REMEMBER the name Hank West. That was the clear message emanating from Saturday’s Tipperary Foxhounds meeting at Lisronagh, as the Jonathan Fogarty-trained newcomer came home as he pleased under Barry Stone in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

One of five debutants in the 13-runner field, Hank West (3/1 - 4/1) was always positioned close to the pace and he tracked Cloghan Castle away from the fourth last.

The winning son of Westerner moved into pole position approaching the second last and he stormed clear to beat Champagne Fortune by a comprehensive eight lengths in the colours of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership.

Meanwhile, Fool Me Once indicated that he’s another likely winner to emerge from this race by returning a further half-length adrift in third.

In Fogarty’s absence, his brother Mikey remarked of Hank West, a mid-May foal that’s a maternal grandson of French Grade 2 winning filly Avanti Polonia: “He’s a nice horse that we were very happy with coming here. He has a fair bit of pace and I really like the way that he finished. He’ll now be sold.”

Hank West was quickly added to next Friday’s Tattersalls sale after racing at Cheltenham on November 15th.

Shining success

Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill teamed up to collect the four-year-old mares’ maiden with newcomer Adamas (1/1 - 5/4 favourite).

The Diamond Boy-sired Adamas, a €55,000 acquisition by bloodstock agent Mags O’Toole on behalf of owner Brian Acheson at last year’s Derby sale, was sent through to challenge long-time leader Shanagolden Girl with two fences remaining.

The victorious bay, whose dam is a half-sister to Willie Mullins’ dual Grade 1 winning novice chase mare J’y Vole, stylishly asserted on the run to the final fence to dismiss Shanagolden Girl by five lengths.

“She’s a very smart filly and Barry [O’Neill] said that she grabbed a hold of him at the second-last. She will probably now go to one of her owner’s track trainers,” said Bowe.

OWNER-trainer Pierce Power, a nephew of the late Captain Con Power, who sadly passed away over the weekend, was on the mark with Sainthilaire (2/1 - 5/2 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Sainthilaire, runner-up in a Stradbally maiden back in May, edged ever closer from three out and he was left a close second when fractional leader Long Road fell two out.

The son of No Risk At All then drew clear on the flat for Jack Hendrick to contain newcomer Recommended by four lengths.

“He’s a grand, solid horse that loved the ground and he stays all day,” reported Hook Head-based Power of Sainthilaire.

Fruitful weekend

Sam Curling, who was responsible for four winners over the weekend, sent out La Feline (4/6 favourite) to make a triumphant return to the fray in the three-runner mares’ open.

However, the Derek O’Connor-ridden La Feline had her task greatly simplified, when Con McSweeney’s Rebel Treaty fell when still going well in the lead at the second last.

The victorious daughter of Martaline then took command between the final two fences to eclipse Lorens by two lengths in the colours of John O’Leary, the French-bred posting an 11th points success in the process.

Career success

“It’s great to have her back and she wasn’t quite right at the end of last season. We won’t over-race her this season,” disclosed Curling of the nine-year-old, whose initial career success actually came in a two-mile five-furlong Limerick mares’ maiden hurdle in January 2020, when under the care of Paul Nolan.

“She really knows how to win and she’ll be probably covered in the spring.”

HERO In The Sky (3/1 - 4/1) put her previous experience of this left-handed course to good use, having finished fourth on her initial points outing at this same fixture 12 months ago, by landing the five-year-old mares’ maiden under her handler Alex Ott’s son Luke Burke Ott.

Hero In The Sky set off in front and she was challenged by the previous Saturday’s Curaghmore third Kilrush Lady on the run to two out. Teenager Burke Ott, however, had kept something up his sleeve, as his Arctic Cosmos-sired mount drew clear approaching the final fence to dispose of Kilrush Lady by six lengths.

“Her track experience helped and this is also her first time to run on proper good ground. We’ll see now if we run her in a mares’ winners’ race,” reported handler Ott of Hero In The Sky that represents Thomas Herlihy from Rosscarbery.

Dramatics

There was a dramatic conclusion to the six-year-old and upwards maiden, an INHSC bonus race, as Shane Roche’s Highway Skyline fell when well and truly in command at the final fence.

Highway Skyline was all of 10 lengths clear of his toiling rivals when taking off at the last, however, he appeared to step at the fence and came to grief.

With Song For My Father then being hampered and unseating his partner when jumping the obstacle in third spot, it paved the way for the James Hannon-trained Keeptheoldmanout (2/1 - 5/2 favourite) to deny Primitic by two lengths in the hands of James Murphy.

An ex-track performer, Keeptheoldmanout is owned by Sean Dolan from Craughwell and it’s possible that the victorious eight-year-old will now contest a winners’ race.

Horse to Follow

CHAMPAGNE FORTUNE (R. Hickey): This son of Soldier Of Fortune stepped forwards from this three outings in the spring by chasing home Hank West on his return in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. Ultimately beaten some eight lengths, the son of Soldier Of Fortune should win his maiden point in the very near future en-route to making his mark over hurdles.