THE Killinick Harriers meeting at Lingstown, a fixture that was put on at very short notice, was a welcome addition to the fixture list on Sunday and Matthew Flynn O’Connor continued his fine season by sending out two debut winners.

It was Brian Lawless that partnered both of Flynn O’Connor’s winners with the pair getting off the mark courtesy of Deeply Superficial in a vintage renewal of the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The imposing Deeply Superficial (6/1 - 4/1) and Born To Rocco were responsible for the generous pace in this 14-runner contest as they had most of the field on the stretch on the long run from after the third last.

The winning daughter of Flemensfirth edged into a couple of lengths advantage on the approach to two out, a fence that claimed Born To Rocco who was some two lengths adrift in second spot at the time.

With runner-up Mullenbeg then being left second and sustaining interference, Deeply Superficial stretched clear on the run to the final fence to beat Michael Butler’s charge by 10 lengths in the colours of the Rock Fort Racing Syndicate.

“She won it well and she’s one that we always thought a lot of,” said Flynn O’Connor of Deeply Superficial, a €31,000 graduate of the 2020 Derby Sale that’s out of an unraced half-sister to Coral Cup Hurdle winner Diamond King.

Deeply Superficial, an early May foal, was due to be offered at last night’s Tattersalls sale after racing in Cheltenham.

Debut success

Likewise bound for the boutique auction at the famed Prestbury Park venue is Stay Away Fay, a son of Shantou, that brought up the Flynn O’Connor/Lawless brace by posting an authoritative debut success in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Stay Away Fay (4/1 - 6/1) was always positioned close to the pace as Sam Magee and Raffles Wonder cut out the running. The eventual winner edged closer from three out and a superb jump two out took him to the head of affairs.

While there was a queue of horses lined up in behind from this penultimate obstacle, Stay Away Fay soon rose his effort and the grandson of listed hurdles/chase-winning mare Penneyrose Bay asserted on the run to the final fence to put six lengths between himself and runner-up Monty’s Star.

“He’s a tough and honest horse that’s still backward and he just took plenty of time,” remarked the winning handler of Stay Away Fay, a £39,000 graduate of last summer’s Goffs UK supplementary store sale at Doncaster that represents the Cullen House Syndicate.

Pat Doyle has experienced a terrific run of success with his newcomers this autumn and the absent Suirview Stables operator struck yet again by sending out Grand Soir to destroy the opposition on his initial outing in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Grand Soir (2/1 - 5/2), an embryonic chasing type by Corkoriko who was the definite pick of the paddock beforehand, was always positioned close to the pace with Rob James and the winning French-bred eased into the lead with three fences remaining.

There was only going to be one outcome from two out as the French-bred bounded clear to account for Worthatry by 15 lengths in the silks of his handler’s wife Mary.

“He’s a big horse that has just needed to fill into himself,” disclosed Pat and Mary’s daughter Susie of Grand Soir, yet another that was scheduled to go through the ring at Cheltenham yesterday evening.

Champ knocks them out this time

THE Sean Doyle-trained Is A Real Champ avenged his second-placed effort at Knockmullen last month by returning to the coveted number one slot with Jamie Scallan in the winner-of-one contest.

Is A Real Champ (3/1 - 4/1), a relatively lightly raced seven-year-old that opened his account in a Curraghmore maiden in late October, made his way to the front two out.

Red Vision through harried him all the way down to the last and, although losing some momentum on the approach to that fence, the winning son of Getaway drew clear on the flat to beat James Kenny’s mount by a two length margin.

Doyle indicated that Is A Real Champ, who was placed on his two track starts in Britain for Paul Nicholls, will now contest the maiden hunters’ chase at Limerick over Christmas.

Rapturous

The Stevie O’Donoghue-trained Magheroarty Star returned to a rapturous reception on making a victorious career debut in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

This season’s dual runner-up Hello Arlene still held the call on the run to the last, but she slowed into the fence somewhat and duly blundered.

Magheroarty Star (3/1) then came through with Darragh Allen to lead and she was always just about holding runner-up Some Woman inside the final 50 yards, three-parts of a length being the winning margin in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

Araglen-based handler O’Donoghue, who has five horses in training at present, tends to Magheroarty Star for his uncle Michael O’Donoghue who also bred the daughter of Watar who was also bound for yesterday evening’s Cheltenham sale.

KATE Derwin, a member of the well-known Athlone family, experienced a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon as she partnered a first career winner aboard the Eugene O’Sullivan-owned and -trained Ballycurrane Boy in the older maiden for novice riders.

The recent Kildorrery third Ballycurrane Boy (4/1 - 6/1) arrived from off the pace on the outer and he surged to the front approaching two out.

The son of Double Eclipse, who finished a respectable fourth on his career debut in a Killarney bumper in August of last year, was always in command between the final two fences and he coasted home to dismiss Time To Bite by 16 lengths.

Twenty-year-old Derwin, who rides out for Edward O’Grady, recently purchased Ballycurrane Boy and that six-year-old will now join Fethard-based handler Johnny Cummins.

Time To Rocco (C. Motherway): This daughter of Shirocco was still lying a close second when falling two out on her debut in the four-year-old mares’ maiden and the close relation to Oscar Time should be very difficult to beat the next day.