TRAINER Joseph O’Brien completed a cross-card treble on Thursday, bagging two of his wins at Killarney, with juvenile hurdler Teriferma and bumper winner Walk On The Beach.

Teriferma (14/1) began by landing the opening Bordeaux Racecourse 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle, for Bronsan Racing and jockey J.J. Slevin, in a dramatic race.

Second-favourite Ceol Draiochta exited at the fourth hurdle while, at the sixth, well-backed favourite Messerschmitt (6/4) effectively ran out and unseated rider.

Teriferma made progress to challenge on the inside in the home straight and while he blundered at the last, finished well to beat Game Phoenix by two lengths.

Slevin and O’Brien have won three of four such races run this year, and finished second in the other, and today Sleven said: “It was messy but I suppose three-year-olds can be like that and I managed to avoid any trouble. He only had the two runs, he had finished sixth the last day so we were hoping the step up in trip might suit him.

“It is hard enough to win first-time-out over hurdles, especially at this time of year as it is difficult to get horses away from home (for schooling), so it was a good performance.”

O’Brien’s other winner came at Leopardstown and in Killarney’s concluding Killarney Valley INH Bumper completed his hat-trick with the John Gleeson-partnered Walk On The Beach (9/2), which beat runner-up Aruntothequeen by a length and a half.

Afterwards TV pundit and winning owner Brian Gleeson, father of the winning rider, reported: “It was a great family, we had the granddam and Go All The Way - who finished fourth in the Cheltenham Bumper, is a brother to this horse’s dam.

“We always thought he was a nice horse, that’s his second run and jumping is his forte so we might go that way sooner rather than later.”

CHAMPION trainer Willie Mullins also completed a Killarney double, beginning with Just For Love’s 9/1 success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle, under 7lb claimer Sean Cleary-Farrell.

The Affinisea-sired mare made virtually all and while Paggane challenged early in the home straight, held her stablemate by three and a quarter lengths.

Cleary-Farrell said: “I jumped out and wanted to be handy but didn’t mean to end up in front.

“I was happy enough being beside Paul (Townend, jockey of Paggane) when I jumped off, but he left me early enough and she got into a rhythm in front and settled brilliantly. Racing down the back the final time, I could hear the other horses but didn’t have to ask her as she heard them herself, and galloped home.”

He added: “I thought she ran a blinder the last day when we didn’t go overly fast and she kept galloping. She hit the last (hurdle) very hard in Galway so maybe that might have affected her confidence but I still hadn’t put her down coming here today.”

Mullins completed his double in the Moriarty’s Gap Of Dunloe Beginners Chase with Nt Field Minnesota which scored at a bigger price of 12/1, under Paul Townend.

The Leo McArdle-owned six-year-old mare jumped well and scored by a length and a half from Noble Birth, with Townend later revealing: “It was a big step up from what she had done and her jumping was her main asset. She jumped her way into the race without having to do anything and had three good jumps up the straight, which were a help.

“She had point-to-point experience and a flatter track helped as well, although I won’t repeat what I said to him (Mullins) after she ran in Galway!”

THE most valuable race was the €45,000 GMIB Handicap Hurdle, which was won by the Peter Fahey-trained Miss Fourie (17/2), under jockey Jake Coen.

The quirky mare was patiently-ridden, improved to lead before two-out and finished well to beat Mighty Tom by nine lengths.

Fahey reported: “She ran a cracker at Galway but before that race, she ran off the bend at Sligo when I think she should have won, and at Tramore the last day I thought it was an easy target but she did the exact same thing. She is just a little clever but is grand going this direction and is a lovely filly.

“To be honest I was 50-50 on whether to run or not, due to the rain, but I said to Aisling that we might as well chance it as her season could be over if we get much more rain after this. I’m delighted for Jake who is a good little rider. She’ll be a grand filly over fences next year.”

Popular

Most popular winner on a dreadfully wet day was King Ferdinand (15/2), which landed the Thorn Plant Hire Handicap Chase much to the delight of the successful Gortroe Racing Club.

Ridden by Alan O’Sullivan, King Ferdinand scored readily from A Nod To Getaway, which the amateur jockey’s uncle and winning trainer Eugene O’Sullivan later reporting: “He is an improving horse and it is a great syndicate which is from my local pub, the Gortroe Inn.

“They formed after a few of my horses won and Vinny Grimes and Tony O’Shea are the main men in it. There are 26 members and their families and this is unreal - they are having savage luck with him.”

He added: “He missed five days work after Mallow as he pulled a shoe and then pulled it twice more and if that hadn’t happened, I’d have been very confident.

“Our plan is to go to Listowel for the amateur handicap chase and then to go to Cheltenham in November.”

Repeat success

The Eric McNamara-trained, Michael Dolan-owned Meehall (7/1) landed the Jeremy O’Neill Memorial Handicap Chase for the second time in three years, when scoring under jockey Daniel King.

McNamara later reported: “He won this race two years ago and jumped superbly tonight. Killashee (front-runner) took him off his feet here a month ago and he ran no race but things worked out well today and Daniel King gave him a super ride and is very capable.

“He will go to Listowel (September) and Galway (October) next. Conor (son) got a fall in Tramore, where he got a kick, so unfortunately was out since yesterday but is back on Saturday.”

The fourth chase on the card, the Irish Examiner Handicap, was won by the Gavin Cromwell-trained Dutch Schultz (4/1 favourite) which scored under a brave ride from 5lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh.

Dutch Schultz met some interference on the inside approaching the final fence but finished well to pass Mount Frisco on the run-in, scoring by a length and three-quarters.

Regarding the Bootlegger Syndicate-owned winner, Cromwell’s assistant Garvan Donnelly reported: “He is a grand versatile horse and while if the ground became much deeper it wouldn’t have been ideal, he got through it as it is loose.

“Conor was very good on him and it was a young buck’s ride to go down the inside! Hopefully there’ll be a race at Listowel for him.”