Neil O’Donnell

THE first of the two Muskerry Foxhounds weekend meetings took place on Sunday at Curraheen on the western outskirts of Cork city and John Barry will have excellent reason to recall the fixture as he departed with no less than three winners, all for different handlers.

He kicked off by landing the Killian Lynch Auctioneers, Macroom & Millstreet five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard the Padraig Higgins-trained Golan Fortune, absent since falling when held in fifth spot on his debut in the Ballyvodock contest won by Battys Dilemma in late-January.

Golan Fortune (5/1) made smooth progress from mid-division to shadow For Jim from the fifth last of the 13 obstacles and he eased through to lead after four out.

The winner gave his supporters a scare as he ran around before the final fence, then drifted right-handed after which he was pressed hard by Ted Thistle but the winning son of Golan dug deep to beat Eoghan O’Grady’s charge by one length in the colours of his handler’s mother Elizabeth.

Ted Thistle’s rider Bernard O’Neill, a nephew of Jonjo’s, deserves particular credit as his reins broke at the second last.

“This has been a lucky track for me as we had a winner here Ballyknock Lad three years ago. This horse is now for sale,” reported Ballynoe-based operator Higgins, who has six horses in harness at present.

SLAINTE

The Conna native then combined with Garrett Ahern, who was saddling his first winner since 2015, to collect the Oriel House Hotel five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden aboard Slainte And Thanks.

The Arakan-sired Slainte And Thanks (9/2), runner-up in a Dromahane four-year-old mares’ maiden in May of last year, more than acquitted herself by finishing fifth in the two-mile mares’ pointers bumper at Cork on Easter Monday and she moved sweetly through to pick up the running on the inner after the fourth last. The favourite Ballyknock Mist had just moved through to join issue when blundering and almost falling three out.

The triumphant five-year-old then lost momentum herself, when crossing the path before the final fence and she was then challenged by Stetsonsandstilettos. It was nip and tuck on the flat with Slainte And Thanks, representing the five-member The Try Again Syndicate from the Bartlemy and Lisgoold areas, fighting off Barry O’Neill’s mount by a head.

Barry signed off, bringing his seasonal tally to 19 in the process, by steering Denis Leahy’s Good Man Vinnie to an emphatic success in the Robert Harkin & Associates Auctioneers winners’ of one.

Wilcosdiana set off in front, but a sixth-last fence blunder certainly didn’t aid the market-leader’s prospects and she was overtaken by the sweet-travelling Good Man Vinnie (4/1) before the third last. It was all relatively plain sailing from there as the recent Inch maiden victor, owned by his handler’s Charleville-based father Michael Leahy, swept clear to contain Wilcosdiana by 10 lengths.

In the absence of the winning trainer, his sister Jeanette Riordan indicated that Good Man Vinnie is now likely to be offered at the Goffs UK Doncaster sale later this month.

William Rice, who was without a winner since Typical Man obliged at this same fixture in 2014, sent out the previously once-raced Be My Westerner to score under his nephew Darragh Allen much to the joy of the 11 bookmakers present in the ITBA & Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Three out of the eight runners were out of the race by the fourth fence, setting a more simple task for Be My Westerner (10/1) who made virtually all the running. Although jumping right-handed on occasion, Be My Westerner held a slender advantage over runner-up Malachys Girl at the final fence and from here he held on grimly to beat the favourite by one length in the silks of her Ballygiblin-based breeder Dave Slattery.

CLAIM CUT

Johnny Hurley attained a notable feat by shedding his 5lb claiming allowance on partnering his 21st career winner aboard Michelle Duggan’s veteran Strideout Euro in the Blarney Castle Estates open lightweight.

Strideout Euro (4/1), who was fitted with cheekpieces, came into race on the back of a possible career-best performance in his third-placed effort behind Black Scorpion in the Cork hunters chase on Easter Monday and he tracked the front-running Cloneen Choice virtually throughout.

The winning 11-year-old took command from two out, asserting on the run to the final fence to dismiss the gallant Cloneen Choice by three lengths. Duggan, who with partner Padraig Cronin presently has five horses in harness at her Laharn yard, suggested that the Noreen Lynam-owned Strideout Euro could now be targeted at the Killarney hunters chase later this month.

Owner/trainer Richard O’Keeffe, also the joint-breeder of Finian’s Oscar, justified the trek from his Taghmon base as Kilbricken Storm made light of a near three-month absence to win the concluding Grandon Toyota Car Sales six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Kilbricken Storm (7/1) responded to rider Garry Murphy’s urgings to close on Abbey Street, who still looked the most likely winner, after the second last. However, the leader lost concentration before the final fence and the son of Oscar, homebred by O’Keeffe’s mother Statia, took advantage to win by a half length.

Recovering well

IT was heartening to see Stella McGrath, still recovering from the injuries that she sustained in a fall at Glenbane in November, in attendance. She was present with her mother Jacqueline to see her own mare Nancy Drew run in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Although ultimately pulling-up, Nancy Drew still performed with credit as she led until the sixth last. She should be up to faring better over the coming weeks and all on the circuit obviously wish Stella well in her recovery.