THE Loggan name is synonymous with Tinahely, as the Leading Counsel mare Loggan Lass made the course her own, and with six victories to her name at the Wicklow venue, continues to hold the course record.
Whilst she has subsequently passed away, her sole off-spring Loggan Lady (4/1) upheld family honours when recording her second course success in the winner of two contest for the Walsh family.
Two years on from her maiden success at the course, the now seven-year-old was guided to a length victory over recent Ballinaboola maiden winner Spanish Leather by Barry Walsh, with the winning rider’s brother Aaron, who had been aboard Loggan Lass for each of her six course victories, leading the pair into the winner’s enclosure.
“She has been running well and really likes it around here. The mother always wanted soft ground and in the beginning we thought that she wanted it like that too, but we discovered this year that we were running her on heavy ground that she didn’t like,” reported winning owner and handler John Walsh.
“She has a nice pedigree and hopefully we will keep her for breeding as I lost the mother and she is the only one that we have out of her.”
Kruzhlinin (1/3-2/5 favourite) moved a step closer to becoming the winning-most point-to-pointer in a single season with a seventh straight victory in open company as part of a Jamie Codd double on the card.
Already a two-time winner at the Wicklow course, the Camilla Sharples-owned 12-year-old breezed to the front before the home bend and settled the race in matter of strides, to defeat the Jim Dreaper pair Venitien De Mai and Cavite Beta by 10 lengths.
“Jamie (Codd) was very happy with him and said that he won very handily again. He loves that ground and the plan would be to go to Aintree for the Foxhunters,” reported Simon McGonagle, head lad to winning handler Gordon Elliott.
IMPRESSIVE
The 11-time eastern champion Codd, who has only failed to finish in the placings on four of his 21 rides between the flags since returning from injury in January, concluded his winning weekend of five victories with the impressive of success of Enjoy D’Allen (4/5-4/6 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Continuing the good season for Peter Flood, the Alan Harte-owned French-bred, who was sourced for €50,000 from the Derby sale, became the Kildare handler’s seventh winner of the campaign from just 13 horses, when he defeated Ultimate Getaway by eight lengths to follow up his Ballinaboola second on debut.
“He made a bad mistake the last day and lost his position and things just didn’t go to plan. He improved a lot for it and jumped very well there. I told Jamie (Codd) to take a lead for as long as he could and then he quickened away nicely after the last and galloped right into the parade ring.
“That’s the first winner I have had for Alan Harte and he is a great owner to have in the yard,” reported Flood of the Network gelding who will now be sold.
Codd’s Tinahely double was matched on the day by Barry O’Neill who relied upon his principal supporter Colin Bowe for both successes, beginning with the emphatic victory for Linelee King (4/6-4/5 favourite) in the four-year-old maiden, the fourth such success in the age category for the stable.
Taking control from the second-last, the Milestone Racing Partnership-owned grey son of Martaline, ultimately returned eight lengths clear of Agent Rushour and will now be offered for sale.
The reigning champion rider and handler added to their respective tallies when Subtle Quest (2-3/1) recorded a deserved success in the mares’ maiden.
Placed in each of her five outings to date, the Millenary mare made all of the running and proved to be three lengths too good for a back to form Sadhbh’s Delight.
“She is a genuine little thing and I would say that the hill helped her as she just stays going at the one pace. I would say she will be sold now as she will have a better life in England,” remarked Bowe of the Milestone Racing Partnership-owned five-year-old.
For the second year in succession Tiernan Roche returned victorious in the older maiden for novice riders, as following the success of Captain Leo in 2018, the 21-year-old Tomhaggard native guided Fleck Ivy (5-6/1) to a comfortable victory 12 months on.
Having his first outing for the Benny Walsh yard, the six-year-old, who is a half-brother to Gavin Cromwell’s Punchestown Festival winner Elusive Ivy, powered clear of his rivals on the approach to the home straight, as one-by-one his rivals began to falter.
In the end, the Mustameet gelding returned 10 lengths clear of the returning Tipp Away.
“This is the first horse that I have had with Benny (Walsh). I bought a horse at the sales for a neighbour of mine from Dermot Day and I told him I need a good man to train a horse and he recommended Benny,” said winning Newport, Tipperary owner Wille Allen who has previously enjoyed success with the likes of Shower Cross.
HORSE TO FOLLOW:
ULTIMATE GETAWAY
(JP Brennan): This five-year-old is closely related to Irish Grand National winner Hear The Echo. He ran well for a long way on his debut before giving way to an above average winner after the last.