THERE was a fabulous atmosphere at Sunday’s Ballindenisk fixture, hosted by the United Hunt Club, and the John Gleeson-trained Boss Robin indicated that he’s set for another productive campaign by making a victorious return to the fray in the 17-runner open.
Boss Robin (5/1 - 7/1), winner of two hunter chases last term including the Joseph O’Reilly Memorial at Fairyhouse, was always positioned close to the pace under his handler’s 24-year-old nephew Patrick Gleeson, as fellow seasonal debutantes’ King Alex and My Best Valentine vied for supremacy up front.
King Alex went on after three out and it was the eventual winner that was in pursuit from before the second-last of the 12 obstacles. Boss Robin hit the front approaching the last, though he soon had a battle on his hands, as West Of Carrig gave chase.
However, the winning eight-year-old was in no mood to be denied, as he stayed on strongly to defeat West Of Carrig, whose rider finished without his irons, by a length. King Alex meanwhile secured the minor honours, a further 10 lengths adrift.
“We couldn’t run him until now, as he’s a horse for soft ground. I rode him cub-hunting myself out with the Co Limerick’s in Mount Coote Stud a few weeks ago.
“If the ground is soft, he could go for the hunter chase in Down Royal over Christmas,” disclosed handler Gleeson of the Mahler-sired Boss Robin, owned by long-standing points supporter Aidan Archdeacon.
Initial success
Noel McParlan, an infrequent Ballindenisk visitor, was credited with an initial success for the in-form Jonathan Fogarty aboard well-bred newcomer Walk Tall (5/2 - 3/1) in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Walk In The Park-sired Walk Tall, acquired for €52,000 at last year’s Derby sale and out of a dual track-winning half-sister to Hurricane Fly, was always on the pace and he set sail for home before two out, en-route to defeating Absolutely Doyen by two and a half lengths in the increasingly-familiar Gaynestown Stud Partnership silks.
The Matthew Flynn O’Connor-owned/trained Hay Baby (3/1 - 4/1) made light of a near 16-month absence by landing the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden in the hands of Brian Lawless.
Hay Baby, who shaped with clear promise by finishing third to Peggys Rock when last seen at Toomebridge in October 2023, always took the eye by the manner with which she travelled and she eased through to dispute the running on the inner well before the second-last with Annacassar.
All the aces
However, it was soon apparent that Hay Baby was possessing all the aces, as she edged ahead approaching two out. She duly returned with a length to spare over the rallying Annacassar.
“She gave herself a knock in Toomebridge last autumn and needed a bit of time off,” disclosed Flynn O’Connor of his daughter of Doyen, a white-faced chesnut, whose track winning dam is a sister to the dam of Grade 1-placed mare Shadow Eile. “We were expecting her to run well here and she’ll now go for a winners’ race.”
THE Eamonn Doyle-trained newcomer King’s Bucks (5/2 - 2/1 favourite) won a pulsating first division of the four-year-old maiden to initiate a double for rider Jamie Scallan.
The well-touted King’s Bucks, purchased for €85,000 at last year’s Goffs Arkle sale, moved through to hit the front on the incline to two out, except that he then had to be called for a further effort after this penultimate fence, as fellow debutant Ace Brannigan came through to join issue.
Ace Brannigan, however, was the faster in the air over the last and was by now in pole position.
The winner, a son of Buck’s Boum, surged back to the fore in the closing stages to thwart Ace Brannigan by a head, with a 10-length break back to Malayalam in third.
Handler Doyle reported of the Mossy Fen Stables Partnership-owned King’s Bucks, whose dam is a half-sister to Paul Nicholls’ former Grade 1-winning chaser Cyrname: “He’s a gorgeous big horse and we’ve always loved him. He will now go to a sale.”
Scallan completed his brace aboard the Sean Doyle-owned/trained Between Waters (7/4 - 2/1) in the mares’ winners-of-two.
Comeback
Between Waters, who was placed twice over hurdles for Nicky Henderson last winter before returning to handler Doyle, for whom she won a Lisronagh four-year-old mares’ maiden in February 2022, stepped forwards from her comeback victory at Tinahely two weeks earlier by coasting clear from well after three out to dismiss Hathaways Cottage by a resounding 32 lengths.
Sean Doyle’s representative Graham Breen remarked of the Walk In The Park-sired Between Waters: “She’s really enjoying life and is high-class. She will run in another point and we might even go back to the track with her as well.”
PAUL Cashman has his small string in rude health and he struck with newcomer Romany King (4/1 - 5/1) in the five-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Having done particularly well to survive a first-fence blunder, Romany King benefitted from front-running tactics by recording a virtual pillar-to-post success in the hands of James Murphy.
Mags Nelson moved through to hold every chance from two out, but Romany King, a son of Clovis Du Berlais, was the faster in the air over the last and he duly defeated Ciaran Fennessy’s charge by three-parts of a length.
Cashman indicated that his mother Catherine’s Romany King, a half-brother to Jedd O’Keeffe’s five-time winning mare Miah Grace, will now be sold.
Gripping finish
Racegoers were treated to another gripping finish in the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden, as owner/trainer Pat Healy’s Drive On Jimmey (7/1 - 10/1) registered a last-gasp success under Eoin O’Brien, much to the joy of the nine bookmakers present.
The seven-year-old Drive On Jimmey, home-bred by former accomplished amateur rider Healy’s wife Grainne, vindicated the promise of his fifth-placed debut effort at Dromahane in April 2023 by sweeping past long-time leader Trooper Carton in the dying strides to score by a head.
Ace Brannigan (C. Bowe): A half-brother to Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner Captain Teague and also the Grand Annual Chase victor Sky Pirate, this newcomer showed a potent turn of foot when finishing second in the first division of the four-year-old maiden.
The son of Order Of St George, a Goffs Arkle sale graduate, is one to keep an eye out for when appearing for new connections.