HENRY de Bromhead recorded a Clonmel double on Thursday where the dual Gold Cup-winning trainer recorded a 1-2 in the featured Grade 3 Surehaul Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle, winning with Monalee’s half-brother Monty’s Star (7/1).

Ridden by Sean Flanagan for Minella Indo’s owner Barry Maloney, the Walk In The Park gelding scored a fine staying success when getting the better of stablemate Hiddenvalley Lake (8/13 favourite) by half-a-length. Afterwards de Bromhead said: “He has taken a long time, he is a big horse and ran really well in his maiden at Navan when a bit green.

“He had done a season with Colin Bowe but is so big and raw. He has just taken all this time, it is amazing, so you’d hope he will continue to improve and he has the size and scope of a chaser.

Pedigree

“He has the pedigree as well. We tried this race in the past with (Minella) Indo and Monalee so we said we’d give it a go to see would he stay and he duly did. He is in the Albert Bartlett and that’s where we’re going now.”He added: “I think Hiddenvalley Lake ran well but struggled on the ground, which is tough, and he’ll be better for better ground. He was also giving away weight. He is also in the Albert Bartlett and is entitled to go but we’ll see what everyone wants to do.”De Bromhead later completed a double in the concluding Monksgrange Beginners Chase with Queen Jane (6/1), scoring for jockey Rachael Blackmore and owners Angus and Anabelle Potterton.

Patiently ridden on her chase debut, the Mahler-filly was produced from off the pace to lead before the last, scoring by nine and a half lengths from Old Soul. De Bromhead said: “They went a good gallop and they seemed to come back to her a bit and it was a really nice start.

“Hopefully there will be a nice rated novice for her somewhere. I’m delighted for the Pottertons (from Meath) who have had winners in syndicates in the past and this is their first horse.”

BOTH divisions of the Minorstown Handicap Hurdle were also won by 6/1 chances, with Fiery Brown winning the opening division by 10 lengths, for trainer Sean O’Brien and jockey Michael O’Sullivan.

“She was entitled to do it on her run the last day but I was afraid when I saw money coming for Paul Nolan’s horse (runner-up Anstand). The plan is to go to Thurles in two weeks for another handicap hurdle. I don’t think the handicapper will be too hard on her as she has ran to her mark every day and today’s race fell apart.

“Ciaran Fennessy had her in her point-to-points and sent her on to me and it’s my first winner for the lads (Christy O’Connell and William Tanner) who are Corkmen.”

The later division was won by the same-priced, Sean Aherne owned-and-trained, Philip Enright-partnered Shean Glory which turned recent course form with runner-up Crowsatedappletart, to score by four and a quarter lengths.

Trainer Aherne later said: “It is great to get another with her and he (Enright) was good on her. She is consistent at that level and we might potter away in another one of these again and we might also find a little handicap chase for her, although she hasn’t run over fences yet.”

Crowsatedappletart’s trainer Michael Winters bagged the subsequent Kilmolash Handicap Hurdle with West Breeze (7/1, for the Saints & Scholars Syndicate), which made all for a comfortable success from Drumderry Harlem.

Winters later reported: “He always runs consistently, he is a big leggy fella although we were worried the ground might be tacky. Chris O’Donovan (winning jockey) started with Adrian Maguire and was with us but is now flying with Declan Queally - we said we’d better make use out of him after making him! Chris’ family are steeped in racing and I went to college with his uncle.”

He added: “The horse has been on the go since we bought him as a three-year-old for €25,000 and he is owned by a great syndicate. We’ve had good days out but needed to get our head in front at some stage. Today was a long day as we had the whole yard running and we were depending on one of them to win.”

RACING began with two maiden hurdles, with Feddans justifying 8/11 favouritism in the opening Surehaul Mercedes-sponsored race, for owner/trainer/breeder John O’Callaghan.

Ridden by Conor Maxwell, the eight-year-old mare made virtually all and scored by four and a quarter lengths from Roccos Inspiration.

Maxwell later said: “She wasn’t doing a stroke in front but I was always happy. I was able to fill her up and always felt I would stay in front. Her form has been franked and she has improved since her last run. John rides her out at home on his own.

“When she gets racing she gets a bit excited and she had been over-racing a little bit. She is settling now and doing better. She will be a nice mare for jumping fences and will stay further in time.”

Quickened away

Widest winner of the day came in the Derrygrath Maiden Hurdle, which was won by 18-length victor Captains Nephew (17/2), for Tom Doran, Philip Rothwell and Darragh O’Keeffe.

Afterwards O’Keeffe said: “Philip’s father-in-law passed away so he wasn’t able to make it but it was nice he won. He thought he’d run a good race, said to ride him handy and I got a good lead into the race.

“He jumped and quickened away well. It was nice to get a winner for Tom Doran as I was beaten a short-head on one of his last Sunday.”

Whiskeywealth (85/40 favourite) made a winning start for new trainer Terence O’Brien when landing the Grange Novice Handicap Chase for owners Eamonn Hickey and Ger Finn.

The Yeats gelding made almost all in a two-and-a-quarter-length win from Joy Of Life and afterwards winning jockey Mike O’Connor reported: “I won on him in Tramore, where he won well and he seems to be improving away.

“Eoghan is the new racecourse manager at Cork so can’t hold a trainers’ license, both he and Terence have done brilliant jobs with him. That was my first ride for Terence.”