LUKE Murphy has enjoyed a profitable spell since the return of point-to-pointing and he stole the show on the opening day of Meath & Tara weekend at Fairyhouse with a double which began with the success of Corrigeen Rock in the opening four-year-old auction maiden.

Always prominent, Murphy sent his mount to the front after the third last and from there, victory never looked in doubt as they ran out cosy four-length victors over the Colin Bowe-trained and Barry O’Neill-ridden, Money Heist.

Denis Murphy owns and trains the winning son of Westerner who will most likely head to the sales ring now.

After the race, the winning rider said: “He travelled well, and his jumping is his best asset. They probably weren’t going quick enough for his jumping early doors, so I let him go on.

“He’s still green and was idling a bit because he was left in front so long. He’s a super horse to jump and he’ll be sold now.”

Double up

The Wexford rider brought up his double in the five-year-old mares’ maiden where he steered Trickalight to a four-length success over the Harry Kelly-trained Mulberry Hill.

The daughter of Leading Light was patiently ridden before hitting the front at the second last from where she went on to record a deserved success following a fine second place finish in a mares’ maiden hunters chase at Cork over the Easter period.

Owned by the winning rider’s parents John and Miriam, the bay is also trained by his father in what was a notable family success.

“She’s a lovely mare, she’s a homebred so it’s great to do it for my father there,” said the delighted winning rider.

“She ran well in the autumn, she was placed in a four-year-old mares’ maiden.

“Her last run was very good when she was second at Cork in a hunters’ chase. She might go to the sales now and we have enough at home now to keep us going for a while!”

THE most impressive winner of the day arguably came in the concluding division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden where Ash Tree Meadow ran out a most eye-catching 12-length winner in the hands of Pearse Rogan, who was recording his second career success.

The Donnchadh Doyle-trained gelding was never far from the pace under Rogan and ended up accounting for Since Day One, a horse trained by Doyle’s elder brother Sean, in decisive fashion.

“He did it well there. He’ll head to the sales now and he really appreciated that bit of better ground there,” said the winning handler.

“I’m delighted for Pearse. That’s his second winner, he had one down in Dromahane for me before Christmas too.”

The opening division of that five-year-old geldings’ maiden went the way of Universal Dave in the hands of current joint-champion novice rider, Ben Harvey.

Despite making several mistakes on his way around, the Warren Ewing-trained son of Universal made virtually all of the running to score by four and a half lengths over the Jim Dreaper-trained and Jamie Codd-ridden runner-up, Thelasthighking.

“He’s a grand horse, he has just been unlucky. He ran in a bumper at Punchestown and he scoped badly afterwards when we fancied him then,” said Ewing whose colours were also carried to success.

“He was good there today because he didn’t jump great. I think he has a big engine, and we’ll probably go to the sales. He has a bit of class and has a few gears. He had them well strung out there and travelled super,” commented the winning trainer and owner, Ewing.

Gris Majeur takes advantage

THE four-year-old geldings’ maiden proved to be the most eventful of the afternoon with only one horse managing to complete. Life In The Park had looked set to collect under Pearse Rogan for Donnchadh Doyle but the son of Walk In The Park went long at the last and came down, leaving the coast clear for the long-time leader Gris Majeur to pick up the pieces.

The Noel McParlan-ridden and Jamie Sloan-trained son of Gris De Gris had raced keenly for much of the contest and held a sizeable lead throughout before being headed after the second last from where he looked destined for the runner-up spot before the drama that followed.

Owned by Wilson Dennison, the winner will likely be sporting new colours when next seen in action.

“He just ran in one breath the whole way. Jamie (Sloan) actually fancied him. He said that if he settled he had a lot of ability, but he just ran away with me for the first mile and a half in the one breath,” said the winning rider.

“He actually did well to keep going because he went a crazy gallop early on. He’s still green and there’s a lot of improvement in him. I’d say that he’ll win plenty of races in the future. He’ll probably be sold now.”

Horse To Follow

Life In The Park (D. Doyle):

The son of Walk In The Park held a comfortable lead and had yet to be asked a question when coming down at the last. He looks sure to collect next time out and should be destined for much greater things on the track into the future.