THERE is nothing quite like winning at one’s local meeting and Marie Harding did precisely that at Sunday’s Kildorrery fixture, staged by the Duhallow Foxhounds at Rockmills Stud, as she sent out Grainne A Chroi to oblige in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

Castletownroche-based Miss Harding, the meeting’s former long-standing secretary, has never disguised her admiration for Grainne A Chroi who was lying a close third on her career debut when unseating at the final fence in the late December contest at Dromahane ultimately won by Madame Masque.

The hooded Grainne A Chroi (5/2 - 3/1) picked up the running for Eoin O’Brien after the fifth fence in this five-runner event. Whilst not always totally foot-perfect, she was clearly possessing all the aces on the run to the final of the 14 obstacles as Jody Townend sent her mount How’s Hannah in vain pursuit.

The winning daughter of Mount Nelson, a half-sister to two progressive track winning mares in Gaillimh A Run and Gaillimh A Stor, then stayed on stoutly to dismiss newcomer How’s Hannah by two and a half lengths in the colours of Eileen O’Brien.

“She’s a class mare that is fast, but she is not really big enough for point-to-point fences,” disclosed Miss Harding of Grainne A Chroi. “She’s now qualified for the mares’ point-to-point bumper at Cork on Easter Monday and her owners will be keeping her to race themselves.”

The locals had further cause for celebration as 20-year-old John Aherne, who hails from nearby Mitchelstown, recorded a second career success aboard the Arthur O’Grady-trained Malinas Glory (6/4 – evens favourite) in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden for novice riders.

Excellent start

An ex-track performer that was placed on six occasions inside the rails, Malinas Glory made an excellent start to his hunt racing career at Ballyvodock three weeks earlier by chasing home Castle Croiuil and he picked up the running after the fifth fence here.

Briefly joined by Onebrightbluerose before four out, the winning son of Malinas seemed set for a comfortable success when going clear before the second last.However, runner-up Delta Melody eroded the eventual winner’s deficit approaching the last and the victorious seven-year-old needed to be kept up to his work in the closing stages to see off Danielle Kirwan’s mount by a length in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

It’s probable that Malinas Glory, representing the Glory Days Syndicate, will now contest a winners’ race.

Aherne incidentally also won this same contest two years ago aboard Our Miss Power whom the aforementioned O’Grady’s son, Eoghan, trained for the rider’s Mitchelstown-based grandfather Tom Kelly, a regular on the circuit most Sundays.

Mikey O’Connor made his only mount of the afternoon a winning one by steering Therellbguddaysyet (6/4 - 2/1 joint-favourite), whom he also trains for Eileen, Bobby and Peter Cotter from Newtownshandrum, to a clearcut success in the closing six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

The eight-year-old Therellbguddaysyet, a respectable third on his belated career debut at Inchydoney last term, made smooth progress from off the pace to lead from three out and he duly returned with four and a half lengths to spare over Famous Liss.