THE 11-time champion-rider Derek O’Connor dominated last Sunday’s Limerick Harriers-sanctioned fixture held at Ballycahane, when partnering a hat-trick of winners with the Tubber-native combining with handler Sam Curling for a pair of victories.
The O’Connor-handled and ridden newcomer Hardly Surprising (5/2 - 7/2) looked a horse of some potential for inside the rails, when running out a narrow winner of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Waited with in rear as the strongly-supported favourite Mister St Eloi went for home after three out, the JP McManus-owned son of Affinisea found an extra gear in the home straight to head John Barry’s mount almost on the line and oblige by a head, in what was the closest finish of the day.
“This is a classy horse. Like a lot of mine, he was very green and babyish early on. He learned as the race developed though and should have a nice future on the track,” said O’Connor of Hardly Surprising, a half-brother to the 2020 Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle-victor Fiddlerontheroof.
Dreams come true
The following five-year-old geldings’ maiden saw O’Connor successfully combine with Sam Curling as second-timer Neon Dream (2/1 - 5/2 favourite) atoned for pulling up on his debut in Ballyknock last season. A half-brother to Charles Byrnes’ 145-rated hurdler Shoot First, the Getaway-sired Neon Dream joined issue with Donnchadh Doyle’s Keep Joy at the second-last and, having asserted on the run to the final fence, was pushed out on the flat by O’Connor to score by four lengths.
“I made a mistake running him on bottomless ground last year. His homework has always been very good, so we were expecting something like that today. If he’s not sold, he’ll go for a bumper next,” outlined Curling, who shares the €37,000 Derby Sale-purchase with professional jockey, Philip Enright.
The Great hat-trick
The O’Connor-treble and Curling-double was concluded in the six-runner mares’ open, as The Great Unknown (1/2 favourite) obliged for the second consecutive weekend to bring up her hat-trick in points. Owned by the winning handler’s mother, Adelia Greer, the progressive daughter of Walk In The Park kicked clear of Richieandsams Lady between the final two obstacles and eventually coasted home a length and a half ahead of a staying-on Bents Hollow. Curling, whose charge was supplementing recent successes at Bellharbour and Knockanard, commented: “The ground was probably as quick as she’d want it there. There are no major plans from here, she’ll either go for a similar race or a mares’ maiden hunters chase in Cork over Easter. She won’t be over-raced this season though.”
HARLEY Dunne’s Ash Hobbs (3/1 - 7/1) hinted that a bright track career is likely in the offing, when making a winning debut in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Always positioned close behind the leading She’s For Luck under Bertie Finn, the sweet-travelling daughter of Jack Hobbs swept through to lead at an early stage in the home straight and drew clear late-on to account for favourite Teenage Kicks by nine lengths.
“This is a mare that we’ve been mad about for a while. I was going to run her against geldings a few weeks ago, but gave her a bit more time. She’ll head to the Cheltenham Festival Sale now,” reflected handler/owner Dunne of last year’s Tattersalls Ireland May Sale graduate Ash Hobbs.
A field of 14 went to post for the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, with victory ultimately going the way of the David O’Brien-handled debutante Owning Flower (8/1 - 10/1).
Sporting the silks of South Kilkenny owner Billy Cuddihy, having moved through to tackle Ersudaly at the penultimate fence, the Sam Cavanagh-ridden Owning Flower overcame greenness in the latter stages to repel the fast-finishing Jennyfromtheblock by three-parts of a length.
“That was a lovely effort. She’s always pleased us in her work, but at the same time, should step forward again from that.
“She will likely be sold now,” observed O’Brien of Owning Flower, who was acquired from her Gowran breeder John Phelan.
QUIN, Co Clare-jockey Paul O’Neill recorded his 50th triumph between the flags, as Ronnie O’Leary’s pointing debutant Mon Euil (5/2 - 3/1) took the scalp of the fancied Chief’s Kingdom in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Claiming this particular contest for the second time in three years, O’Neill produced his mount with precision timing to challenge Aidan Fitzgerald’s Chief’s Kingdom at the last and the Montmartre-gelding found plenty on the flat to oblige by three-parts of a length.
“This is a horse we’ve had to be patient with. He’s a horse that had a few runs over hurdles last year. That will have done his confidence good and we’ll probably head back to the track with him again now,” said Ogonnelloe-handler O’Leary of Mon Euil, who currently holds a rating of 94 over flights.
Horse to Follow
Line Ball (D. O’Connor): Just a fifth points-runner for his sire Camelot, this McManus family home-bred, who traces back to their 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup-victor Synchronised, was running a race rich in promise, only to come down at the last in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. Destined for minor honours when exiting, he can claim a similar contest before long.