THE Model Kingdom looked the most high profile runner on the final card of the year at Tipperary and Noel Meade’s talented charge duly made a winning start over hurdles in the two-mile mares’ maiden hurdle.

A Grade 3 bumper winner at the Punchestown Festival and off the track since being beaten at odds-on in a flat maiden at Roscommon in early May, The Model Kingdom looked to face an especially straight forward task as suggested by odds of 1/6.

From the outset of the race she chased the clear leader C’est Rien and she picked off that one nearing the last before Bryan Cooper nudged her along to maintain a comfortable advantage on the run-in.

At the line, the Model Syndicate-owned five-year-old had three and a half lengths to spare over the staying on Ginnets Girl.

“She jumps well. I told Bryan not to take any chances and not to ask her for any big ones and to just let her pop around. He did that and said he didn’t really have to get her off the bridle,” observed Meade.

“It will be a different story the next day but she should learn a lot from that. She’ll move into a mare’s winners’ race somewhere and she will stick to two miles.”

Fourth winner

The card concluded as it began as Kiki Badger (8/13) justified odds-on favouritism in the lady rider’s bumper with any amount to spare.

A fourth bumper winner of the season for Anthony McCann and Aine O’Connor, this gelding was placed in a couple of decent contests last term and returned in great shape from over four months off.

The McBride & Cochrane Partnership-owned winner eased to the front half a mile from home and sauntered away from his discouraged opponents in the straight to reach the line with 21 lengths to spare.

“He was a little over the top at Punchestown the last day and was also struck into so we decided to give him a break and he summered very well.

“It wasn’t the best of bumpers, but you can only beat what’s in front of you and he lengthened out very well. He’ll probably go for a hurdle now,” declared the trainer.

Surprise

There was a 22/1 surprise lying in wait in the 80-95 rated handicap hurdle over three miles where Problem Solver struck for Austin Leahy and Shane O’Callaghan.

The winner was well held at Killarney in July on his most recent outing but he had hinted at promise last term and he revelled on his first try at this trip to reel in the well backed front runner A Dublin Job by three-parts of a length.

“I felt he was a bit short and that he might want softer ground but he enjoyed the conditions and we’ll run him again in the next few weeks in something similar.

“He wants every yard of this trip and he’ll jump a fence in time,” reported the trainer.

Hercule spies further success

THE victory of The Model Kingdom was followed by another one for odds-on punters as Hercule Du Seuil was similarly untroubled to strike at 8/15 in the colts and geldings maiden hurdle over two miles.

This French import had only run once previously for Willie Mullins when finishing in midfield in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle last Christmas and it looked as though even a repeat of that effort would suffice.

Mark Walsh elected to go straight to the front on the favourite and the pair never saw another rival.

The chasing pack closed up somewhat before the straight but Hercule Du Seuil soon moved on again and a somewhat untidy jump at the last failed to halt his momentum as he cruised away to score by 16 lengths.

“It was a weak race. He is a forward going horse so we made the running and nothing really came to me. There is an engine there and he’s starting to settle now.

“We’ll see where we go but he’ll learn from that and we could have a grand horse on our hands,” commented Walsh.

Favourites

Good World made it three winning favourites from as many races as he returned from almost three months off in the 80-109 rated three-mile handicap hurdle.

In a race hit by several non-runners, the Eoin Griffin-trained Good World was returned the 2/1 favourite in first time cheekpieces and Kieran Buckley moved him to the head of the field before the turn-in.

He then opened up a yawning lead over his rivals between the last two flights to finish 10 lengths clear of Mont Saint Vincent.

Scottish in So impressive debut

THE Emmet Mullins-trained So Scottish looks a horse to stay on the right side of for the remainder of the season as he made a seamless transition to fences in the rated novice chase over just short of two and a half miles. The winning pointer came here off a maiden hurdle success at Kilbeggan and took very well to this discipline. The Paul Byrne-owned five-year-old was sent off a well-backed 5/4 favourite and his supporters were on good terms with themselves as he breezed to the front off the last bend.

Donagh Meyler’s mount was comfortably too good for the 123-rated Railway Hurricane. There is a good prize to be won with him over fences.

“Jumping has always been his forte and he was very efficient there,” said the trainer. “It’s great for him to win like that first time of asking in a race that contained a couple of previous winners over fences. He’s a novice for both codes this season.”

There was a dramatic conclusion to the other chase on the card in which Philip Fenton’s Good As Hell (9/2) looked fortuitous in victory. The Brian Hayes-ridden winner came to the last in the near two-and-a-half-mile handicap with a bit to find on Good Bye Milan who had made much of the running and still held a useful lead. Good Bye Milan got that fence all wrong and fell to leave James Moran-owned Good As Hell to gain the second success of her career.