THE sun shone down on the opening day of the Fermanagh Hunt’s two-day meeting at Necarne which saw just 31 horses declared.

Nonetheless, there was some thrilling action in the four-year-old mares’ maiden as the Patrick Turley-trained Windsor Wife (5/4 - 9/4 joint-favourite) and Ciaran Murphy’s Treadonmydreams (3/1 - 8/1) took up the running from the back of three out, injecting significant pace, and battled neck and neck to the line as the judges were unable to separate the pair and a dead-heat was called.

Acquired for €8,000 at Tattersalls May sale, Murphy commented on his wife Emily’s victorious daughter of Yeats: “She’s a lovely filly who has been doing all her homework very well. Her page is very current even right down to the third dam - she’s very tough and I love a Yeats filly.

“She worked hard to get back up after stumbling on the laneway, so I admire how game she was in her efforts. Aaron gave her a great ride and she is now potentially for sale.”

Turley’s mare, a debutante daughter of Doyen whose dam is a well related to many successful flat performers, was a £10,000 Goffs UK purchase in May 2023. Running in the colours of the successful handler’s wife, Mary, she will now be sold.

Turley double

Weespoof (2/1 favourite) brought up a double on the day for the Downpatrick-based Turley yard as this son of Diamond Boy annihilated the opposition in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Always tacking a wider course in the hands of Noel McParlan, he made smooth progress to take up the running from three out and soon eased clear, stamping his supremacy on the remainder off the field by pulling 29 lengths clear of runner-up Great Notions.

“It was unlucky Decky [Lavery] couldn’t ride him as he had to head on to Punchestown for the bumper, however Noel gave him a very good ride.

“He ran two weeks ago and probably needed the run badly and he did it well today. All the horses seem to be in great form at the minute. He will also head to the sales in the coming weeks,” commented Turley on his victor owned by his wife, Mary.

Overturned

The winners’ of three contest saw short-priced favourite Neo King overturned by the John Walsh-trained Cash Cut (3/1 - 5/2) in a match contest.

This victorious son of Artic Cosmos had pulled-up on his previous start at Tattersalls where his sole opponent on this occasion Neo King had won impressively.

However, that form was reversed here as Cash Cut used his sharper turn of foot from the back of three out to assert his authority and never looked in danger.

This two and a half-length victory was his first competitive success since his maiden win at Oldtown as his latest victory come courtesy of a walkover at Durrow.

“We do think a lot of the horse, but he’s been quite unlucky always some little thing getting in his way, but he was great today,” the winning handler said.

“He showed a nice turn of foot, we will head to another winners’ contest. I own him with my brother, Edward, who bred him.”

Christie on the double

THE locally-based David Christie stable enjoyed a popular double which was kickstarted when Kingston Coole (5/2 - 4/1) collected the five-year-old mares’ maiden as she pleased when her chief rival Townhill Lass exited at the final obstacle when still holding every chance.

The €3,500 Tattersalls purchase was headed at the penultimate obstacle but showed a likeable attitude to battle gamely from the back of two out to get back on terms with Townhill Lass on the approach to the final obstacle, where that final fence drama allowed her to return 11 lengths clear of the second-placed Tell Him Nuttin.

Nice tough mare

Winning jockey Barry O’Neill stated “She’s a nice tough mare, she had a couple of pleasing runs for David although being very green early in her career she is starting to find her stride now so will keep improving. I’d imagine she’ll probably head to a sale now.”

The second leg of Christie’s double came in simple fashion as Maxine O’Sullivan and Ask D’Man cantered past the judges to collect the ladies’ open contest in a walkover to record a seventh career point success in the colours of owners John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane.

This success saw Maxine O’Sullivan draw level with Susie Doyle in the ladies’ title race.

THE final contest saw Simon Cavanagh record his first success as a handler as he landed the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden with Ar Aghaidh (4/1 - 5/1), a seven-year-old daughter of Ocovango.

Having been previously campaigned on the track where she has a handicap mark of 85 over hurdles, she had made her return to pointing action at Portrush in March producing her best work towards the finish to come home third.

She progressed here as she made all from the drop of the flag under Cavanagh, who upped the tempo from the back of three out, and gamely held off the persistent challenge of the eventual runner-up Glenetty.

Aisling Noone, partner of winning handler/rider, commented: “She’s a homebred we have two half-sisters at home. She’s got fairly decent track form at her level so we were hoping she could prevail if we freshened her up and brought her back to points, so I’m glad she did that today.

“She’s had a hard and long season so she could possibly go on a break now and then may go back to the track - she also could be sold.”

Horse to Follow

Diamond Island(J. C. Byrne): He made eye-catching headway on the final circuit and despite being no match for the winner was still holding placed chances when exiting two out. This was not a bad debut, and he could be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.