascot. Eight months after that, he also won a handicap at Meydan. And then the Wokingham, a first Royal Ascot winner, and all that goes with it.

“That was brilliant,” says the trainer now, in a reflective mood. “The first one can pass you by a little bit, though, so it was great that we were able to go and do it again.”

He had to wait until 2018, but it was worth the wait. Settle For Bay is as impressive now in the replay as he was at the time, travelling well towards the back of the field early on, moving towards the far side of the near-side group on the run to the two-furlong marker and going well. You know what you’re looking for now, watching the replay. You know how this one ends, but even then, watching it live, you could see Billy Lee, not just because of the stand-out bright green silks on his back, but also because he was the highest rider, tall and motionless on the run to the two-furlong pole as all his rivals were low and driving.

Then the rider kicked and Settle For Bay picked up, and came clear of his rivals. The Royal Hunt Cup in the bag before they reached the furlong marker, and clear daylight back to his rivals at the winning line.

It had been a long time in the planning, and the celebrations reflected as much. Settle For Bay had won four on the bounce at Dundalk during the winter, and David Marnane planned back from Ascot. His run at Leopardstown in May put him spot on for the race.

“It was brilliant for the owners, too,” says the trainer.  Denis McGettigan and Mossie Casey. And Denis’ wife Nicola hadn’t been well, she had just got the all-clear. It was a special day.”

Marnane had many special days as an amateur rider. He won the Champion Bumper at Punchestown on Dramatic Touch for Liam Browne, and he won the GPT amateur riders’ handicap at Galway on Onomatopoeia for Pat Flynn. He and his wife Mel went to Dubai in the late 1990s for a year, and they stayed for nine, came home with a depth of experience and myriad connections, and three kids, and set about building their training operation.

“It’s a big team effort here,” says Marnane. “My brother Ed is a big part of it, planning and researching pedigrees and all that goes with it. And my niece Amy, my brother Con’s daughter, she’s brilliant at the sales.  And Mel is involved in everything. We have great staff, and Luke (McAteer) has become a big part of it.”

McAteer rode Gavoo when he made his racecourse debut at The Curragh in early May. Sent off at 33-1, the Elzaam colt kept on nicely to finish second to a smart colt in Andab, who went on to finish a close-up third behind Albert Einstein in the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend.

“We thought that he would run a solid race,” says his trainer. “He was a bit babyish, but he ran well to finish second to a good horse.  He did a good piece of work then before he went to Listowel on Sunday, so we were hopeful that he would go well.”

He went well at Listowel alright. He kept on strongly at the end of the six-and-a-half-furlong trip to get the better of a promising horse of Michael O’Callaghan’s, with the pair of them finishing seven and a half lengths clear of their rivals.

“He did a few things that I really liked at Listowel,” says the trainer thoughtfully. “He jumped well from his wide draw, and he had the early toe to get across. The leader quickened in front, so we had to quicken twice to get to him and to get past him.  He will have learned an awful lot from that run.  He had to go around a bend and pick up.”

Gavoo could be ready for the next step up now.

“We’re under no illusions.  We’ll see how he has stepped forward now in his work.  We could look at the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot with him, or we could look at the Anglesey Stakes here.  I’m delighted for his owners that it looks like they have a nice horse.  Seamus Gormley bred him out of Daddy’s Gal, a Scat Daddy mare.  Seamus’ son James is a good friend of mine from Dubai.  They asked us about a stallion, and it was my brother Ed who suggested Elzaam, so it’s nice that it’s going well.”

This season in general is going well so far for Marnane. Tokenomics was impressive in winning a handicap at Cork on his seasonal return, and he is another who could be on track for Royal Ascot.

“We have always thought a lot of Tokenomics,” says David.  “He didn’t race at two, he has a big frame, so we gave him all the time that he needed. He was very progressive last year, and we were delighted with his win at Cork (watch below) on his seasonal return.”

Bought at the Goffs Sportsman’s Sale as a yearling in 2022 for €28,000, Tokenomics raced in the MRC International colours as a three-year-old.  MRC, Marnane Racing Club, a club through which people can get involved in racehorse ownership with the trainer, and it has been a big fillip for the yard.  The system works well: buy the horses as yearlings, race them at two and three, then sell them at the end of their three-year-old season. 

Jakajaro cost €38,000 as a yearling, won twice and finished second in a listed race, and was sold for 200,000 guineas.  Lady Tilbury was bought for 18,000 guineas as a yearling, won four times, finished third in a listed race and was sold for 150,000 guineas.  Night Moon, bought for €50,000 as a yearling, won a handicap at Listowel on his final run for Marnane, and was sold for 100,000 guineas.

Tokenomics wasn’t making what they thought he should have been making at the horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls last October, so Niall Molloy, one of the syndicate members, bought him back.

“I’m delighted for Niall,” says the trainer.  “He and his family have been great supporters of ours.  Tokenomics went up 6lb for his Cork win to a mark of 96, so we said that we would skip the premier handicap at The Curragh and go to the Royal Hunt Cup with him.  Unfortunately the handicapper dropped all the horses by 2lb after that, so he is down to a mark of 94 now, and that may not be high enough for him to get into the race.  We’ll see.  If he doesn't get into the Hunt Cup, he could go for the Buckingham Palace instead.”

East Hampton was an impressive winner of the Madrid Handicap on his debut this season, and he finished a close-up third in the three-year-olds’ seven-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend. He is on track for the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown next week.  

“We have a really nice team of horses this year,” says Marnane, “and really good owners". When Mick Halford was finishing up, he very kindly recommended us to Paul Rooney, so we were very grateful to Mick and to Paul Rooney for sending us his horses. We only have 30 horses, but we have a lot of very nice three-year-olds, and some nice two-year-olds, as well as the older horses.”

Things continue to go well.