Michael Duggan

JOCKEY Roger Quinlan dominated last Sunday’s Stonehall Harriers’ fixture at Ballysteen where the talented Tipperary amateur rode three winners.

Quinlan was quickly into his stride when taking the opening Brightwells four-year-old maiden aboard Pat Doyle’s newcomer Cresswell Legend (4/1). This son of Midnight Legend, who carried the silks of his trainer’s wife Mary, really dug deep in the closing stages to deny Colin Bowe’s Kings Line by two lengths.

Winning trainer Doyle was on duty at Dromahane, but his daughter Shannie reported: “He jumped super all the way and Roger gave him a great ride. He battled really well after the last and looks a very exciting prospect.”

Quinlan quickly added to his tally when steering Ronnie O’Leary’s Listen Here (7/2) to victory in the second division of the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Second at Rathmorrissey on his previous start, this son of Kayf Tara took it up on the downhill run to the final fence and stayed on in good style to beat Rockey Storm by length and a half.

O’Leary, who trains the winner for his wife Vicky at Ogonnelloe in east Clare, remarked: “This is smart horse. He ran well the last day and we knew he had come on again for that outing. He jumped super and Roger gave him a great ride. He’s go to the sales now.”

HAT-TRICK

Half an hour later, Quinlan completed his hat-trick when bringing 4/5 favourite Klassy home in front in the Top Of The Town open lightweight.

Sam Curling trains the now 13-year-old and his Tipperary yard for his father Peter and the veteran showed great courage when, having been headed at the final fence by Galloping Gander, he battled back on the run-in to deny that rival by a length.

“He’s a great old campaigner and is in super form at the moment,” stated the winning trainer. “He thrives on racing and just loves this time of the year. We are having serious fun with him and he’ll run somewhere again over the next few weeks.”

GREAT JOY

There was great scenes of joy in the winner’s enclosure following the success of the 10/1 outsider Legal Proceedings in the Dunraven Arms/Enzo’s five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

A first training success for Murroe, Co Limerick trainer Brid Shannon, this mare by Witness Box was given a power-packed ride by Barry John Foley who drove the six-year-old home to beat Aidan Fitzgerald’s Our Milly Acres by half a length.

Ms Shannon, who trains the winner for Wexford owner Margaret Kelly, divulged: “I am over the moon to have trained my first winner. This mare had good snippets of form and the nice ground here today was a huge plus to her. She’ll go for the mares’ point-to-point bumper at Tipperary next month.”

Just four faced the starter in the Davy Mann winner of one contest with victory going to the Kevin Power-ridden Bertalus (3/1).

Trained in Hook Head, Co Wexford by Pierce Michael Power for joint-owners Richard Hume and David Power, the son of City Honours hit the front at the final fence and ran on best to fend off the attentions of runner-up Freddies Portrait by two and a half lengths.

Power commented: “This is a very genuine horse and he didn’t get the recognition he deserved when winning his maiden at Durrow last month as there was only three runners. Kevin was brilliant and having him on board is a huge plus. We’ve no firm plans, I’ll speak to the owners but he might go to the sales.”

Athenry, Co Galway owner-trainer Martin Cullinane was on the mark in the concluding Sheahan Stores seven-year-old and upwards maiden for novice riders where his 7/2 shot Old Present finished alone.

Gerard O’Leary’s Antirrhinum looked to have this contest in the bag until making a bad mistake at the final obstacle and parting company with his rider a few strides after the fence, leaving the Raymond Barron-ridden winner to register a fortunate success.

“He’s a well-bred horse and we fancied him to win, but he probably had luck on his side,” said Cullinane. “The ground might have been a shade too quick for him, but he’s an improving horse. We’ll probably gave him a shot at a winners’ race.”

Donnchadh Doyle has his team in tip-top shape and the Wexford handler sent out Air Glider (3/1) to land the first division of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Rob James sent this son of Mountain High to the head of affairs two out and the pair stayed on best to beat Niall Kelleher’s Presenting Streak by three lengths.

Doyle was at Dromahane but the winning rider remarked: “This horse has taken a bit of time to come to himself but he has improved with every run. He jumped and travelled really well today and the nice ground made all the difference. He’ll probably be sold and will win plenty of races.”

Quinlan flying

NOT surprisingly, Roger Quinlan was sporting a broad smile having just ridden three winners.

“Things are really flying for me thank God,” said the Tipperary native. “I ride out three days a week for Sam Curling and the other two days for Pat Doyle. Both trainers have been very good to me and I’m basically second jockey to Derek O’Connor in both places. Derek has gotten me a good few spare rides too and I’ve ridden a few very nice Gigginstown horses as well. I’m really fit at the moment and it’s a great game to be in when it’s going well.”

Thrilling success

JOINT-owner Nicky Keating was thrilled following the success of outsider Legal Proceedings in the mares’ maiden. “I travelled up from New Ross this morning and it was well worth the journey to see this mare win,” he stated.

“This mare is a half-sister to Triptonic who won four races for us and I’m delighted for my 82-year-old mother Margaret Kelly in whose name she runs. It’s wonderful too to give Brid Shannon her first winner as a trainer and she deserves huge credit for the way she has prepared her. We’ll celebrate this win and the journey home will be a lot shorter now that she has managed get her head in front.”

Horse to Follow

KINGS LINE (C. Bowe): The opening four-year-old maiden looked a competitive affair and this well-bred son of King’s Theatre made a pleasing debut when chasing home Cresswell Legend. Made a real fight of it with the winner and should go one place better next time round.