THERE were some stellar performances at Sunday’s Tallow meeting, staged under the auspices of the West Waterford Foxhounds, and West Of Carrig continued his upwards trajectory by cruising home under his handler Don Browne’s son, Adrian Browne, in the open.
West Of Carrig (5/2 – 9/4 favourite), also successful in the Dungarvan open just eight days earlier, was bounced out in front and he took the field along at a decent clip, going clear from halfway.
His advantage was whittled down by seasonal debutant Plan Of Attack from the third last of the 15 obstacles and there was just two lengths between the pair on the run to two out. The eventual winner sealed victory here by securing a terrific leap, where Plan Of Attack was somewhat slow.
The victorious son of Westerner then actually quickened on the approach to the last and he returned with 16 lengths to spare over Plan Of Attack.
Carrigtwohill-based handler Browne, who has just three horses in harness, remarked: “It seems that the Dungarvan run didn’t take a shake out of him and he is now qualified for the Cheltenham Foxhunters next month. Adrian [son] owns this horse himself and it would be great for him to have a ride at Cheltenham and we will definitely consider it.”
First success
Pa King will have excellent reason to recall this meeting, as he was credited with his initial success as a handler, courtesy of Changeyourstatus (3/1 – 7/2), whom he steered to success in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Changeyourstatus, having made an excellent career debut by finishing third at Tattersalls in December, mostly tracked the leader Grandela until Yorkshire Escape took up the chase with five fences remaining.
The winning daughter of Shirocco moved back second after three out and she challenged Grandela from the second-last, touching down in front over the final fence and then asserting to beat the pacesetter by two lengths, much to the delight of joint owners’ Catherine Ryan and Philip Brady.
“She’s a real nice mare that really came forwards from Tattersalls and she’s bred to get better as she gets older,” said King of Changeyourstatus, a half-sister to Nigel Twiston Davies’ five-time winner Beauport that ran one of his best ever races in December by finishing third to Crambo in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
THE Eamonn Doyle-trained Mossy Fen Coolio (2/1 - 5/2) had many of the large crowd present searching for previously unused superlatives, following his stunning debut victory under Jamie Scallan in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 11 runners.
The Kayf Tara-sired Mossy Fen Coolio was always positioned close to the pace and he picked up the running five out, a fence that claimed two of his rivals.
The victorious British-bred was clearly possessing all the aces from three out and he readily forged clear from the second-last to dismiss the only other finisher, Ponte Vedra, by an unextended 25 lengths in the colours of the Mossy Fen Stables Partnership.
“He’s a gorgeous horse, he’s as nice a one as I have ever had anything to do with and he will now be sold,” said handler Doyle of Mossy Fen Coolio, acquired for €80,000 at the 2023 Derby sale.
Turlough O’Connor was another trainer/rider to sample success, capturing the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden aboard John Coffey (3/1 - 4/1).
The Watar-sired John Coffey vindicated the promise of his fifth-placed effort behind Ebenezer Scrooge in a 15-runner contest at Ballyvodock the previous Sunday, by arriving from off the pace to overtake long-time leader, Pure Decent, approaching the last.
With Pure Logic then exiting at this final fence, John Coffey drew clear on the flat to contain favourite Sir Benduff by three lengths.
“He’s a horse that we’ve always thought a lot of, but it’s only now that he’s showing his true ability,” said O’Connor of his father Charlie O’Connor’s victorious six-year-old.
SHANE Cotter gave owner/trainer Denis Murphy’s newcomer Hitintheheadlines (5/1 – 7/1) a masterful waiting ride to win the four-year-old maiden, much to the joy of the 14 bookmakers present.
Laristote and L’amalric injected fresh pace into the race from six out and they quickened the tempo again from the third-last. The duo were in the region of five lengths clear of Hitintheheadlines from two out, but he was produced to challenge approaching the last.
The victorious son of Harzand touched down in front over this final fence and, with Laristote and L’amalric both falling here, the late May foal then accounted for Make Idaho Great Again by 14 lengths.
Murphy was absent at Comea, where he also sent out another four-year-old winner in Taurus Bay.
His representative Tom Cloke remarked of Hitintheheadlines that traces back to Liss A Paoraigh: “I own this fellow with Denis and I picked him out at the sale last year. He’s a very straightforward horse that jumps and gallops. He’ll now be sold.”
Local support
Handler Sean Aherne kept his many local supporters happy by sending out pointing debutant Deerpark Hill (3/1 - 11/4 joint-favourite) to collect the adjacent hunts maiden, a race staged in memory of the late Gerty Murphy, who sadly passed away last year, having been a long-standing mainstay of the Tallow committee, with her family sponsoring a bonus of €500 to the winner.
The towering Deerpark Hill, who had just one previous run when finishing eighth in a Ballinrobe bumper in April of last year, led from the third-fence with the five-year-old then responding generously for five-pound claimer Stefan Tobin to dispose of last month’s Carrigarostig runner-up Mount Rinjani by five and a half lengths in the silks of his handler’s long-standing patron William O’Donnell from Lismore.
The likelihood is that Deerpark Hill will have just one more outing this year.
Horse to Follow
L’Amalric (C. Bowe): A newcomer by Muhtathir, this embryonic chasing type disputed the running virtually throughout in the four-year-old maiden, until he had been fractionally headed when falling at the last, having jumped superbly to that point. The bay should develop into a smashing steeplechase prospect going forwards.