THERE was some ultra-competitive fare at last Sunday’s Pigeon Hill and Carrigtwohill fixture, hosted by the United Hunt Club at Ballyvodock, and the Terence O’Brien-trained Dream On Daddy justified strong market support by making a victorious career debut in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Dream On Daddy (11/4 - 2/1 joint-favourite), a €26,000 Goffs Land Rover sale graduate who is out of a half-sister to Grade 2-placed hurdler Our Bob, from the same family as Bonalma, was always positioned close to the pace as Phoenix Arizona took the 15 runners along at a generous clip.

The son of Mahler made his way to the front at the third last of the 13 obstacles and Minella Post, having switched to the outer approaching two out, moved second on the run to the last.

The eventual winner was marginally the stronger on the flat as he beat Minella Post by a half-length in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the always-prominent newcomer Coolberrin Hill indicated that he will be winning before too long by securing the minor honours, a further four lengths adrift.

“I was hoping for something like that as he had been doing everything right at home. He will probably now be sold,” disclosed handler O’Brien, one of this particular meeting’s main-stays, of the Denis O’Connor-owned Dream On Daddy who is incidentally an April foal.

Dream On Daddy’s rider Darragh Allen kept his supporters happy as he went on to complete a two-timer by teaming up with owner/trainer Rodger Sweeney to collect the mares’ open aboard Sean Says (5/1 - 7/1).

The former four-timer track winner Sean Says, who commenced her career as a two-year-old in 2018, vindicated the promise of her third-placed points debut effort behind Ramillies in the Turtulla ladies open three weeks earlier by moving through to lead from two out.

While runner-up Maid On The Moon stuck resolutely to her task, there was still some two and a half lengths between the pair at the line.

Great ride

Sweeney, who previously had Cheltenham Foxhunter success with Salsify, remarked of Sean Says: “Darragh [Allen] gave her a great ride and the points have really freshened her up. She’ll now run in another mares’ open.”

Patrick Gleeson got on the scoresheet as the 23-year-old from Knocklong partnered a second points winner to add to his solitary track success aboard the Niall Kelleher-trained Nothingwrongwithyou (4/1 - 5/1) in the adjacent hunts’ maiden for novice riders, a race in which there were no less than four fences bypassed.

Nothingwrongwithyou, shared by Angela and Gemma Kelleher with Lorna Busteed, stepped forwards from his ninth-placed return effort behind Driscolls Hill at Aghabullogue on January 14th by making his way past favourite Pike Road approaching the omitted second last to beat the market-leader by two and a half lengths.

Inchigeelagh native Kelleher, himself a former accomplished amateur, indicated that Nothingwrongwithyou is now likely to contest a winners’ race. Gleeson meanwhile presently rides out with both Sam Curling and Liam Cusack.

JOHNNY Barry bookended the card to record a double and the Conna native will have attained immense satisfaction from his success aboard Castle Croiuil (5/2 - 11/4) in the closing six-year-old and upwards maiden as the victorious bay is trained by his mother-in-law Jeanette Riordan outside Rathcormac.

Castle Croiuil certainly brought the best form to the table in this 11-runner contest as he was lying a close second when exiting at the final fence on his career debut in the Ballidnenisk maiden won by I Masked Du Potier in early December.

On this occasion, the seven-year-old Castle Croiuil made smooth progress inside the final half-mile and he took command approaching the last to dismiss ex-track performer Malinas Glory by three lengths. Castle Croiuil, whose dam is a half-sister to 17-time track winner Caius Marcius, sports the silks of the Culloty Family & Riordan Family Partnership.

Barry instigated his brace aboard the Michael Griffin-trained Mystical Goddess (6/4 - evens favourite), an own-sister to Lucinda Russell’s Grade 2-placed novice chaser Giovinco, who is out of a half-sister to Tell Massini and Rocky Creek, in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

The Walk In The Park-sired Mystical Goddess, owned and bred by her handler’s brother Colm, atoned for getting carried out at the fifth last on her debut at Cragmore the previous Sunday, by coming from well off the pace to master newcomer Handfulofpromises just after the last to score by two lengths. It’s possible that Mystical Goddess could now be sold.

A RAPTOROUS round of applause broke out on West Of Carrig (5/2 - 9/4) crossing the line to victory in the winners’ of two which wasn’t at all surprising considering that the ex-track performer was providing 22-year-old Adrian Browne, who lives just four miles away from the course at Cloneen in the parish of Carrigtwohill, with a first success in the plate.

West Of Carrig, owned and trained by his rider’s father, Don Browne, certainly possessed impressive credentials considering that he finished second to Don’t Matter Now in two winners’ contests at Boulta before Christmas, and the victorious seven-year-old came through to lead with six fences remaining.

He soon established a commanding advantage and, having produced some exemplary jumps, was all of eight lengths clear and showing no signs of stopping after three out as this season’s dual scorer Saffron Hill set off in vain pursuit.

West Of Carrig duly maintained a searching tempo to account for Saffron Hill by eight lengths with a further one-length back to Manatee Du Brizais in third spot.

“It’s great to win at home and I couldn’t ask for anything better,” said the younger Browne, who was virtually mobbed by well-wishers. “I ride him out myself every morning before work and we will probably now go for another winners’ race.”

Horse to Follow

Minella Post (J. Nallen): This son of Champs Elysees, a half-brother to eight winners and hailing from a strong HH Aga Khan distaff family, stayed on purposefully in the truly-run five-year-old geldings’ maiden to be beaten a half-length into second by Dream On Daddy. The bay physically radiates chaser and should ultimately slot in at his ease on the racetrack.