EDDIE Power registered a first success with a restricted trainer’s license at Clonmel on Thursday, where the ex-jockey landed the concluding bumper with the Sean Dalton-owned, Adam Ryan-partnered Sunny South West (15/2).

Power had previously won a Tramore hunters chase and Sunny South West avoided a dramatic bend-incident passing the stands, as John Valjohn carried out two horses.

Sunny South West led from halfway and made the rest of the running to beat Doctor Steinberg by two and three-quarter lengths.

Power reported “that’s my second winner and my first since getting my restricted trainer’s license. I thought he was an absolute certainty in his four-year-old point-to-point, but everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

“A loose horse galloped into him in the parade ring and drove him mad and, in the race, he basically fell and was pulled up. He was always highly strung and we rode him with different tactics today and it paid off.

“Sean (Dalton, from Tipperary town) is looking for a good one for a long time and I’d say he’ll keep him. We might go for a winners’ bumper and will go summer novice hurdling, as he likes good ground.”

Drama

Willie Mullins had earlier landed the Ballymacarbry Beginners Chase with Lombron (1/2 favourite), which himself survived a dramatic mid-race error, when scoring by two and a quarter lengths from Western Fold.

Regarding the Roaringwater Syndicate-owned winner, successful jockey Paul Townend said “he had the rating to win but I’m not sure he had been running to that, and he made me work for it today.

“He made one mistake at the first fence up the back straight, but the fence stewards were actually in front of it as we rounded the bend. They ran out of the way, but I’d say he had one eye on the orange jackets and I asked him at the last second. He was fine though; we got away with it and his jumping was brilliant on the whole.”

Frustrating

Trainer Terence O’Brien and jockey John Shinnick successfully combined for the fifth time this year, to win the Careys Castle Handicap Chase with frustrating Ik’s Man (12/1), for the Rebel Deise Syndicate. Racing prominently, Ik’s Man scored readily by nine lengths from Emily In Paris.

Afterwards, O’Brien reported “that was a long time coming to be honest. We always thought that when he’d get a jump in front of him, that he’d improve but he got a leg [injury], unfortunately, and we left him off for a year.

“We came here today as last-chance saloon, and I told the lads that I didn’t have any major confidence in him, that he was doing the same thing at home - he was not any better or worse. He’s off a handy mark and we’ll play away with him. He’s a fun horse.”

TINAGARRAN Express (8/1) gained a second career success in the dramatic Glenary Handicap Hurdle (Div II), as the eight-year-old mare avoided fallers at the second last to score for trainer Denise O’Shea and jockey Simon Torrens.

Tir Og had a narrow lead when exiting at that penultimate obstacle, bringing down challenging Heidi’s Frontiere and beaten Bossofthebus, with Tingarran Express proving five and a half lengths too strong for Sharetheknowledge at the line.

Delighted O’Shea commented, “that is brilliant as this little woman (Tingarran Express) is very special to me and my family at home. She is only 15hh and wears her heart on her sleeve, but she can be tricky, so you’d want to know her.

“She is owned by fantastic people including Derek Beausang, who initially came about and bought her. He was always a good friend of our family, but lives in Australia, so never gets to see her but he has been brilliant to me.”

Masters of the scene

Half an hour earlier, Volez Vous (9/2) had completed back-to-back Clonmel wins in the opening division of the race, scoring again for trainer Daryl Deacon and jockey Ben Kennedy.

The six-year-old had won with a rating of just 72 last month and followed up under 79 today, with Deacon later reporting: “Ben rode her brilliantly and she jumped great. She is improving and, as I had said, the Yeats’ take that extra bit of time. The recent dropping of the ratings (by the IHRB) below 80 helped her.”

Trainer Colin Motherway was delighted with Pour One More’s (13/2) success in the Nire Valley Maiden Hurdle, as the gelding scored by a half-length from Tom Sarah Evelyn. Motherway reported “it was his first time over hurdles, but he had good runs in bumpers and wasn’t beaten too far each time.

“He was just slow to progress, but we gave him a chance in bumpers, as he has plenty of gears. His bumper form stacks up well.

“We’ll see what we do now. Myself and my wife own him, so this is more exciting as the kids are here as well. This is a great day.”

RACHEL’S Secret (5/2 favourite) led home a 1-3-4 for trainer Declan Queally in the Adare Manor Opportunity (Mares’) Maiden Hurdle, scoring under Philip Donovan. Rachel’s Secret went by front-running stablemate Knockaneleigh Girl before the second-last and eventually held runner-up Former Flame by 10 lengths.

Trainer Queally’s son and namesake reported “she had been knocking on the door, had finished second in a four-year-old’s point-to-point, second in a maiden hurdle and third in a bumper, so had some very solid form.

“Philip got on great with her. She is a big old mare, is 16.2hh and you could see her go over fences.”

Racing had begun with the John Ryan-trained Flidais (14/1) landing the Kilmanahan Beginners Chase, under jockey Sean O’Keeffe. Ryan reported: “I had been disappointed with her, but it is difficult to get her fully fit. She is a real mare for the summertime and is only getting ready for the summer really.

“She is out of a 12-time winning mare, so has a good pedigree and we’ll try and get some blacktype for her. I own her with Paddy Everard, and we’ll probably breed from her. Paddy’s wife is a cousin of mine.”