TOTO Too made a winning debut over flights to initiate a double for trainer Peter Fahey at Navan, on Saturday.
The Ocovango gelding won a bumper at Killarney last month and was a warm order for The Bar One Racing Guaranteed Multiples All Shops Maiden Hurdle. The 11/10 favourite tracked the leaders and improved to dispute the lead after the penultimate obstacle. He took over from Hashtag Pretender at the last and bounded away by an easy six lengths for Keith Donoghue.
“He schooled well at home and I was probably keen to get him out on a bit nicer ground,” said Fahey. “I think he could develop into a nice novice hurdler for Basil (Holian, owner). I’d say he will mix it with the best of them during the winter, hopefully.”
Sign From Above brought the double up in The Bar One Racing Price Boost All Channels Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles. The 6/4 joint-favourite travelled well and took closer order two out and came through to lead at the final flight. He kept on well to post a length-and-a-half success for owner Bernadette Leigh.
Fahey said: “He’ll be a nice horse there for nice handicaps. He gets two and a half miles and I suppose some of those nice two-mile handicaps where they go fast up front, he could be dropped in a bit and come through them.”
Amir Kabir (8/15 favourite) made virtually all to lead home a one-two for Gordon Elliott in The Bar One Racing Guaranteed Overnight Prices Hurdle.
He was joined by his stablemate, Set Point, two out but regained the lead over the last and stayed on strongly to come in by four and a quarter lengths for owner Stephen O’Connor.
Elliott said: “It was a good opportunity for him. He will mix and match. I think he could step up in trip, he stays well and I think he probably wants two and a half miles.”
Doyle full of praise for Maxine
LIZ Doyle was full of praise for Maxine O’Sullivan’s ride on First Dare in The Bar One Racing Ladies Handicap Hurdle.
The 3/1 joint-favourite crept into contention on the inner and was delivered at the last to take the honours by a comfortable three and a half lengths for the Sooner Or Later Syndicate.
The trainer said: “Beautiful ride, mid-division and scraped the paint. The only moment was when she was a bit long at the second.
“These races are so determined by the experienced riders. She made the difference anyway.
“She’s a little bit tricky, so I rang Maxine a week ago and I said ‘if you have nothing that is jumping off the page at you, I think I’ll go close’. That’s how ahead of the game you have to be.”
Eoin Griffin’s Mr MacPhisto was last seen finishing runner-up at Cork in July and went one better in Division 1 of The Bar One Racing Bet €10 Get €50 Sign Up Offer Handicap Hurdle.
Ricky Doyle sent him to the front two out and the duo kept on to score by a length and a quarter in the colours of the trainer’s son Eanna Griffin.
“We’ve missed a lot of the good ground with him, he just got a little bit held up after he was second down in Cork as he picked up a little bit of a knock,” Griffin snr said of the 7/1 shot.
“It is grand to get back on a winning track with him. Probably time is limited as he is a good-ground horse really.”
Owner/trainer Barry Connell was pleased to get Meet My Loreley off the mark in The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (Pro/Am) Flat Race.
The six-year-old mare had to work hard off the front inside the final furlong and Finny Maguire drove her home by a neck at 10/3.
Connell said: “This is a bonus because she is a staying mare, she is a jumping mare. She won a point-to-point in Lisronagh last year so, on the basis of that, she is well capable of winning a mares’ maiden hurdle and we will see where we go after that.”
More to come from Duncarrig after he rallies to game win
DUNCARRIG rallied gamely to prevail in the second division of The Bar One Racing Bet €10 Get €50 Sign Up Offer Handicap Hurdle for the Just Sayin Partnership.
Danny Mullins charted a very wide course on the six-year-old gelding and a bad mistake at the last looked to have ruined their chance as they were headed on the run-in, however, Duncarrig dug in and stayed on best to get up by half a length at 12/1 from In For The Night.
Trainer Tony Mullins said: “He saw the advantage of going wide, so I said do whatever. He lacks confidence, but he doesn’t lack ability. If we get his confidence together, he’ll go a good bit up the ladder. I’m not saying up to blacktype or anything, but he is a good bit better than his rating now.”
In For The Night’s jockey Jody McGarvey picked up a three-day suspension for excessive frequency with the whip.
A first-time visor saw He Fitz In double his career total in The Navan Racing Festival on November 18th and 19th Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles and five furlongs.
The 12/1 shot was there to be shot at on the run-in, but toughed it out by a neck from Goodie Girl for owner Cathal McDaid.
Jockey Shane O’Callaghan said: “The visor definitely helped and he did it well. Davy (Fitzgerald, trainer) is not actually here, I was talking to him last night in Ballinrobe and he more or less said he would win today.”