A PHOTOGRAPH of Damian Murphy winning the 2006 renewal of the Cheltenham Foxhunters on Whyso Mayo adorned the front cover of the racecard at Sunday’s Bandon meeting and it was fitting that the former southern regional champion rider sent out his initial winner of the season at the Carbery Foxhounds fixture, courtesy of newcomer Walking In Mayo in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
Roseily took the 13 contestants along in this truly-run event, until Sing My Story edged ahead on the incline from the fifth-last of the 14 obstacles.
Walking In Mayo (4/1 - 5/1) still had some four runners in front of her approaching two out, but she was soon on the move and she hit the front well, after this penultimate obstacle. It was all relative plain sailing thereafter and she stormed clear before the last to dismiss Coillte M C G by 15 lengths.
Walking In Mayo, a daughter of Walk In The Park that’s out of a half-sister to former Grade 3 winning chaser Keeper Hill, presently represents Alberta Capital Ltd and the €16,000 acquisition at the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland July sale is now likely to be sold.
Double up
Walking In Mayo’s rider Cal Shine went on to complete a two-timer aboard Benny Crowley’s The Price Of Peace (2/1 - 5/2) in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
The Price Of Peace mostly disputed the running with Sir Benduff, until he had edged into a couple of lengths advantage, when Darragh Allen’s mount made a race-ending blunder at the second last.
The winning son of Quest Of Peace was then left with a relatively straightforward task and, whilst then giving his supporters cause for alarm by erring at the final fence when well in control at the time, he still coasted home with 32 lengths to spare over the only other finisher, Dacman.
“He loved the soft ground and will go for a winners race now, provided that he’s not sold,” reported first-time Bandon visitor Crowley of The Price Of Peace, a half-brother to Shark Hanlon’s six-time winning mare Dime A Dozen, whom he trains for breeder Leo Doyle.
ALAN O’Sullivan likewise partnered two winners, book-ending the card in the process, and the Lombardstown native signed off by landing the winners of one aboard owner/trainer Garry Aherne’s Our Story (4/1 - 5/1).
Seasonal debutant Our Story was held up at the rear of the nine-runner field on the outer and he edged closer from two out.
The winning son of Shantaram held a slender advantage when securing a marginally faster jump at the final fence and he then held off Mickey Hulie to score by a head.
Three-horse handler Aherne remarked of Our Story: “I’m delighted and we will now go to Kilworth with him in two weeks’ time.”
Opening-leg
O’Sullivan was earlier on the mark aboard his uncle Eugene O’Sullivan’s Kiely’s Place (4/1 - 8/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Having pulled up on his debut at Dromahane on December 30th, Kiely’s Place moved through to shadow pre-Christmas Ballycrystal runner-up The Kite Runner from four out.
He then moved past The Kite Runner just before the last and, with little to separate the pair jumping this final obstacle, the winning son of Wings Of Eagles then kept Pa King’s rallying mount at bay to oblige by a short head, in what was the afternoon’s closest finish.
“Looking at him going around the parade ring, I thought that he would need the run. If he’s not sold, he will probably run at Cork over Easter,” said owner/trainer O’Sullivan of his 2023 Goffs Arkle sale acquisition Kiely’s Place, a half-brother to Birmingham Alabama, with the pair hailing from the same family as former Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up, Strong Promise.
NEWCOMER Loyal Praetorian (5/2 - 3/1) was victorious in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden, surging past long-time leader Mister Loolah before the last to eclipse him by one and a half lengths. The five-year-old was providing handler Gerry Kelleher’s 23-year-old nephew Luke Kelleher from Macroom with an initial career success.
Trainer Kelleher said of the Soldier Of Fortune five-year-old: “He’s a nice horse that could now go for a two-and-a-half-mile bumper.” Loyal Praetorian is owned by the Clare Newell and Michael Kelleher Partnership.
The O’Driscoll family have long since been synonymous with this Kilpatrick meeting and it was entirely appropriate that Dundaniel (4/1 - 6/1), bred by the late P.J. O’Driscoll, won the novice riders’ open on what was his initial start for handler, Niall Kelleher. The 10-year-old Dundaniel was always well-positioned in this six-runner contest and he edged into a narrow advantage from two out under Patrick Gleeson. Whilst Run Wild Fred held every chance in second on the run to the last, the former Irish Grand National runner-up didn’t aid his cause by drifting left on the flat and he was beaten a length and a half into second spot. “He will run away in points, although he could also go for a hunters chase at some stage,” said handler Kelleher of Dundaniel, owned by the four-member One In A Barrell Partnership.
Horse to Follow
Blazing Nelson (M. P. Collins): This son of Mount Nelson, having come fourth on his Ballindenisk debut last May, made a pleasing return by finishing third to Kiely’s Place in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. A maiden would appear a mere formality, whilst track success should also feature on his itinerary.