SHANE Cotter will have an excellent reason to recall Saturday’s Killinick Harriers meeting at Lingstown as the 17-year-old from Ballynoe partnered an initial career winner aboard owner/trainer Billy Codd’s Special Prep in the novice riders’ open.

Special Prep (6/1 - 8/1), who finished a creditable fourth behind Lough Derg Spirit in the banks race at this same venue just six days earlier, was held up at the rear of the five-runner field as Stranger Danger cut out the early running from Vaucelet.

The victorious 11-year-old, a former three-time track winner for Pauline Robson in the UK, moved ever closer from the fourth last of the 14 obstacles and he hit the front after the second last.

Special Prep, who was fitted with cheekpieces, was well in command when throwing a fabulous jump at the last and he then accounted for the mare Maid On The Moon by two and a half lengths.

There was a further three quarters of a length break back to odds-on shot Vaucelet in third.

“This is a big surprise and the chap [Cotter] gave him a great ride,” said Codd, whose family are also one of the landowners of this track.

“My late son William started him off as a young horse and we gave him a year off after we got him back. The plan was the banks race here last Sunday, but I’m not sure where we will go with him now.”

Cotter meanwhile presently works with Denis Murphy and it was fitting that his father Brian and grandfather Dan travelled from east Cork to witness his big moment.

Double up

Handler Matthew Flynn O’Connor combined with Brian Lawless to record a double and it was newcomer Tumuch (5/2 - 3/1) that initiated the pair’s brace in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Tumuch, a son of Al Boum Photo’s sire Buck’s Boum, who was acquired for €65,000 at last year’s Derby Sale, was always positioned on the pace.

With Majestic Moment making his way into the lead six out, the victorious white-faced bay forged back to the front with three fences remaining and he then swept clear from two out to beat Toomebridge third Blue Bellamy by a widening 12 lengths in the style of a horse that we will be hearing a lot more about.

“He’s a very nice horse that will probably now be sold,” said owner/trainer Flynn O’Connor of Tumuch, whose dam is a half-sister to the dam of Tom George’s Sir Valentino who finished third in the 2017 renewal of the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Going Live (6/4 - 4/1) completed the Flynn O’Connor/Lawless two-timer in the second division of this same contest.

Going Live, who shaped with promise on his two previous starts most notably when coming fourth to the impressive Leaky Cauldron at Ballycrystal in October, was another to benefit from frontrunning tactics.

The victorious son of Doyen, a €70,000 Goffs Land Rover sale graduate who is a half-brother to Willie Mullins’ Grade 1-placed bumper performer James’s Gate, was always in command after throwing a spectacular second-last fence leap and he then dismissed favourite Califet En Vol by four lengths in the colours of the Cullen House Syndicate.

JACK Hendrick was another that was in double form and he signed off aboard owner/trainer Robert Tector’s newcomer Majestic Force (5/4 – 4/5 favourite) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Majestic Force always took the eye in running and she moved through to lead with three fences remaining. Runner-up Ask Hannah wasn’t able to cope with the eventual winner from two out as she stormed clear to score by a widening 28 lengths.

“I have her since the start of the season and she came highly recommended to me,” said Tector of the Workforce-sired Majestic Force, a relation to Jimmy Moffett’s former Grade 1 winner Chief Dan George who was incidentally providing him with a first victory of the campaign. “She’s a very good mare that would be better in a better-run race.”

Hendrick was earlier on the mark aboard the Denis Murphy-trained River Agent (6/4 - 2/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Portrush third River Agent, who finished sixth to Jeroboam Machin in the pointers’ bumper at Fairyhouse eight days earlier, was left a close second when both Reve Inoui and Gentleman Bill departed four out and he made his way to the front on the run down to the second last.

It was all relatively plain sailing thereafter as the son of Ol’ Man River bounded clear to dispense with newcomer The Risky Miskies by eight lengths in the silks of his handler’s mother, Catherine Murphy.

COLIN Bowe’s Air Of Entitlement (5/4 – evens favourite) readily put her rivals to the sword in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. Air Of Entitlement, who was all but put out of the race two out when finishing third to the smart Half Past Tipsy on her debut at Quakerstown a fortnight earlier, was sent through by Barry O’Neill to dispute the running with O’Grady’s Hill three out.

The winning daughter of Westerner, a €90,000 Derby sale graduate who is closely related to Rogue Angel, was well in command from the second last and she crossed the line with 16 lengths to spare over Susan O’Gorman’s newcomer Forcetoreckonwith.

The indications are that owner Brian Acheson will now transfer Air Of Entitlement to one of his track trainers to commence her racecourse career under the Robcour banner.

The Claire O’Connell-trained/bred five-year-old Born Braver (4/1 - 5/1) supplemented his recent Knockmullen maiden success by landing the winners’ of two under Johnny Barry.

Beau’s Candle set out to make all and he still appeared the most likely victor on the run to the last. However, Beau’s Candle blundered here losing momentum in the process and he was overtaken by the winner, a son of Court Cave, in the closing stages with a neck the winning margin. Born Braver is presently owned by Ms O’Connell’s husband, Paul O’Sullivan.

O’Grady’s Hill (R. Tector): This Kingston Hill-sired newcomer faded from two out in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, having tried to keep tabs with impressive winner Air Of Entitlement. She ran considerably better than being beaten some 19 lengths into fourth indicates and maiden success should prove a mere formality.