ON the back of recent storms Isha and Jocelyn, racegoers were warmed by the sight of the Gordon Elliott-handled Battleoverdoyen, (5/2 - 3/1) who fenced with gusto to make a winning return to point-to-points in the open.

Originally under the care of Gerry Cosgrave, Battleoverdoyen started his career winning a competitive four-year-old maiden in 2017 before going on to win a pair of Grade 1 contests for Gordon Elliot and Gigginstown House Stud.

Now sporting the colours of the Pioneer Racing Partnership, the 11-year-old gelding was originally dropped in by Barry O’Neill; however, with some slick jumping he soon progressed to pick up the lead going out on the final circuit.

The son of Doyen was closely attended to by Jay Bee Why, winner of an open at Portrush earlier in the season, coming down to the last, but he managed to outstay him and won in a comfortable fashion. “The further he went the better he was going,” reported Simon McGonagle, head lad to Gordon Elliott.

“He will go for another open or two and try and qualify for one of the hunter chases later in the spring.”

Doubles

The Alan McCaldin-owned Slievehill (3/1 - 2/1) brought up doubles on the day for both Noel McParlan and Caroline McCaldin when he ran out the facile winner of the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

The contest turned into a procession from early on as McParlan bucked out to make the running and was already 10 lengths clear when jumping the second fence.

Jumping with fluency, combined with his forward way of going, the son of Kayf Tara had extended his lead to 30 lengths by the penultimate obstacle.

Never with any cause for concern, the six-year-old who was bred by Cathal Ennis, went on to score eased down by 31 lengths over Forgoodrforbad.

The first leg of Caroline McCaldin’s double came in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, thanks to Ballybritas (7/2) who put his experience to good use to pass the post in front for the first time in five runs.

Picked up

Always in the box seat, this son of Champs Elysees picked up from just off the pace by utilising his turn of foot after the second last to go four lengths clear.

This immediate acceleration ultimately won him the race as under Oran McGill he steadied into the last and kept on close home. The newcomer Duffry Trixs stayed on well to fill the runner-up berth.

McCaldin’s husband Alan said of the Wilson Dennison-owned gelding: “We had him entered a few times recently but pulled him out because of the ground.

“Today we got good ground and it seemed to be the making of him, he really enjoyed it.”

ON a blustery day at the scenic coastal venue, the five-year-old mares’ maiden caught the eye of many due to the performance of Squiggles (5/1 - 7/1).

Sebastian Curran’s homebred mare looked outpaced as the race began to develop, and with a slow jump three from home, some would have given her no chance.

However, the Soldier Of Fortune mare picked up from what seemed a hopeless position when turning into the straight to lead going down to the last fence.

She soon asserted from Mariposa Rose and ran out a ready winner by six lengths for trainer Chris Timmons.

“She fell asleep halfway through the race, she stopped travelling but was still jumping well,” winning rider Joey Dunne commented. “I thought I was in trouble down the back but gave her a smack and she took off, and she did it very easy in the end.”

The first leg of Noel McParlan’s double came in the winners’ of three where he steered Raceview Road (1/2 - 4/7 favourite) to an impressive victory.

Quickening

A €38,000 purchase by Ian Ferguson from the 2021 Goffs Land Rover sale, he supplemented his satisfactory third in a hot bumper last time behind Jeroboam Machin by quickening nicely past longtime leader Cresthill in the straight to win by six lengths in the colours of Philip McBurney.

Winning handler Gerald Quinn stated: “He will go into open company, and we might even consider a summer campaign as he likes nice ground.”

Tiernan Power Roche gave Break The Boundary (4/1 - 7/1) a canny ride to claim division two of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Never headed, the Laura Scallan-owned son of French Navy exhibited great improvement from his only previous start with the adoption of new tactics.

With a good jump two out, he quickened off the bend and had all his rivals in trouble. The flashy chestnut jumped fluently, except for a slight mistake at the last; however, he kept galloping relentlessly to the line. Winning handler Mark Scallan remarked: “He is a very nice horse that will go for the sales now, it just didn’t work out for him last day.”

IN the bookmakers’ ring, the six-year-old mares’ maiden appeared to be a one-horse contest with the Johnny Barry-ridden Big Girl Betty the big fancy.

In the end the punters were correct, but not without a sweat as the judge was called upon to split the front two in the most exciting finish of the day.

The Leo Matheson-owned Big Girl Betty (5/4 - 4/6 favourite) just got the better of Howya Luveen and Lee Shanahan to prevail by a head.

Winning handler Mark McNiff stated: “She nearly fell three out and pecked badly at the last, she just didn’t jump as well as she normally does, the ground was probably the stickiest she’s ran on so that may be the reason.

“We’ll run her in a winners’ when we get nicer ground, and we may then put her into a maiden hunter chase.”

Horse To Follow

Duffry Trixs (C Bowe): This five-year-old stayed on from a long way back under patient tactics to claim second. With natural progression and experience from this run he should be very capable of picking up a maiden.