A DOUBLE on the card for Ian Donoghue and Declan Lavery was the highlight of a good day’s action as the Louth Foxhounds held their meeting at rain-sodden Tattersalls on Sunday.

They kicked off proceedings in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden courtesy of the Patrick Sweeney-owned newcomer Derryhassen Paddy ( 5/1).

A field of 10 went to post and it was Gordon Elliott’s Masterboy Davis that was sent off a warm favourite.

Everything looked to be going to plan as he led two out, but all the while, Lavery and Derryhassen Paddy made smooth progress before throwing down a challenge at the last and staying on strongly to score by a length from Masterboy Davis with La Higuera back third.

The Arctic Cosmos gelding is the second foal out of his point-placed dam Kerrie Girl and he came in for glowing praise from his handler, who stated: “If he didn’t do that, we would have been disappointed. We knew he was a fair horse, all his work has been very good.

“We broke him early as a three-year-old for the man that owns him, and we loved him, he didn’t really love him and took a bit of convincing, but it paid off thank God. He is a proper horse.”

The handler-rider combination brought up their double in the winners’ contest as Moira winner John The Spark (5/2 - 3/1 joint-favourite) stayed on best of the 10 starters to score by five lengths from Wine And Dine and Ballinrea.

Prominent throughout, he and Ballinrea settled down to battle it out from the last on the very long run-in that was brought about by the omission of the final fence from race three onwards, and he got the measure of his rival on the flat as Stephen O’Connor’s Telescope gelding relished conditions.

First double

“It’s a great day, that’s our first double - I rode one would you believe, but that’s our first one training,” Donoghue said.

“He was good in Moira. I bought him for Stephen and was panicking, but we let him out, and he has been a different horse since he came in.

“We have the hang of him now - keep him fresh, run fresh, and he will gallop all day. He will probably go to Limerick over Christmas, he should love the conditions down there.”

Another winner that could be headed to the track over Christmas is James Fahey’s Glendaars Fortune (4/1) who broke her maiden tag by a commanding eight lengths in the five-year-old mares’ maiden under Ray Barron.

Returning from a 233 day absence after three seconds in the spring, Frank Reynolds’ chesnut daughter of Soldier Of Fortune threw a great leap at the last before powering up the straight from Desperado Gene, with Ciakat in third.

The Laois handler explained: “She is for sale, if not, she will run on the track over Christmas. Her work has been very good. She had good form up to this, and I was expecting her to win.

“It’s her first run back in a long time, but the only worry I had was the ground, and she got through it well.”

IT was a red-letter day for Kilkenny native Patrick Cody as he recorded a first points winner aboard Hitak in the older maiden, which carried an INHSC bonus for his neighbours, the Holden family.

Supporting the familiar white and black hoops of Paul Holden and trained by his daughter Ellmaire, the Lauro gelding was last seen making his debut back in April 2022, and sauntered to an easy win on his return.

Confidently ridden by his young jockey, he was in no hurry to hit the front, but when he did at the top of the long straight, he quickly opened up a 12-length gap over Arctic Skua and Walk Easy.

A delighted handler was quick to praise the young rider, as she stated: “I’m delighted for Patrick. He is only across the road from us, and we couldn’t pass him.”

Of Hitak she added: “We always liked him, but he has had a few setbacks. There are no plans, we will see how he is and go another day.”

Own colours

Waterford handler John Flavin was set to offer Reve Inoui (4/1) at yesterday evening’s Cheltenham sale after he carried his own colours to success in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A faller when travelling well at Lingstown eight days previously, the grey son of Kingston Hill showed no ill effects of a quick turnaround when he got the better of a titanic struggle with Tory Hill by a short-head, as the pair pulled eight lengths clear of Jack Go.

Reve Inoui had led off the home turn but couldn’t quite shake off Tory Hill and needed Noel McParlan to be at his strongest as they flashed past the judge.

Saddling his second winner of the season, Flavin was a happy man as he said: “He is a lovely horse. He ran in Lingstown last week and was cantering going to the third last, he slipped at the back of it and unseated, but he has always gone fierce well, and I’m delighted he got his head in front.”

TWELVE runners lined up for the opener, the four-year-old mares’ maiden, and it saw Jokers ’N’ Clowns (5/1 - 3/1) make the perfect start to her career under Dara McGill.

The Jet Away filly was prominent throughout the three-mile contest and still held the advantage when the challenging Dazzelelikethis fell at the last, but it wasn’t all plain sailing thereafter as Wrappedinrubies flashed home late, and it needed the judge to separate them.

Owner-handler Warren Ewing had to endure a nail-biting few minutes before the judge finally called her a short-head winner.

A half-sister to a couple of winners, her next outing will be in the sales ring, and Ewing described her as ‘a good, tough filly,’ and on this display who would argue with him.

Tory Hill (P.M.J Doyle): This son of Milan has come out on the wrong side of two close finishes by a neck and a short-head, and it can only be a matter of time before he gains some compensation. A good jumper and a tough-looking sort, he looks one to keep on the right side of.