YAFORDADOE ensured that the day’s feature, the Hollymount Nursing Home Handicap Hurdle, made for very pleasant viewing for favourite backers as Gavin Cromwell’s charge outclassed his opponents.

In this four-year-old only affair, which pointed to the winner being a major player for next month’s Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel, Yafordadoe was getting upwards of 11lbs from his four rivals and he made that concession count under Jonathan Moore.

After following up a Cork maiden hurdle win with two decent showings on the flat, the 15/8 favourite cruised through this race. He needed just a shake of the reins inside the last half mile to take charge and from this point on he was in total control, eventually finishing a dozen lengths ahead of Swelltime. The winner is owned by the Yafordadoe Racing Syndicate.

“He jumped and travelled well. He’s moving a lot better this year and hopefully there will be more races to be won with him,” said the rider while Cromwell confirmed that the Lartigue is firmly on the winner’s agenda.

Listowel could also be next for Gordon Elliott’s Ardamir who produced a decent weight carrying effort in the KPMG Handicap Hurdle. This eight-year-old won a good pot at Bellewstown just under two months ago and as a result of that he had to shoulder 12st but that was no problem for Denis O’Regan’s mount.

From some way out in this two-mile contest the 10/1 chance was travelling quite nicely and he looked to have everything covered by the time he moved to the head of the field coming to the last flight. To her credit Morga (aboard whom Paul Townend picked up a two-day whip ban) finished off strongly as the line loomed but she lost out by a diminishing half a length. The market leader Imperial Choice could never land a blow as she looked to bring up a hat-trick but had to settle for sixth.

Grand fun horse

“He’s a grand fun horse who only cost around £4,000 this time last year and Denis gets on very well with him,” said Elliott. “He might now get in at the bottom of the good handicap hurdle at Listowel and that’s an option although he has the option of going back on the flat too.”

The Edward O’Grady-owned and trained Too Falutin (12/1) dominated the Irish EBF-sponsored four-year-old fillies bumper under Tom Hamilton. This daughter of Fame And Glory had shown promise on her last two runs and she set about building up a commanding lead inside the last half mile which saw her finish 10 lengths ahead of Lily Light Foot. Patrick Mullins reported that the disappointing evens favourite Negroni, who finished 12th, stopped very quickly.

JOHN Ryan bolstered his already formidable record at Ballinrobe with a double, which moved the trainer on to the six-winner mark for the season, and this brace was completed by Le Hachette in the Corrib Oil Handicap Hurdle over just short of two and three quarter miles.

Now a dual winner and a dual runner-up from just five outings at this track, the Ryan-owned top-weight won over fences at Tramore recently and made a seamless transition back to the smaller obstacles. The Danny Mullins-ridden 3/1 favourite had this race sewn up from some way out and finished with 10 lengths to spare.

After failing by just a head to make all the running at Roscommon last time the Ryan-trained Lauderdale Lady (7/1) gave jockey Tommy Brett his first winner since January in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle over an extended two miles.

This Patrick Morrissey and Rory Brennan-owned mare once again set off in front and she produced a good jump at the last which played its part in a two-length triumph over Bourbon Borderline. She could now head for a rated novice hurdle.

“She’s improving with each run and she would probably prefer further so we said we’d make plenty of use of her,” commented Brett. “She was probably getting a little lonely in front coming to the last but she went on again when she felt the second horse coming at her.”

TWO of the day’s winners hailed from Fermoy, Co. Cork, and the first of these came when the top-weight Dave And Bernie gave Michael Barry his first winner since December 2016 in the John Rochford Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

The Barry-owned son of Papal Bull had shown up well to fill the runner-up spot on his last two starts and looked quite at home as he tried his hand in handicap company for the first time. Sean O’Keeffe’s mount took charge coming away from the last flight and he saw off fellow 8/1 shot Resurrected Duke by a length and a half.

Ambrose McCurtin missed the winning ride on Dave And Bernie as he was claimed by John Joe Walsh but better fortune awaited the rider in the BoyleSports Mares Maiden Hurdle where he partnered No Memory (14/1) to victory.

This was the first triumph in 13 months for the jockey while it was a first for Cork-based trainer Liam O’Brien in almost exactly six years. The daughter of Westerner, who is owned by the trainer’s sister Mary, came here off a couple of respectable runs in much stronger maidens and she ran out a commanding four and three quarter lengths winner.

“She had won a point so the step up in trip from two miles was going to suit her and I’d say it was the making of her today,” remarked the rider. “It would have been nice to have a double but I was delighted to see Dave And Bernie win as Trixie (Michael Barry) would be very close to home to me.”