GIVEN its location on the doorsteps of many of the country’s most powerful point-to-point stables, it was no surprise that Ballycrystal hosted a show of strength from local handlers, who dominated proceedings.

Donnchadh Doyle had secured a double at the corresponding fixture in 2024 and, 12 months on, he bettered that by winning half of the races run, beginning with Madam Blue (6/1) in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

One of three runners in the race to be turned out for the second successive weekend, the Blue Bresil mare was certainly not inconvenienced by the quick turnaround, as a return to front-running tactics saw her overcome a notable final fence blunder under Alan Harney to defeat the fast-finishing Nana Noodleman by six and a half lengths.

“She had a few good runs,” Doyle said of the £30,000 Monbeg Syndicate-owned mare. “Brian [Lawless] got down off her last week and said she missed a few fences. He thought she was going to run a bigger race.

“She got into a lovely rhythm there, and Alan gave her a lovely ride.”

James double

Rob James may have sidestepped Madam Blue in favour of one of her six rivals, but he was back aboard Doyle’s other two winners on the card, with Mouthshuteyesopen (4/6 - 4/5 favourite) first to get the reigning champion on the scoreboard for the day in the older mares’ maiden.

Connections did have to take a patient approach with the six-year-old, as this first taste of competitive action came over two and a half years after they parted with €50,000 to secure her at the 2022 Derby sale.

Making up for lost time, the daughter of Pillar Coral seized the initiative climbing to the third-last fence in what proved to be a race-winning move and, while she only crossed the line five and a half lengths clear of the previous weekend’s Tinahely runner-up Coppola, the winning distance likely could have been multiples of that margin had it been required.

Cheltenham sale

She was joined on the boat for today’s Tattersalls sale after racing in Cheltenham by her stablemate Gatineau Park (5/4 - 4/6 favourite) after his victory in the confined maiden supplied James with his 150th winner in the Monbeg Syndicate silks.

Their green, white and orange colours were carried by the first two horses home in the finale, with the previously-placed son of Walk In The Park returning 10 lengths clear of his stablemate Thankyouandplease.

“It’s been a good day,” Doyle said, having saddled the winner of this particular confined maiden for a third straight year.

“He had a good run the last day. He was a bit unlucky, and I would say he didn’t just stay that well on the bigger tracks, but Rob was very happy with him today. He jumped and travelled everywhere.”

Jukebox puts Cotter back on song with a winner

SHANE Cotter’s defence of the under-21 title that he won in a breakthrough campaign last year had hit an early stumbling block when he was injured on the eve of the current campaign commencing, but he belatedly opened his account for the season courtesy of Jukebox King (4/1 - 7/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On just his second ride back from injury, the 18-year-old was lucky to avoid the market principal Sioux Falls slipping up exiting out of the back straight, in an incident which wiped out five of the 12 runners.

Denis Murphy’s Jukebox Jury newcomer then set off running down northern raider Escort’kheops from that point and, once overhauling his more experienced rival after the last, he powered clear to triumph by four lengths.

Avoided the trouble

“It is lovely to get the monkey off the back now,” Cotter said. “I just about avoided the trouble coming out of the back straight, I was next to Rob [James] when he turned over. My horse travelled everywhere with me, and he quickened well up the straight in fairness to him. He is a nice horse.”

A large contingent of the Murphy family was on hand to welcome their second winner on the card, the winners of two victor Fralimonti Bilbery (6/4 - 2/1), who is owned by the handler’s mother, Catherine.

The Ballysteen maiden winner was able to take advantage of a final-fence error on the part of the odds-on favourite Bob The Builder before the pair made notable contact on the run-in.

In the end, a length and a half separated them in favour of the French-bred, to get 19-year-old Oulart native Shane Kehoe off the mark, with his first success in the saddle.

“Shane left school and came to work with us a few years ago now,” Bernice Murphy, daughter of the winning handler, said. “The first time that he sat on a horse was in Denis’, he started walking around the yard and went from there.

“That is a fair turnaround for a chap in the space of a couple of years, and it is great to be able to give him a winner, because he is an important part of the team.”

Burrow lives up to the expectations

WICKLOW handler Gerard Lawless had such high hopes for the Ballydonagh Syndicate-owned The Burrow (6/4 - 7/4 favourite) that he purchased the six-year-old’s dam a fortnight earlier, and the Mount Nelson gelding delivered on those expectations when he ran out a wide-margin winner of the older geldings’ maiden.

Always to the fore under Rob James, his superiority became evident as he powered away from his rivals off the home bend to defeat Jasmin Des Blins by 10 lengths.

“He is a big horse that has just needed a bit of time,” Lawless admitted. “Brian [Lawless] has done a great job with this horse, but unfortunately, he broke his leg during the week, so Rob stood in for him and played a blinder. I do believe that he is a very good horse.”

Horse to Follow

Bob The Builder (R. P. Rath): The Malinas gelding was just foiled in his bid to win for a second weekend in a row, with a costly final-fence error at the root of his defeat here.

There are still more races to be won with him in this sphere.