Eoghain Ward

AS was the case 12 months ago when Flemenshill displayed a blistering performance at Oldtown on the opening day of the spring four-year-old season, those scouting for equine talent did not have to wait long to see a potential star, as Envoi Allen (6/4-3/1) could be destined for big things if his dominant display in winning the opening Arctic Tack Stud four-year-old is anything to go by.

Bought out of France as a foal, with the now dual graded winning juvenile hurdler Espoir D’Allen, the Walter Connors-owned gelding brushed aside the even-money favourite, Appreciate It, to cross the line 10-lengths in advance of the staying-on Nearly Perfect.

“He is a very nice horse, he would be one of the nicer ones that we would have had,” reported winning handler Colin Bowe. “He is very straightforward with loads of scope and Barry (O’Neill) said that there is still loads of improvement to come.”

The son of Muhtathir is sure to be a star attraction when offered at the upcoming Cheltenham sales.

Reigning champion Barry O’Neill, who guided Envoi Allen to that impressive opening race success, doubled up with yet another confident winning ride, this time aboard the Tracy Gilmour-trained Billaway (6/4-4/5 favourite) in the Nitrofert six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Led out unsold of the Doncaster sales ring at last month’s Goffs UK January Sale, having been unlucky to come down at the penultimate fence at Borris House on his debut, the Well Chosen gelding showed those potential buyers what they might have missed out on with an effortless six-length victory over an improved Baily Fox.

The winning Borris-based handler, who also led up the bay gelding, was understandably delighted with the success. “We were disappointed when he fell in Borris. Today we expected him to win, we expected a lot coming here. He is a horse for the track and is for sale.”

The six-year-old carried the colours of Michael O’Gorman’s CMNS Partnership, the same colours which were carried to second in the 2013 Irish National by Away We Go.

O’Neill was not the only jockey to leave the Wexford venue with a double in the bag, as his achievement was matched by Richie Deegan. The Carlow native initiated his own personal double with a well-judged ride aboard Salty Boy (5/2-3/1) in the Tattersalls Ireland five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Keeping a cool head when the pace-setting Redzor was sent for home at the fifth-last, Deegan delivered the Mags Mullins-trained gelding at the bypassed final fence to end the hopes of favourite backers, getting the better of Tricks And Trails by a length.

Bought for just €4,000 at the August National Hunt Sale, the son of Stowaway, who carried the colours of Kilbline-based George Williams, is likely to be seen in new ownership when graduating to the track, as the Kilkenny trainer reported that her charge could be offered at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale later this month.

“He is a horse that I like a lot and we were hoping for a big run. Richie (Deegan) gave him a lovely ride and I am delighted for his owner George Williams.”

Before departing to ride in the Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown, Deegan added the Monbeg Stables five and six-year-old mares’ maiden to his day’s tally.

Aidan Fitzgerald’s principal jockey may have ended the hopes of favourite backers in that previous contest, but he was the punters saviour 30 minutes later when conjuring a gutsy performance out of the well-backed Madera Express (2-1/1 favourite) in the day’s third race.

The Noel Doyle-bred and trained daughter of Milan had to dig deep to get the better of last month’s Killeagh second, Killisk Ben Rose, with three lengths separating the pair at the line, providing winning trainer Peter Fahy with his first winner of the current point-to-point campaign.

The Monasterevin-based trainer indicated that a switch to the track was likely on the cards for the bay mare who is out of a half-sister to leading open performer Minella For Value.

BRIGHT FUTURE

After running a huge race to chase home Marinero in open company at Tinahely last month, Carrignagapple (5/4-2/1) signalled himself out as a horse for the future, and the Apple Tree gelding, who has recorded successes in point-to-points on both sides of the Irish Sea, followed-up that promise by defeating the progressive mare, Longhouse Music, by five lengths in the Ballywalter Farms winners of three.

Dedicating the success to the late Richard Woolacott and William Codd, Mullinahone-based owner, trainer and breeder Cathy Hamilton spoke of her hopes that her daughter may soon be aboard the seven-year-old in ladies opens.

“I am hoping that my eldest daughter Katie Squires will come over and ride him in ladies races. She is with Colin Tizzard now, but she used to ride a lot before she had a bad fall in England. She said this season that she might want to come back to ride, and I said if you are coming back you have to ride him. I breed the horses for my children to ride at the end of the day.”

In the immediate future, Hamilton identified the novice riders’ open at Punchestown next weekend as a potential next outing for the bay gelding, who was partnered to success by Conor Murphy.

The winning connections of Troll D’Oudairies (2-3/1 favourite) had every reason to celebrate the long overdue success of their 11-year-old, as the French-bred had been forced to settle for the runners-up spot on no fewer than five successive occasions ahead of this outing.

Delivered late in the hands of David Murphy, the son of Shaanmer, who had also finished placed under rules, held off the consistent mare Vivallino by a length and a half.

Trained by Daniel Murphy, the bay gelding is jointly owned by the winning rider and his father Jeff, himself a former successful jockey.

Minute’s silence

THE Wexford Foxhounds offered their deepest condolences to the Codd family as they held a minute’s silence ahead of the opening race to mark the passing of leading Wexford trainer William Codd. All jockeys also rode with a black armband to remember for 2002 eastern champion.

Recommended

JEFF Murphy, whose colours were carried to success aboard Troll D’Oudairies, was quick to thank Grand National-winning trainer Martin Brassil for recommending the horse. Murphy, who worked alongside the Kildare-based trainer when he was a jockey in the Mick O’Toole yard, approached Brassil for a horse to give his 23-year-old son David racing experience. Racing runs deep in the Murphy family as his other son, Brian, is a trainer in America.