THE West Waterford Foxhounds meeting at Boulta received the all-clear following an early-morning inspection on Saturday and there was some outstanding action at the Ballynoe circuit with the Paurick O’Connor-trained seasonal debutant Vanderpoel lighting up the fixture by coming home as he pleased under his handler’s brother Derek in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The well-touted Vanderpoel (6/4 - 7/4 joint-favourite), who pulled up on his only outing last season at Dromahane in mid-April, bounced out smartly at the head of affairs and the Three Dudes Syndicate-owned bay had Champagne Jury for company on the outer throughout, with the pair drawing clear of their rivals from after the third-last of the 14 obstacles.

There was then little to separate the pair, until the winning son of Sholokhov was just getting the better of the argument, when throwing another fabulous leap at the last and he duly bounded clear to beat Champagne Jury by 10 lengths. The pair returned some 26 lengths clear of recent Dromahane runner-up Fairye Forth in third. “He’s a cracking horse that never came out of second gear there and he’ll go to the Newbury sale next weekend,” said handler O’Connor, who also paid tribute to Eoin Mahon for doing a lot of the work with the €38,000 2022 Goffs Land Rover sale acquisition at home.

Real star

Derek O’Connor actually departed with two winners, earlier opening his account aboard Sam Curling’s impressive newcomer Real Quartz (6/4 - 2/1 favourite) in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. The recent Quakerstown third, Tiger Baie appeared to make the decisive move by injecting fresh pace into the race from the third last.

Real Quartz, however, edged ever closer from before two out and he surged to the front approaching the last. Whilst then giving his supporters some cause for alarm by drifting noticeably right-handed on the flat, the triumphant son of Soldier Of Fortune still nonetheless quickened and duly returned with four and a half lengths to spare over Northanger Abbey in the familiar La Feline silks of John O’Leary.

“He’s a big, huge horse and Derek [O’Connor] was very impressed with him,” disclosed Curling of Real Quartz, whose dam is out of a half-sister to seven-time winner Joncol. “He’s a horse with loads of pace and Phillip Enright has done a lot of the work with him at home.”

Real Quartz, acquired by connections for €45,000 at last year’s Derby sale, is likewise scheduled to be offered at this evening’s Goffs UK sale after racing in Newbury.

Angels Dawn and Pa King supplying the first leg of a brace for trainer Sam Curling \ Healy Racing

CURLING similarly recorded a double, as his former Cheltenham festival heroine Angels Dawn (1/20 favourite) had little more than an exercise canter with Pa King in the mares’ open, a race in which just two runners went to post.

Angels Dawn, who recorded the most prestigious of her three track successes in the 2023 renewal of the Kim Muir Chase, made all the running and she wasn’t troubled to dispose of Little Token by six lengths.

“We won’t over-race her and the main aim this season is the Cheltenham Foxhunters. She will now go for the Down Royal hunters chase at Christmas and we’ll take it step by step with her,” confided Curling of the Alfred Sweetman-owned/bred Angels Dawn.

Frankie fights for victory

Denis Hogan’s newcomer Frankie John (6/4 - 7/4 favourite) impressed by displaying admirable battling qualities to oblige with Harry Swan in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Walk In The Park-sired Frankie John made nice progress from three out and he mastered the front-running Fresh Kicks in the closing stages to score by a neck. Duel Au Soleil meanwhile secured the minor honours by returning a further 11 lengths adrift.

“He’s a horse that has been frightfully good in his work at home, but I never got a gallop on grass into him and he will probably now be sold,” said Hogan of his father Martin’s €115,000 graduate of the 2023 Derby sale.

There was yet another close finish in the five-year-old and upwards maiden, with Go Frankie (3/1 - 7/2) attaining due reward for the consistency that saw him finish in the frame on four previous occasions by returning to the coveted number one slot.

Trained by Peter Croke for his landlord Maurice Sheehy, the Co. Wicklow challenger Go Frankie picked off ex-track performer Cosmic Blizzard from the last to triumph by a length in the hands of Brian Lawless.

Rosa Diaz and Rob James opening the card with a winner and providing the first part of a double for trainer Pat Doyle \ Healy Racing

THE absent Pat Doyle bookended the card by registering a first and last race double, the newcomer Rosa Diaz (2/1 - 3/1) instigating his brace under Rob James in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Pillar Coral-sired Rosa Diaz came from well off the pace and she mastered last season’s Tattersalls debut third Queens Abbey on the flat to oblige by a neck in the colours of the trainer’s wife, Mary.

Rosa Diaz, a Goffs Arkle sale acquisition that’s a half-sister to Dan Skelton’s six-time winner Hidden Heroics is another that was quickly added to this evening’s Newbury sale.

Doyle doubled up, courtesy of recent Damma House maiden victor Dixie Mafia (6/4 - 2/1), yet another to represent his wife Mary, in the winners-of-one.

The towering Dixie Mafia, having made most of the running at the Co Kilkenny venue on November 3rd, came from well off the pace under talented 5lb claimer David Doyle to assume command from the last and he then readily rose his effort to thwart Bartlemy Boy by one and a half lengths.

A five-year-old that’s closely related to Death Duty, Dixie Mafia was due to be sold at this past Thursday’s Goresbridge sale.

Horse to Follow

Champagne Jury (Roisin Hickey): This physically-imposing grey, having pulled up on his debut at Castlelands last term, made a race of it with Vanderpoel in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden until having no more to offer from the last. Whilst beaten 10 lengths into second spot, he ran better than this suggests and he should develop into a track winner next season.