A FINE crowd were treated to an afternoon of thrilling finishes, with the judge called upon to determine the outcome of four races.
He was unable to split Old Style Humor and Tara Cove in the winners’ of two for novice riders, which incredibly also featured a dead-heat for third.
The successful duo were both winning for the third time this season and they couldn’t be separated in the betting ring either, going off the joint-favourites at 6/4.
Trained by Sean Doyle for the Monbeg Partnership, Old Style Humor was providing Sean O’Rourke with his first success in the saddle.
“I ride out for the Doyle brothers. I turned 21 recently and I’m from Ballybeg, Ferns. This is my second season riding and hopefully I will get a few more winners now,” O’Rourke commented.
Bertie Finn, in the colours of Milestone Bloodstock Ltd, was aboard Tara Cove, with his trainer Colin Bowe remarking in the aftermath: “He is a lovely fun horse and he will be sold on now. He gives his best every day.”
Doubled
Bowe quickly doubled his tally in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, with Captain Butler (2/1 – 7/4 favourite) just getting the better of Captain Wallace.
An eye-catching second on debut at Tinahely, the Suny Day Syndicate-owned bay again filled the runner-up spot on his next outing at Lingstown.
Ridden in pursuit of the front-running Captain Wallace on the approach to two out, he gradually got on terms with that rival and after a protracted duel, just a short-head separated them at the line.
“He had the form and while he wasn’t enjoying the ground, he was good and brave at the last,” Bowe said of the Barry O’Neill ridden victor. “He battled on well to win and he’ll head to the sales now.”
Silver
Bowe had to settle for the silver medal position in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
After yet another thrilling finish, Jet Fighter (5/2 – 3/1) just came out on top, with no less than four of the seven runners, jumping the last almost in unison.
Placed twice in the UK, the Benny Walsh-ridden victor saw off the effort of Bowe’s Seattle Seahawk by a short-head, with half-a-length and a length back to Class Award and Artic Weather in third and fourth respectively.
“I can’t take any credit for that. Cormac Farrell got me him and we gave him Hurricane Darwin,” Peter Maher, who trains the winner for his mother Valerie, revealed.
“We had Hurricane Darwin for the cross-country and I said to Dougie [Douglas Taylor] have you anything for us for the Bishopscourt Cup and he produced this lad. That’s where he’ll go now.”
THERE was a dramatic conclusion to the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden, with Ballybough Aine (7/2 - 7/4 favourite) justifying strong market support.
The first foal out of an unraced half-sister to 10-time winner Wholestone, the Ian McCarthy-trained victor was given a patient ride by Pa King.
She looked destined for minor honours, approaching three out in third, however she stayed on strongly on the run-in, getting up in the final strides to deny Joueuse Royale by a head.
The latter looked set to deliver when the challenging Dromlac Jury crashed out at the last, but she ultimately had to settle for the runner-up berth.
“We’ve always thought a lot of her. She was doing her best work towards the end and she stayed on strong,” McCarthy said of the Mary Kearns-owned victor.
“She has always shown us a lot at home, so we weren’t afraid to come down here and take on the big guns for once!
“She is an exciting mare, who is very tough and she’ll be sold now.”
Sales bound
San Frandisco (5/1 – 8/1) is also sales bound after his gutsy all the way success in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
With no one keen to make the running, Mikey Sweeney was rewarded for sending the Mick Goff-trained victor on in front.
The pair did well to survive some jumping errors on the way around and a slipped saddle after the last almost resulted in an unseat.
Sweeney worked wonders to keep the partnership intact though and four lengths was the margin of victory, with debutant Jasmin De Cotte running a fine race to take second.
“We bought him as a yearling at Newmarket out of a flat sale. We fancied him today, he is as tough as nails,” Peter Nolan, who co-owns the grey along with Caitriona Goff, divulged.
“He shows loads at home and we knew he’d stay all day. It wasn’t the plan to go out in front but no one else wanted to make it.”
FLORENCETHEMACHINE (7/1 – 8/1) lived up to her name in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, running out a comfortable winner on debut.
Bought for €7,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale and out of a half-sister to 12-time winner Pete The Feat, the Malinas bay made a bad mistake three out, but quickly recovered under Troy Walsh.
She improved to lead on the approach to the next and kept on well in the closing stages, coming home three lengths to the good in the colours of the Treehouse Stables Partnership.
“She is an absolute machine. She made a mistake at the third last and if she hadn’t of done that, she would have won by 20 lengths,” winning trainer Alan Donoghue reflected.
“That’s our first runner out of our new yard and I must thank Richard Pugh for letting us rent his yard in Naas.
“Hopefully she’ll go to the Goffs Aintree Sale now.”
Captain Wallace (J.P Berry): This son of Milan led everywhere bar the line on his second career start. He pecked on landing after the last and it ultimately proved costly, as he went down by just a short-head. He should have little difficulty in making the breakthrough before the season is out.