LISCARROLL racegoers were treated to some outstanding performances, after Ellemarie O’Dwyer’s rendition of the national anthem to get proceedings underway, Adam Feeney opened a two-timer aboard owner-trainer John Nallen’s newcomer Minella Marathon in the second division of the four-year-old maiden.

Minella Marathon (4/1 – 3/1 favourite), whose six-time track winning dam is a half-sister to the 17-time French jumps scorer Saint Gouston Blue, was bounced out prominently and he disputed the running with Jet To London until the latter dropped away well before two out.

The winning son of Blue Bresil cast aside Jessbers Wish approaching the final of the 12 obstacles, with For Old Times Sake closing the whole time in third.

Although erring here, For Old Times Sake went second on the flat, but Minella Marathon was in no mood to be denied and shrugged off Derek O’Connor’s charge by one and three-quarter lengths.

“He’s a lovely horse that has come on a lot physically in the last month,” remarked Nallen of the €62,000 graduate of the 2024 Goffs Arkle sale, who was added to this past Thursday’s Goffs UK sale after racing at Aintree.

Feeney then forfeited his five-pound claim aboard the Liam O’Brien-trained Lonely Dancer (4/1 - 5/1) in the first division of the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Benefit

The seasonal debutant was another to benefit from front-running tactics. She disputed the running with No Risk No Story until establishing a couple of lengths advantage before two out, crossing the line with three and a half lengths to spare over favourite Defeat The Dark.

Handler O’Brien indicated that the seven-year-old Lonely Dancer, representing Laurence Murphy from Campile, could now contest the mares’ hunters chase at Cork on Easter Monday.

ALAN O’Sullivan was another to partner two winners being witnessed to excellent effect aboard the Michael Griffin-trained Malina Road (3/1 - 7/2) in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Lombardstown rider saved valuable ground on the turn into the home straight before two out, to challenge at this penultimate obstacle.

The winning daughter of Malinas picked up the running between the final two fences and she then held on valiantly to keep newcomer For A Moment at bay by a length.

“We’ve always had a lot of faith in her and thought that she was a mare for a bumper,” reported handler Griffin of Malina Road, owned and bred by his wife Kaye’s cousin Seamus Neville.

O’Sullivan signed off by substituting for Cal Shine, who suffered a fall earlier in the afternoon, aboard the Trixie Barry-trained Bartlemy Boy (6/4 – 7/4 favourite) in the winners of one.

Absent since finishing second at Boulta in November, Bartlemy Boy was vying for supremacy with runner-up Burren View from three out, before asserting from the second last to defeat Laura Costello’s mount by five and a half lengths.

Handler Barry indicated that his wife Mary Hayes’ Bartlemy Boy could now line up in the maiden hunter chase at Cork on Easter Monday. The sizeable local contingent had plenty of cause for cheer, as Buttevant-based handler Paul O’Flynn was on the mark with Rebel Budz (6/4 - 7/4 favourite) in the older geldings’ maiden.

Rebel Budz always took the eye in running and the result was never in doubt once he went to the head of affairs with Andy Burke Ott before two out. At the post, Rebel Budz had 21 lengths to spare over Stan Wellback in the colours of his handler’s father Tom O’Flynn.