Mary Salome (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Rookie trainer Andrew Kinirons will attempt a divided-races double-double at Cork today as Sunday's Listowel winners Praying Mantis and Mary Salome are again separated in divisions of the Fermoy Handicap.
Kinirons sent Praying Mantis and Mary Salome to win a division each of Sunday's Listowel Tidy Towns Handicap and, in line with HRI rules, are again separated for today's 7f handicaps.
Explaining the rule giving consideration to connections with two or more horses in a divided race, a HRI spokesman said “if a trainer has two runners for a divided race, both horses are automatically separated into different divisions.
“It is the same for owners, with the owner being separated first, followed by the trainer. Our computer splits them and requests to place a horse in either division are not accommodated.
“The reason is to give owners and trainers as much chance as possible, and it wouldn't be good to have, for example, all three of somebody's horses in one division. The rule was brought in in the early 1980s and is the same as the UK but can vary with other jurisdictions.”
Mary Salome, 5lbs well-in when winning on Sunday has a revised official rating of 75 and carries a welter burden of 10st13lbs for today's 45-65 handicap, but minus jockey Nicole Weir's 10lbs claim.
Stablemate Praying Mantis has been raised 12lbs for Sunday's success and runs under a mandatory 6lbs penalty.
