Susan Scott
AN opening race double in the four-year-old maidens’ at the Co Offaly fixture kick-started a weekend to remember for handler Aidan Fitzgerald. It began with a success for Be My Oscar (5/2-3/1) in the opening Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham sales four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Harley Dunne was aboard the good looking daughter of Oscar, who was making her debut alongside some highly priced debutantes creating plenty of interest in the race even before the off.
A €6,000 store purchase, the Ashling Daly-owned mare was strongly pressed by the homebred newcomer Cavs Girl between the final two fences, before quickening clear after the last to register a comfortable 10-length winning margin.
“That was great to get. She’s a lovely mare and I had expected a big run today,” reported the Carlow-based handler. “It was great for her to win today as she was bred by the late Pierce Molony who has a memorial race in Thurles today so it will be nice for the Molony family.”
QUICK DOUBLE
Fitzgerald and Dunne quickly followed-up with the well-bred Knight In Dubai (4/1-5/1) who provided the duo with a quick double in the Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old geldings’ maiden, on what was his second time of asking.
The son of Dubai Destination, who is out of a sister to the Grade 1 winner Back In Front, finished second in Cragmore last month and put this experience to good use. Combining a slick display of jumping, the impressive performer led before the last to overcome the challenge of the Derek O’Connor-ridden Pacific De Baune by three lengths at the finish.
A €10,500 graduate of the sponsor’s Derby Sale last year, the Cobajay syndicate-owned gelding is held in high regard by his handler who noted: “That’s great to get the double. I’m sorry for Richie Deegan who missed out on the two winners following his suspension. He had a lovely run the first day in Cragmore and he did it nicely today. He is from a great family and will head to the sales now.”
Followers of Fitzgerald could have enjoyed an even greater return on that day had his charge, Kayem, who looked like the comfortable winner of the ITBA & Tullamore Agri Mares’ winners’ of one, not crashed out at the final fence to deny the in-form handler and rider with a treble on the day.
Her departure paved the way for Florianopolis (4/1-6/1), a winner last time out in Armagh, to record what had appeared to be an unlikely success approaching the final obstacle. The Flying Legend mare ultimately returned 15 lengths in advance of Little Misshamrock in the hands of Barry O’Neill.
With the winning trainer Dermot McLoughlin absent, a delighted owner Patrick Macken reported: “She might have been a bit lucky there but the fences are there for jumping so it was great to get another win with her. She won well the last day in Armagh and handles soft ground without a problem.
“I also bred The Mull who won a hunters chase in Down Royal in 2012.” The seven-year-old, who was purchased as a foal, is now set to head to the track.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Fresh from training a double at Clonmel during the week, Liz Lalor swapped roles aboard the six-year-old Rattle The Cage (3/1) in the Kepak & Kilmurray Hardware six-year-old geldings’ maiden to steer the gelding to victory for her father Richard.
With a small field of five runners lining-up, the winner and eventual runner-up Mullaghmurphy Blue were closely matched throughout before the eventual winner stayed on strongly from before the last to win in the colours of the winning rider’s mother Anne.
The son of Mahler had shown some snippets of placed form on his previous runs and could develop into a consistent winners’ race candidate for the Lalor family. The proud handler commented after the race: “That was a great win to get, especially for Liz my daughter after her double during the week. We got him from Tom Keating, Liz’s partner, and he might go for a winner’s race next.”
Keating himself also enjoyed success on the card when his charge Coolanly (4/1) lost his maiden tag in the Goffs UK Aintree sale five-year-old geldings’ maiden, with the up-and-coming Liam Quinlan aboard.
Currently on 10 winners for the season following a successful weekend, the Tipperary native gave the son of Flemensfirth a confident ride having waited until the final two fences before hitting the front to hold off the strong challenge from Ceatharlach by two and a half lengths.
Having pulled-up on his previous run in Punchestown, this improving sort returned to the promise that had he had shown on his debut run when third to Chris’s Dream in a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Boulta in December.
Winning handler Tom Keating reported: “Liam (Quinlan) gave him a lovely ride. I had hoped he would run a big race today as he handles soft ground no problem. He might go for a bumper next.”
The family success stories continued in the Rathbarry & Glenview stud six-year-old mares’ maiden when Queen Barack (5/2-3/1) landed the spoils for her owner/breeder Anne Jones.
The consistent daughter of Double Eclipse, who has not finished outside of the first four on four of her five previous outings, never looked in danger having made the running from flag fall under Derek O’Connor. The Donal Hassett-trained mare asserted from the second-last fence and stuck gamely to her task to return with 10 lengths to spare over her nearest purser, Jonjoela.
The winning handler, who has 16 horses riding out, was not present to welcome back his winner, but a delighted Brian Hassett was on duty, reporting: “That was a great win to get as my aunt owns her and also bred her.
“She ran a nice race the last day and Derek (O’Connor) was very confident on her today. She might for a winners’ race now or we could go for a maiden hurdle.”
Well done!
THE Brosna Foxhounds were duly rewarded for their consistent efforts each year in staging their two-day fixture which has so often been hit by adverse weather in recent years by enjoying a sunny and pleasant renewal.
The event is now in its 15th year with the point-to-point having been re-introduced to the area by the hunt in 2002. The hunt itself was formed 19 years ago following a gap of over 80 years without fox hunting which has been brought back to the area as a result of a hard-working committee.