THE Henry de Bromhead-trained Amirite looked a name to note for the season ahead when edging a thriller on his chase debut at Fairyhouse last Saturday.

The two-mile-five-furlong beginners’ contest boiled down to a duel between stablemates when the Sholokhov gelding tackled front-runner Secret She Keeps in the straight.

There was nothing between the pair over the last and it was only at the post that Amirite had the narrowest of advantages as the 6/4 shot recorded a nose victory under Rachael Blackmore.

De Bromhead was on hand to welcome back his winner and received a warm round of applause from the crowd afterwards.

“I’m delighted with that, they both ran really well,” the trainer said. “The winner was brilliant and I’m delighted for the Hales who are all here, which is great.

“He’s a lovely horse and he was always a chaser in the making.”

The opening mares beginners’ chase on the card was a dramatic affair and the Philip Dempsey-trained Broomfield Hall eventually emerged on top in the two-miler.

She made a blunder three from home but recovered to challenge at the next where 11/8 favourite Brides Hill took a heavy fall, landing on the fence and shooting Luke Dempsey up in the air. Gavin Cromwell’s charge received a nasty cut on her leg but thankfully no major damage was sustained. Dempsey was stood down for the rest of the day.

Having inherited the lead Broomfield Hall was a touch slow at the last but found enough to repel the challenge of Happy D’Ex for a head success at odds of 100/30.

Dempsey said of Raymond Fitzgerald’s mare: “She did very well after the mistake and I was watching Luke as well, he got a ferocious fall – the horse landed in the fence.

“Keith (Donoghue) said he let her pop the last and she sort of propped and it’s hard to rally them then.

The chases on the card produced some cracking finishes and the veteran Hurricane Darwin pulled out plenty to complete a hat-trick for Cormac Farrell in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap.

He went to post 3/1 favourite after his hurdles success at Listowel and Paddy O’Hanlon produced him to take the lead at the second last when front-runner Whacker Clan crashed out.

Marshalled threw down a strong challenge on the run-in but Douglas Taylor’s gelding found more close home to record a length success.

See pages 16-17 for a special piece on the winning trainer.

TIME To Rocco stayed on strongly to open her account over timber in the mares’ maiden hurdle under rising star Michael O’Sullivan.

Kilbunny Pontic kicked a few lengths clear, turning for home in the two-and-a-half-mile contest but was joined over the last by the Colin Motherway-trained Shirocco mare, who stayed on best on the run-in to record a two-and-a-half-length win.

O’Sullivan said: “She had some decent form, she won her point-to-point and bumper, but she had probably been a bit frustrating since.

“She was fit and well, she ran in Gowran last week (seventh in a listed bumper), and Colin did a nice job with her.

Blacktype

Lorna Fowler is eyeing blacktype with the well-bred Doyenna after her victory in the Sign Up Now To gavinlynchracing.com Handicap Hurdle.

Peace Party looked set to collect in the two-miler when leading by a couple of lengths down to the last flight but blundered Eoin Walsh out of the saddle.

It was left to The Dasher Conway and Doyenna to battle things out on the run-in with the 9/4 favourite getting on top in the closing stages to record a three-quarter-length victory.

Hardy

Fowler said afterwards: “She’s so hardy. She came into the race in brilliant form and she settled today, we put a different bit in her. We were caught off guard at Down Royal when she got lit up.

“They went a much stronger pace today and Kieren was very good, he didn’t panic. He reckons he was going to win irrespective of the horse falling but I’d have to watch it back.

“She has an unbelievable pedigree. Valerie (Cooper) and her daughter Diana bred her and have had three generations, Woodland Opera is her uncle and then Opera Hat is her grandam.

ANOTHER mare in form to strike on the card was the Patrick Griffin-trained Trishknowsbest, who claimed another tight-run affair in the 80-95 handicap hurdle.

Joey Dunne held the 3/1 favourite up in the two-miler and she led over the last before holding the late challenge of Brooklyn Balance by a head.

The mare is named after Keith Donoghue’s mother Trish, and owned by his father Michael, and the family were out in force in the winner’s enclosure afterwards.

Assistant James Griffin said: “The ground went against us yesterday up in Downpatrick (finished third).

“She’s just a mare in form and when they are like that you have to take every opportunity you get.

“She was tough there and Joey gave her a good ride. Joey is best friends with Keith and Ian Donoghue and their brother Ross. He rode it because Keith had to ride for Gavin (Cromwell).

“We thought she’d run very well. We were delighted with her yesterday and the way she pulled out this morning you couldn’t not run.” The Noel Meade-trained Nucky Johnson went to post a 2/5 shot in the concluding bumper and pulled away in good style in the closing stages to get the job done.

Pat Taaffe produced his mount to lead early in the straight and asked him to kick on over a furlong out to post a five-and-a-half-length victory over Lakefield Flyer.

The winner had been third in a bumper at the Punchestown festival and Meade said: “He’s a nice horse, I wouldn’t think he’ll run in another bumper and we’ll go jumping hurdles straight away.

“I think he likes goodish ground and wouldn’t be best on winter ground. He was bred by Nicky Hartery and has a really good flat pedigree, his half-sister won a listed race in Italy.”