LAST Sunday’s Limerick Harriers fixture held at Ballycahane belonged to Delgany Co, Wicklow-rider Brian Lawless who partnered the first treble of his career on the card.

Lawless wasted little time in returning to the number one spot as the Sam Curling-trained debutante Echoing Silence (evens - 4/1) looked a filly of some potential in the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The smooth-travelling daughter of Doyen, who carries the colours of Curling’s employee Correna Bowe, took over from Kilbuny Supersonic shortly before the penultimate obstacle and later made little of the testing underfoot conditions to oblige by four lengths from Richard O’Hara’s charge. “We’ve always felt she was very smart. She’s only been away from home a couple of times but has always worked very well. She’d be one of our best four-year-olds and will be sold now,” remarked Curling of Echoing Silence who is a half-sister to Dan Skelton’s recent Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle-winner Deafening Silence

The remainder of Lawless’ winners were supplied by his boss, Matty Flynn O’Connor, with the pair initially combining to land the five-year-old geldings’ maiden courtesy of Pierrot Jaguen (2/1 - 4/1 co-favourite).

Front rank

The Saint Des Saints-sired newcomer, who realised €130,000 as a store in 2022, was in the front rank from flag fall as Mic Drop took the field along.

Given the office by Lawless after the third last, the imposing bay went clear in good style in the home straight and ultimately defeated fellow first-timer Lost Frequencies by six lengths.

“This is a lovely big horse who has just needed a bit of time,” reflected winning owner/trainer Flynn O’Connor. “Brian said he was very immature there, he felt he got there very easily and when he hit the front the horse was idling a bit. He’s always gone well and will be a nice horse for the future.”

Fellow debutante The Big Westerner (7/4) completed the Lawless-treble and Matty Flynn O’Connor’s double when running out a game victor of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Drawing clear with recent Bellharbour runner-up Jasmine D’Airy from some way out, the half-sister to Paul Nicholls’ Stay Away Fay, who claimed the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, forged a length ahead of Pa King’s mount before the final fence and kept up her gallop on the flat to carry the day by two lengths.

“Brian was very happy with her. She’s a grand filly who’ll improve plenty for that as she’s very big and a little backward. She’ll be a lovely sort for the track and will head on to the sales now,” outlined Flynn O’Connor of his five-year-old.

THE John O’Leary-owned Millie B (5/2) resumed winning ways when springing a surprise in the four-runner mares’ open.

Handled outside Clonmel, Co Tipperary, by O’Leary’s neighbour Tom Keating, the progressive daughter of Workforce had shed her maiden tag on debut at Moig South in November before doubling up at Carrigarostig in January.

Unfortunate to unseat when lying second in Oldtown last month, here she appeared to have the measure of Shiroccosmagicgem when that rival unseated Gerry Spain three out and the six-year-old then drew clear of odds-on favourite La Feline in the straight to score by 24 lengths.

“She’s coming along nicely and is very tough and honest,” stated Keating. “That ground is really to her liking and she is an out and out stayer. We will look at the Gain Mares Final now.”

Keating’s fellow county-man Pat Doyle moved on to the 10-winner mark for the season and sent out his third four-year-old winner of the spring as In The Age (2/1 favourite) claimed the younger geldings’ maiden.

Pa King took the mount aboard the Walter Connors-owned French-bred and having initially raced in midfield, he was in the slipstream of the leading Eclipse Chaser after the third last.

However, Gary Murphy’s representative came down at the penultimate obstacle when still holding the call leaving the winning son of Saint Des Saints to make the best of his way home and fend off the closing Fortune Lad by three quarters of a length. “We’d have been disappointed if this lad wasn’t very much involved today. He’s a lovely type with plenty of pace and should do well over shorter trips inside the rails now,” said Doyle.

HAVING occupied the runner-up berth in four of his last five starts, the Hyde family’s Lord Desart (4/6 - evens favourite) made the breakthrough in the closing six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Providing rider Dan Hyde with a seventh success between the flags, the Doyen gelding, handled by the winning rider’s grandfather Timmy, posted an assured display of jumping up front and eased clear of the similarly-ridden Coffeys Forge well before the last to record an eight-length success.

“It’s great to finally get that. He jumped and travelled everywhere for me and did it very nicely. We’ll head on for a winners’ race or maybe even a maiden hunters’ chase now,” commented Dan Hyde of his grandmother Trish’s Lord Desart.

Eclipse Chaser (G.L. Murphy): This Jet Away-sired half-brother to Willie Mullins’ Grade 2-winning, 10-time-scorer Westerner Lady made eye-catching progress from the rear to lead after the third last in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Still to the fore when falling two out, his performance to that point offered distinct promise for the future. He should effortlessly atone in similar company before reaching a nice level inside the rails.