RIDER Colm O’Donoghue and trainers Michael Halford and Ado McGuinness certainly had their concerns about the ground, but Cork got to run all seven of their Sunday flat races and the feature went to odds-on favourite Bloomfield.

She hadn’t run since competing in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes over the course and distance in August but Willie McCreery had the 4/5 shot fit enough to get the job done in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Noblesse Stakes.

This mile and a half contest was a real ‘grueller’ for the fillies and mares in the heavy going. Billy Lee brought up a double on Bloomfield as she stayed on dourly to defeat Glamorous Approach by four and a quarter lengths.

“She is very, very well-bred so we’ll try and find a Group 3 with her. She is the first filly Johnny Connaughton (owner/breeder) sent to me and I’m delighted to have her,” said McCreery.

Half-an-hour before, Colm O’Donoghue reported that he deemed the track unraceable after riding 1/2 shot Escapability into second place in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden (Plus 10 Race).

THE GO AHEAD

Evidence was heard from clerk of the course Val O’Connell who stated that in his opinion the ground was consistently heavy and that racing could proceed. Having considered both opinions, the stewards were satisfied to allow racing to go ahead.

This opener was to set the tone for what was to follow as Paddy Twomey’s Expected (a well-backed 4/1 shot) romped home with 21 lengths to spare.

“It was an impressive performance but the ground is near unraceable and he probably handled it well better than anything else,” said jockey Billy Lee.

“He is a horse with a bit of class, a fine big scopey horse and we think he is one for the future.”

EYE-CATCHING

If that margin of victory was eye-catching, it had nothing on the 33 lengths by which Allegio (7/4 into 5/4 favourite) annexed the four-runner Follow Us On Facebook Handicap.

Seamie Heffernan soon led on the end of March course victor, back at this extended mile. Denis Hogan’s charge eased away in the straight to oblige in style from Aussie Valentine.

Ado McGuinness has care of Aussie Valentine, and both he and Michael Halford, handler of the third across the line, Saltonstall, requested an interview with the stewards to express their concerns with the ground conditions.

Both trainers were informed that the clerk of the course had satisfied the stewards that the ground was raceable. Additionally, they reminded Halford that he had the opportunity to withdraw Saltonstall earlier if he had concerns with ground conditions.

The Ray Treacy-owned Allegio reportedly became the widest-margin winner of a flat handicap in Ireland or Britain for at least 20 years.

A listed race or a big-money handicap could be next on bargain-buy on the agenda for Allegio, who is now rated 101.

FAITH

Marmalade N Toast and An Saighdiur were others to employ forcing tactics successfully with the former justifying the faith of those that backed him into 7/1 from 9/1 (bigger prices earlier) in the Corkracecourse.ie Handicap.

Likely to prove to be a progressive type, Pat Flynn trains this three-year-old for his wife Catherine, and Killian Leonard secured a two and a quarter-length verdict on the bottom-weight.

An Saighdiur (7/1) meanwhile gave the Slattery family a pleasing one-two when he beat Maysonette in the concluding Cork Racecourse On Twitter Handicap.

Trainer Andy’s son Andrew took the reins on the Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate’s great old servant. He finished with three lengths to spare over stable companion Maysonette, ridden by Andrew’s cousin Ben Coen.

“I thought he’d win as he has come down the weights in recent times and it’s great he has won again,” stated Slattery senior.

Following a request from starter Lorcan Wyer, the stewards granted permission for a flag start in the four-runner Blackwater Maiden (Plus 10 Race).

FIRST-TIMER

Calumet Farm’s American-bred first-timer Bandua (6/1 into 4/1) made light of the conditions to supply Dermot Weld and Declan McDonogh with a nine and a half-length win over fellow debutant Arthurian Fame.

Subsequent dual Derby hero Harzand took the Blackwater Maiden in 2016 for Weld, and McDonogh was impressed with Bandua, revealing: “The boss man (Weld) thought a bit of him coming here so it’s nice to get him across the line. He’s probably adaptable ground-wise, but he handled it well today.

“He’s a lovely horse, very relaxed, doesn’t overdo it, and that helped him in the ground.”

There were no stalls in use for the following Buy Online At Corkracecourse.ie Apprentice Handicap over the same trip either, but the 13 runners were sent on their way in good fashion.

Off the mark a couple of days earlier at Naas, Shane Crosse doubled his career score on the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate-owned Song Of The Sky.

On outing two for the Joseph O’Brien yard, the Rip Van Winkle mare, at odds of 5/1, stayed on well in the closing stages to upstage outsider Lace Bonnet by two and three-quarter lengths.

“Shane gave her a peach of a ride and is a good lad,” divulged O’Brien. “He rode a lot of pony winners and is based with me a year, and that’s his first winner for me.”

He won on Adrian Keatley’s sprinter G Force at Naas on the Friday.

Suspension

Theos Well finished last and was found to have blood on his nose as a result of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage.

Gearoid Brouder was suspended for seven race-days for attempting to weigh out for his ride in this race on Glib Speech, without a crotch strap fitted to his body protector.

ACTING STEWARDS

P. McLernon, J. Horgan, J.G. Moloney, J. O’Donoghue, H.T. Hynes.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

LACE BONNET (K. Brown): has plenty going for her on breeding and gave a career-best when second to Song Of The Sky.