THERE were some noteworthy performances at Sunday’s Duhallow Kanturk meeting at Dromahane, with the Paul Cashman-trained Gameofinches hinting that a bright track career awaits by coming home as he pleased in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Gameofinches (6/4 – 1/1 favourite), lying in second spot when falling at the last on his only previous start at Cragmore back in January, was bounced out prominently by James Murphy and the towering bay led from after the fifth of the 13 fences.

The dual runner-up Ashtown Park was the front-runner’s closest pursuer thereafter, but Gameofinches always had matters under control at the head of affairs. The market leader powered clear from two out to account for newcomer Fairye Forth by an unchallenged nine lengths.

Gameofinches is a son of Blue Bresil and it won’t be lost on many of those present that Cashman also started off subsequent Grade 1 winner Inthepocket, yet another son of the Glenview Stud stallion, in points as an autumn four-year-old in 2021.

“He’s a fine, old-fashioned chaser that has grown two inches since the spring and he’s as good a horse as I have had,” disclosed Cashman of his mother Catherine’s Gameofinches, a half-brother to dual winning hurdler The Kalooki Kid.

Impressive

Prophet’s Corner (5/4-6/4 joint-favourite) impressed by giving an assured round of fencing on his return to the fray to win the open in the hands of his owner/trainer Sean Allen’s brother Darragh Allen.

The seven-year-old Prophet’s Corner, who was posting a fourth points success, held a slender advantage for the most part until he was joined by Earths Furies and the sweet-travelling Good Old Sam well before the third-last.

Earth Furies soon cried enough, but Good Old Sam was still in there pitching when the winner outjumped him two out.

The triumphant seven-year-old was always travelling best thereafter and another good jump at the last ensured that he came home with four lengths to spare.

“I’m very happy, that’s the best ground that he has won on,” said Araglen-based Sean Allen of Prophet’s Corner (gelding by Westerner). “He seems to have improved from last season and we’ll keep him to opens.”

EUGENE O’Sullivan likes nothing more than to have a winner at this venue and the Lombardstown operator was all smiles following the success of Aspurofthemoment (5/2-7/2 joint-favourite).

The winner was partnered by his talented nephew Alan O’Sullivan in the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden.

Ex-hurdler Aspurofthemoment, who finished an excellent fourth for former handler Paul Gilligan in a Ballindenisk four-year-old maiden in May 2023, vindicated the promise of his third-placed return effort at Castletown-Geoghegan last month by surging to the front on the inner before the last.

The winning son of Ocovango was always in command on the flat and drew clear to contain newcomer Blueys Unicorse by two lengths.

Owner/trainer O’Sullivan, who also part-sponsored this race, remarked of Aspurofthemoment: “He’s a nice horse that had a good run in Castletown-Geoghegan.

“He could now go for the maiden hunters chase in Limerick over Christmas.”

Big field

The biggest field of the afternoon in 14 runners lined up for the four-year-old geldings’ maiden and the absent Marie Harding supplied the winner in the form of Hunt Away (5/1 - 7/1).

Working Class Hero took the field along at a generous clip and he still marginally held the call after two out, with Catchinsavo edging into a narrow advantage approaching the last.

The victorious son of Sans Frontieres edged ever closer from well off the pace.

With Catchinsavo erring here and relinquishing the advantage, Hunt Away surged to the front shortly after this final fence for former southern regional champion Mikey O’Connor, to eclipse last season’s Ballindenisk runner-up Moyganny Phil by two and a half lengths.

Hunt Away possesses an interesting pedigree, as he’s a half-brother to five winners, including Tom George’s former Grade 1 placed chaser Clondaw Castle.

He’s now likely to be sold by the Open The Boot Partnership, which comprises Tony Wilson and Brendan Healy from Aghabullogue plus Dromahane’s Maurice O’Connor.

Affinity for success

THE Cian Collins-trained newcomer Affinity Rock (2/1-5/2) annihilated the opposition under Rob James in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Affinity Rock, owned and bred by her handler’s Mullingar-based uncle Noel Collins, dwarfed her seven opponents in the preliminaries and she set off in front.

The successful daughter of Affinisea, who traces back to Dines and Monbeg Notorious, made all the running and she stormed clear from two out to dispense with Written In My Soul by 15 lengths.

“She was ready to run last season, but we gave her a bit of time, as she was always well worth waiting for,” remarked handler Collins of his charge.

Affinity Rock was quickly added to yesterday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale and Ellen Doyle’s Walks The Talk (6/4-7/4 favourite) likewise booked her passage to the Prestbury Park boutique auction by recording a comprehensive debut success in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Brian Dunleavy-ridden Walks The Talk was another to benefit from pacesetting duties and the €45,000 graduate of the 2022 Tattersalls Ireland July Sale coasted clear from the penultimate obstacle in this truly-run contest to dismiss Honey Come Quick by nine lengths.

“We thought a lot of her coming here and you’d have to be very happy with that performance,” said Doyle of Walks The Talk, a daughter of Walk In The Park, whose dam is a half-sister to Grade 2 placed hurdler/chaser Golan Fortune.

Horse to follow

MOYGANNY PHIL (T. Keating): Last season’s Ballindenisk runner-up stayed on strongly for second spot in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. With his rider losing his whip five out, the son of Califet was only beaten two and a half lengths in total. He should effortlessly atone, whilst he also appeals as a surefire track winner.