BOSS Man Fred (3-5/1) concluded a notable week for Wexford rider Harley Dunne when he made a winning debut in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

That debut success, the first in Dunne’s own colours, came three days after he had sold his Ballycahane runner-up Madam Deluxe for £90,000 at the Cheltenham Festival Sale.

The Dubai Destination gelding, one of 11 horses that he has in training with Gorey-based Liam Kenny, overcame some trouble in running after the fourth-last, when he had his passage blocked exiting the back straight, to get the better of Sam Curling’s French-bred Tattletale by two and-a-half lengths.

“I was down the inner the whole way and the horses trying to get their posy after the fourth-last just killed me the whole way down to the bend and I just had to sit and suffer. But he did it well and would have won by farther if I got a clean run. He could go for a winners race now, and if not, he will go to the sales,” said the winning owner/rider.

DOUBLE

Pa King had been forced to settle for second in the day’s opener, however by the end of the card, he had claimed the day’s riding honours with a double which began when he recommenced his partnership with Rose Of Aghaboe (4-5/1) in the mares’ maiden.

The daughter of Gold Well, who carried the colours of Peter Tyrell, the long-standing Clerk of the Scales at the Laois Foxhounds point-to-points at Stradbally, had fallen at the fourth-last in Belclare only seven days earlier, however she overcame the quick turnaround when overhauling the long-time leader, Elle Est Grande, early in the home straight to win by a widening six lengths.

“I worried that it might be a week to soon after running last week but she toughed it out well. We have wanted soft ground all winter for her so this was perfect. Peter (Tyrell) is a very good patient owner and he would let you do your own thing. Once the ground stays like this, we might run her again in a few weeks,” reported winning handler Willie Murphy who is enjoying his most successful season for many years.

Tipperary rider King, who himself is enjoying a successful campaign, completed his Ballyragget brace when teaming up with Sam Curling’s Aloneamongmillions (2/1-evs favourite) to take the older geldings’ maiden.

Sporting the colours of Tessa Foreman, silks familiar with BL Swagger who was out of luck earlier on the card, the debutant son of Mahler got the better of the exchanges with the five-time placed Kildrum to score by four lengths.

“He did that well. I had him as a four-year-old and he got hurt. He is very closely related to BL Swagger so I gave him to his owner Tessa Foreman, and they minded him for the last year or so and he will keep point-to-pointing now,” said Curling.

NICE WINNER

UCD student Michael O’Sullivan moved his season’s tally into double figures for the first time in his burgeoning career, when guiding his uncle Eugene’s Electric Concorde (5/2-5/1) to success in the open lightweight.

Formerly with Gold Cup-winning trainer Jim Culloty, who sent him out to finish sixth in the Pertemps Final at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival, this was just the now eight-year-old’s third start since that run behind Presenting Percy, as he carried the colours of Gerard and Alurie O’Sullivan to a two-and-a-half-length defeat of All Hell Let Loose.

This was the O’Sullivan’s second open success within a week, as their It Came To Pass was in the winner’s enclosure at Lismore seven days earlier.

“He needed the run the last day and Michael (O’Sullivan) said that he wasn’t fully fit there either. This fella will be a summer chaser. He will maybe run in one more open, then we might look at a hunter chase at Cork over Easter and then I would be looking to take him over to Perth for a nice race there,” reported the winning handler.

Aidan Fitzgerald continued to maintain his strong stranglehold on the adjacent maiden, sending out Oscar Asche (7/2-5/2 favourite) to take the 2019 renewal, his third success from the last four running’s of the race, with his only recent loss coming in the dramatic 2017 contest which produced no finishers.

There was no such dramas this time around, as the half-brother to Cheltenham Festival runner-up Milesain, who cost €39,000 as a foal, made his way to the front before the home straight in the hands of Richie Deegan, before comfortably accounting for Special Buddy by six lengths.

The Carlow handler indicated that the James Murphy-owned five-year-old, who had finished third to Angels Breath on his debut 11 months ago, would now be offered for sale.

Lough Derg Lyric (4/1) posted an exhibition of jumping from the front, as the Kirkistown maiden winner made almost all of the running under a well-judged Brian Lawless ride to claim the winner of one contest.

The Ballydonagh Syndicate-owned gelding set a strong tempo which saw many of his eight rivals struggling quite early into the final circuit, and he ultimately proved eight lengths too good for Alkaa Lion.

“Fair dues to Brian and my daughter Katie. She does all the work with him, rides him out and schools him all the time. She has done a great job with him. We will just wait and see how he comes out of this and then tip away,” said winning handler Gerard Lawless who has five point-to-pointers in training.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

ELLE EST GRANDE (A. Fitzgerald): This five-year-old is a half-sister to Hester Flemen and the same connections saddled her to win a maiden at Nenagh at the second time of asking. They will be hoping to do the same in the coming weeks with this daughter of Jeremy who ran well for a long way on her debut.

Family success

IT was a case of split allegiances for Richard and Enda Cavanagh in the opening race. They may be the parents of Simon Cavanagh who rode Cantgetenough for his boss Denis Murphy, but also bred Boss Man Fred and owned him with the horse’s rider Harley Dunne.

The winning son of Dubai Destination is from a family that they have enjoyed particular success with, as his dam Aboo Lala won on her debut for them at Atheny, and she is an own-sister to Jack Aboo who provided Simon with his first track success in a Clonmel hunter chase in 2015.

Aboo Lala’s next offspring, a Kalanisi-sired four-year-old filly, is currently in training with Denis Murphy.

Big crowds

IT was very encouraging to see so many young people out in force enjoying the day’s racing, with many, including a group of Spanish students, making their way to the course having watched Ballyragget’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the town earlier in the day.