REMEMBER the name Found A Fifty. That was the clear message emanating from Sunday’s Boulta meeting as the Mark Fahey-trained newcomer of the same name annihilated the opposition in a competitive renewal of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Old Style Humor and Maciver took the 10 runners along at a generous pace with Global Assembly edging closer from the fifth last of the 14 obstacles.
Last season’s Punchestown runner-up Pembroke went to the head of affairs before three out only to be overtaken by the sweet-travelling Found A Fifty (2/1 - 5/2) on the run to the second last.
It was all plain sailing thereafter as the triumphant son of Solskjaer was in command when his closest pursuer Pembroke, some five lengths adrift at the time, fell at the last hampering Global Assembly who was fractionally behind him.
Found A Fifty, owned by his handler’s grandmother Mrs Maureen Fahey, then readily swept clear for Brian Lawless to dismiss Global Assembly by a widening 15 lengths with a five-length break back to recent Damma House runner-up Heritier De Sivola in third spot.
With Fahey absent, his father Thomas, who also bred the winning bay out of a winning half-sister to two blacktype-placed mares in Rathmuck Native and Field Robin, reported: “He’s a horse that has always been doing everything right, but I wasn’t expecting a performance like that and we’re obviously thrilled.”
Found A Fifty was quickly added to the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale after racing on Friday, December 10th.
Red-Hot
Another bound for the Prestbury Park boutique auction is the Harry Kelly-owned and trained Hot As Pepper who created a favourable impression by obliging at the first time of asking in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, much to the dismay of the three bookmakers present.
Hot As Pepper (6/4 favourite) was always positioned on the pace with James Hannon and the five-year-old went for her race at the third last.
She appeared to be travelling best with a narrow advantage from two out.
While runner-up Eightytwo Team closed to hold every chance on the flat, the winning daughter of Milan asserted inside the final 50 yards to beat Paul Gilligan’s former track performer by a snug one and a half lengths.
Pedigree
“She was fancied to win coming here, but she was quite green and should improve a lot,” said Kelly of his charge, in whom jockey Sean Flanagan and breeder CJ Doyle also hold an interest.
Hot As Pepper has an interesting pedigree as her three-time winning dam is a half-sister to Grade 2-placed hurdler/chaser River Wylde from the same family as Noel Meade’s former outstanding chaser Harbour Pilot.
The newcomer Still Ciel, an own-sister to Shark Hanlon’s Grade 1 hurdle-winning mare Skyace, gained a valuable winning bracket by landing the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Long’s star
Owned, trained and bred by Breandan Long from Danesfort in Co Kilkenny, Still Ciel (3/1 - 11/4) made up considerable ground from three out to sweep past Sadie Hill after the last to score by two and a half lengths in the hands of Tom Hamilton.
Long’s representative Colin Tobin intimated that connections will now come up with a plan for the Westerner-sired Still Ciel.
Barry gives locals cheer
BRIAN Barry (18), a brother to leading amateur Johnny Barry who hails from nearby Conna, provided the locals with plenty of cheer by recording an initial points’ success aboard Jimmy Mangan’s Burning Ambition in the open.
Barry brought the 2019 Aintree Foxhunters runner-up Burning Ambition (3/1 - 4/1) through to lead after the second last and the victorious 10-year-old held on valiantly in the closing stages to see off veteran Westerner Point by three-parts of a length.
Burning Ambition was having just a second start for handler Mangan and the trainer disclosed that the son of Scorpion, now representing his wife Mary, will be kept pointing this season for teenager Barry to ride.
Eleven scores
It was also a memorable afternoon for 20-year-old Emily Cody from Dunamaggin, a first-year veterinary student in UCD, as she partnered an initial career winner aboard her mother Debbie Cody’s charge Exit Eleven in the winners of one.
Exit Eleven (evens) atoned for finishing second on his previous two starts at Tattersalls by easing to the front from three out and powering clear from after the second last to beat the only other finisher Pennywell Girl by 20 lengths in the colours of breeder Joe Walsh from Mullinvat.
The eight-year-old Exit Eleven may now contest the maiden hunters chase at Limerick over Christmas.
Access Granted fights back
JUST four horses went to post in the five- and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, with two of those falling, but this race still served up the closest finish of the afternoon with the Ian Donoghue-trained Access Granted benefiting from a fine front-running ride by Barry Stone.
Access Granted (2/1 - 5/2), who finished fourth twice last autumn, led until Champagne Gift overtook him at the last.
The winning son of Presenting, fitted with cheekpieces, is nothing but tough and he forged back to the front in the dying strides to deny Champagne Gift by a head in the silks of Ward Union Staghounds master Stephen O’Connor. Donoghue suggested that Access Granted will take in a winners’ race after Christmas.
Horse to follow
Sadie Hill (P.M. Pierce): She went to the front before three out in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, only to be overtaken from the last by Still Ciel. This was a big step forward from her fifth-placed Loughanmore debut effort and she should prove very difficult to beat the next day.