THE David Murphy-trained veteran First Touch showed a clean pair of heels to his rivals by recording a facile success under Adam Feeney in the novice riders’ open at Saturday’s North Kerry Harriers meeting at Tralee racecourse.

The 12-year-old First Touch (5/1 - 7/1), a former three-time track winner who was rated 111 when recording his most recent victory in a three-mile Clonmel handicap hurdle in October 2021, disputed the running with Hardline until edging into a slender advantage from the seventh of the 13 obstacles.

Er Dancer moved second from three out, but the market leader had to be called on for an effort by Alan Harney on the run to the second last.

The eventual winner was clearly possessing all the aces after this penultimate obstacle and he duly defeated Er Dancer by eight lengths.

Hardline meanwhile more than acquitted himself by returning a further neck adrift in third.

First Touch represents his handler’s father Jeff Murphy. The Fermoy-based owner remarked: “First Touch got a bad fall at Wexford in August 2022 and we were advised to put him down. Thankfully, we didn’t and he’s like a member of the family to us.

“I’m really thrilled that he has won and he could now go for the hunter chase at Listowel next weekend.”

Lengthy trek

The newcomer Onlymammycanloveme (4/1 - 5/1) justified the lengthy trek from handler Vinny Devereux’s south Co Wexford base by obliging with Shane O’Rourke in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Onlymammycanloveme, one of three debutants in the line-up, took closer order from halfway and the son of Vendangeur eased through to dispute the running with Milan Forth after three out.

The triumphant chesnut, acquired by connections as a foal, then asserted before the last to put two and a half lengths between himself and Milan Forth.

Rebel Budz meanwhile, posted a pleasing debut effort by securing the minor honours, a further 12 lengths adrift.

“It was a bit of a rush to run him and he’s a big horse that’s still very green,” reported the winning handler of his father Jimmy Devereux’s Onlymammycanloveme, a half-brother to three track winners including Grade 2-winning chaser Medical Card from the same family as Mouse Morris’ outstanding racemare What A Question.

Devereux, who was saddling a third winner of the season, was due to offer Onlymammycanloveme at this past Wednesday evening’s Tattersalls Ireland sale at Fairyhouse.

First success

Andrew Kennedy, a 24-year-old Co Westmeath native, will forever treasure fond memories of this meeting as he posted a very first career success aboard Aidan ‘Scobie’ Fitzgerald’s Dreamers Choice (3/1 - 4/1) in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Dreamers Choice, who was having a 10th start of the campaign, was always well positioned, and the chesnut had just joined Up Killoughey when the recent Ballindenisk fourth departed at the second last.

The victorious Cobajay Syndicate-owned chesnut was then left with the relatively straightforward task of beating last month’s Curraghmore third Mohera Prince by eight lengths.

Kennedy, whose uncle Aidan Kennedy was on hand to join in the post-race celebrations, presently rides out at handler Fitzgerald’s Cobajay Stables outside Borris.

A ‘Berry’ good weekend double for Josh

JOSH Berry (19) experienced a terrific weekend by riding two winners and the Tomhaggard teenager, also successful on Dippedinmoonlight at Inchydoney on Sunday, made his only mount of the afternoon a winning one aboard his father Johnny Berry’s Some Front (3/1 - 4/1) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Some Front, who shaped most encouragingly by finishing fourth on her previous two career starts at Ballysteen and Loughrea, was always positioned close to the pace and she picked up the running after three out.

The winning daughter of Sans Frontieres however soon faced a determined challenger in the form of last month’s Dromahane debut runner-up Highbourne Velvet.

The latter however was far from clever at the second last as Some Front stayed on determinedly to deny her by a half-length in what was the afternoon’s closest finish.

Head lad

The elder Berry remarked of his wife Shirley’s bay: “This mare was bred by Frankie Gaul, a head lad to my late uncle Padge Berry. It’s great that Frankie is here today and Some Front is a fine big mare that has improved from her first couple of runs.”

On another excellent afternoon for Co Wexford-trained horses, Donnchadh Doyle’s first-season mare Millie Supreme (5/4) posted a third success of the year in the winners’ race.

The sweet-jumping Millie Supreme disputed the running for Brian Lawless until going for home three out.

It was crystal clear that the daughter of Soldier Of Fortune was containing closest pursuer Commander Of Ten from the second last with four lengths the ultimate winning margin.

Doyle’s representative Graham Breen disclosed that the Monbeg Syndicate-owned Millie Supreme, initially bought on Thoroughbid as a four-year-old, will return pointing to participate in mares’ opens next term.

THE Peter Flood-owned/trained Long Branch (2/1 - 5/2) booked his ticket to this past Wednesday evening’s sale of pointers by Tattersalls Ireland at Fairyhouse by stepping forwards from his eighth-placed debut effort behind Theflyingking at Loughanmore in late April to oblige under Georgie Benson in the four-year-old maiden.

Long Branch, racing with a distinctive low head-carriage, picked up the running before the third last. The patiently-ridden newcomer Arslan arrived from well off the pace to throw down a challenge from two out.

The winning son of Idaho, a €38,000 Derby sale graduate, out of an own-sister to Tom George’s Grade 1-winning chaser Nacarat, threw marginally the faster leap at the final fence and he then fought off market-leader Arslan by a length.

Meanwhile, Driveonwill provided ample indication of ability by returning a further eight lengths adrift in third.

“He’s a lovely big horse that has just taken a bit of time. He’s the first one we’ve had by Idaho and I’ve always liked him,” said Flood of Long Branch, rider Benson’s initial four-year-old maiden winner incidentally.

Arslan (R. Black): A rare points runner for Wootton Bassett, the French-bred was sent off favourite on his debut in the four-year-old maiden. Patiently-ridden, he came from off the pace to hold every chance from two out and was beaten a length. Fits the profile of a likely track winner and was sold for €180,000 at Tattersalls.