‘OH what a feeling, dancing on the ceiling,’ that was the chorus that greeted the Alex Ott-trained Dancingondaceiling, so called after Lionel Richie’s 1986 hit ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’, as he returned to the number one slot at Sunday’s Avondhu Foxhounds fixture at Knockanard following his authoritative victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

With stamina at a premium on the rain-softened ground, the recent Cragmore debut fourth Dancingondaceiling (6/4 - 2/1 favourite) was bounced out smartly at the head of affairs by his handler’s 20-year-old son Andy Burke Ott and he became the only winner on the six-race card to benefit from frontrunning tactics.

The son of Workforce, who traces back to Grade 1-placed novice hurdler Potters Legend, forged clear on the stiff ascent from the penultimate of the 14 obstacles to account for the never-dangerous Kilvinoge by 12 and a half lengths.

Hakensack provided ample indication of ability by returning a further two and a half lengths adrift in third.

Dancingondaceiling is owned by the Singing In The Rain Gang Syndicate from Meelin and the north Corkonians, regulars in the village’s two pubs, Ronnie’s Bar and Quinlan’s Bar, were in full flow with their renditions of Dancing On The Ceiling by the time that they were back in the coveted number one spot to greet their victorious bay.

Fair one

Burke Ott, who has now partnered 11 points winners to add to his two track successes, remarked of Dancingondaceiling: “I bounced him out to make all and he had come on a fair bit from Cragmore. There wasn’t another horse near him at the last and I think he’s a fair one.”

Derek O’Connor and J.P. McManus combined to win their third four-year-old maiden of the season to date as they landed the opening two and a half-mile contest with the Flemensfirth-sired Goraibhmaithagat (5/4 - evens favourite), who is actually out of a Galileo mare.

Homebred by McManus’ wife Noreen, Goraibhmaithagat raced in third spot in this four-runner event until moving second behind Starzand from four out.

Having always impressed with his fast and accurate jumping, the eventual winner overtook Starzand before the last and he then readily quickened up on the flat to contain Ellen Doyle’s frontrunner by a length.

Meanwhile, Allaho’s own-brother Attaho made a pleasing start to his career by returning a further six lengths adrift in third.

“He’s a nice horse and I thought that he had more stamina than speed coming here,” reported O’Connor of Goraibhmaithagat, whose dam is a half-sister to two-time jumps winner Pleased As Punch. “But, he certainly showed nice speed there today.”

Bookmakers smiles

The 13 bookmakers came out on the wrong side in the two aforementioned contests, but they were all smiles following the success of Niall Kelleher’s 12/1 outsider Sarah Jane in the mares’ winners’ of one.

Sarah Jane, who was fitted with cheekpieces, atoned for pulling up on her previous two starts at Ballindenisk and Carrigarostig by forging to the front two out with Shane Baragry.

The seven-year-old, who shed her maiden tag at Liscaroll last term, then bravely kept Lucky Mahler at bay in the closing stages to score by one and a half lengths.

Handler Kelleher indicated that the Gerard Nihill-owned Sarah Jane will now contest another mares’ winners’ race.

THE majority of interest centered on the three and a half mile open that was staged over the banks course.

The second renewal of this race developed into a cracking affair with Sam Curling’s De Nordener (6/4 - 5/2 favourite) posting a typically brave performance to record his third success of the campaign with regular partner, Toni Quail.

De Nordener, a maiden winner at this same fixture two years ago when trained by Tom Keating, made his way to the front past Knockiel Synge on the approach to the third last of the 24 obstacles.

Knockiel Synge was still just a length adrift in second when unseating at the last and this enabled the grey Stormy Star, likewise trained by the absent Curling, to chase home De Nordener with the ultimate winning margin being three and a half lengths. The two Skehanagh Stables inmates were the only runners to complete the course.

Down native Miss Quail, a key member of Curling’s staff, reported of the Daniel Boland-owned De Nordener that was acquired for £10,500 at last September’s Goffs UK sale in Doncaster: “He took me around really and that’s my first win over the banks. The plan now is the Ladies Cup at the Punchestown Festival.”

TERENCE O’Brien has his string in cracking order and, just five days after sending over former pointer Pitwood Road to win an Ayr bumper, the Carrigtwohill-based operator struck with the previously once-raced Con’s Roc (2/5 favourite) in the adjacent hunts’ maiden.

Con’s Roc, absent since finishing second to subsequent British track scorer The Doyen Chief in a Ballindenisk five-year-old maiden in December 2022, always travelled well for Darragh Allen and he came back to lead with three fences remaining.

The odds-on shot went beyond recall on the climb from two out and duly returned with an increasing 15 and a half lengths to spare over Axmediffernt.

O’Brien expects that Con’s Roc, representing the 10-member Near Or Never Syndicate that includes the winning rider’s uncle John Allen, will now make up for lost time and it’s possible that the son of Shirocco could go for a hunters’ chase.

Cormac Abernethy, the Co Tyrone native that won a Loughanmore four-year-old maiden aboard Ballyburn in October 2022, made his initial Knockanard visit a memorable one by landing the six-year-old and upwards novice riders’ maiden aboard Tom Dreaper’s mare Worth The Walk (3/1 - 7/2).

However, Bigbraveboy still held in the region of a six-length advantage over the Co Meath raider when falling at the last.

The seven-year-old, owned by the Knockalough Syndicate and whose dam is a sister to Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth, was then left with the straightforward task of beating the only other finisher, Tom Jonny.

Starzand (M. E. Doyle): A mid-May foal that was purchased for €21,000 at last year’s Derby sale, this son of Order Of St George led until overtaken before the last by Goraibhmaithagat in the four-year-old maiden.

The deep-girthed bay should have little difficulty in going one better before embarking on a successful track career.