THE ever-popular banks race provided spectators with plenty of drama on Sunday as the 10-runner field was reduced to just seven at the second obstacle. Stable companions Garm Colombe and Ihavent A Clue both fell, with the latter badly hampering the long odds-on favourite and course specialist Vital Island, who parted company with Benny Walsh as a result.

In the end it was the John Walsh-owned and trained Loggan Lady (6/1 - 8/1) who ground it out in very testing conditions to land the spoils.

The homebred 10-year-old daughter of Beneficial was always towards the head of affairs under Timmy Love and took up the running after eight out, as she went on to beat the fast-finishing Tech Talk by two lengths.

Tough dam

“She’s tough like her dam Loggan Lass,” said the winning handler of his first winner over the banks at this venue. “The aim for this mare was the Ladies Cup in Punchestown and we wanted to give her some experience over the banks here first. My son Barry (Walsh) always rides her and unfortunately, he’s out injured now, so Timmy Love rode her today and gave her a great ride; he couldn’t believe how well she jumped.

Right Way

There was a local success in the five- and six-year-old geldings’ maiden as the absent Jonathan Fogarty sent out the previously placed Way Out (5/1 - 6/1) to score under Barry Stone.

The Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned gelding was patiently ridden and made eye-catching progress inside the final three-quarters of mile.

The Getaway gelding was strongly pressed by the Pat Doyle-trained Imonlysaying up the straight, however Fogarty’s charge just proved a little stronger at the death, as he got the better that rival by a head.

Local Cleariestown native Stone, who was partnering his fifth success of the season, noted that the sales bound Way Out had been working well at home and had significantly improved since his last appearance at the track in December.

DEREK O’Connor made a worthwhile rare trip to the south-east venue when combining with Ross O’Sullivan to take the five-year-old mares’ maiden with Alfie’s Princess (5/2 - 3/1 joint-favourite.

The debutante daughter of Shirocco was patiently ridden by O’Connor, racing in the latter half of the field for much of the contest before making some good headway after jumping the fourth-last obstacle.

The John Murphy-owned half-sister to the two-time Grade 1 winner Harbour Pilot, took up the running early the straight and went on to see off the other joint-favourite in the market, Penny Glory by three lengths at the line.

Kildare-based O’Sullivan stated: “She’s a lovely mare, her work was always very good at home. Derek (O’Connor) was mad about her; he rode her in a schooling race a few weeks ago and said that wherever she was going run he wanted to ride her, he thought an awful lot of her.

Her owner John Murphy brought her, and she was expensive to buy so it’s great that it paid off for him.”

Butcher’s tasty run

Jack Hendrick enjoyed a double at his local track to continue his stellar season. Hendrick combined with his boss Cormac Doyle in the opening four-year-old maiden and came home in front aboard Barry The Butcher (3/1 - 5/1).

The son of Walk In The Park, who is from the family of the Grade 1 Ballymore Hurdle winner City Island, always raced in the first half of the seven-runner field under Hendrick.

They led after the third last fence before going clear on the downhill run to the final fence to see off the Denis Murphy-trained Croke Park by 10 lengths.

“He has always done everything well,” said Cormac Doyle who acquired the well-related gelding privately last summer.

Rallying Earl brings up Hendrick’s double

JACK Hendrick’s second success of the afternoon came in the winners-of-two contest as he renewed his partnership with the Billy Codd-trained Earl Of Desmond (5/4 favourite).

The son of Presenting raced towards the rear of mid-division for much of the contest and made good progress after jumping the third last fence to join the Colin Bowe-trained Gunnery Officer before the final fence.

The seven-year-old edged his way in front of that rival halfway up the run-in and won by a widening two lengths at the line.

It was a third straight success for Codd’s charge, who is owned by Galway-based Basil Holian following previous victories at Carrigarostig and Tinahey, a winning run connections hope to continue in a hunter chase at Cork next month.

Gutsy Scope

The concluding older maiden was confined to handlers who had trained less than 10 winners, with the INHSC providing a bonus of €3,000 for the winning owner.

It was the Harley Dunne-owned, trained and ridden Good For Scope (5/4 - 2/1 joint-favourite) who ran out a gutsy winner having made all the running to account for Jack Doyen by four lengths.

The son of Notnowcato had finished third at Farmacaffely a fortnight earlier and gained a deserved success here.

“It’s not the ideal way to ride him, he’s not a horse who would like to make the running, but there was no pace and I had to go on,” said Dunne.

“He was idling on the way down to the last and he pricked his ears. He’s a good solid, honest horse and he jumps and gallops very well. We’ll probably sell him now.”

Horse to follow

Gunnery Officer (C. Bowe): This son of Califet was having his first start in winners’ company and finished second in a race which saw the front pair pull a distance clear of their rivals. He should regain the winning thread in the coming weeks.