THERE was some ultra-competitive fare at Sunday’s Lismore meeting, staged under the auspices of the West Waterford Foxhounds at Castlelands, and the Garrett Ahern-trained veteran King Alex sprung a major surprise by claiming the scalp of this season’s four-time winner Between Waters in the open.

The 11-year-old King Alex (4/1 - 5/1), a former four-time Barry Connell track victor that recorded his previous sole points success in the Bandon open a little over 12 months earlier, mostly disputed the running on the outer with the sweet-jumping Between Waters.

Favourite-backers would have been happy from three out with Between Waters, but she couldn’t raise her effort from the penultimate of the 15 obstacles, as King Alex asserted for Rathcormac native Jack Collins to beat her by six lengths. Bents Hollow, meanwhile, was doing all of her best work at the finish, a further one-length adrift in third.

King Alex was due to have been partnered by handler Ahern’s son Josh, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in a fall earlier in the afternoon, but 17-year-old Collins proved a more than able deputy.

The Bartlemy-based handler remarked of King Alex, now owned by his daughter Chloe Ahern: “He’s a nice horse to have and we will keep running him in opens. He might also go for a hunters chase at Cork over Easter.”

Double up

Between Waters’ handler Sean Doyle and rider Jamie Scallan still combined to record a double and they signed off with Hydration Station (5/1 - 7/1) in the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 16 runners.

Hydration Station, who had the benefit of a previous run when coming fourth to Klondike at Cragmore in January, was always positioned quite close to the pace and the son of Idaho edged ahead with three fences remaining.

While challenged by newcomer Jambon and the post-Christmas Dromahane runner-up Wildhorserider two out, the bay was possessing all the aces approaching the last and he then unleashed a powerful turn of foot that carried him home six and a half lengths clear of the staying on Kent De Thaix.

Jambon, meanwhile, provided ample indication of ability by returning a further three and a half lengths adrift in third, in a race that a whole host of future maiden winners are likely to emerge from.

Hydration Station represents his handler’s brother Gearoid Doyle and the winning owner reported of his €12,000 Derby sale acquisition, who is closely related to Robin Des Foret from the same family as Padre Mio and Father Rector: “I fancied him big time and he wasn’t quite right after his run in Cragmore. He’s a big three-mile chaser in the making and he galloped right to the line here today. He’ll now be sold.”

Booked his ticket

Gearoid Doyle similarly owns his elder sibling’s other winner, Midnight Jukebox (4/5 favourite), who booked his ticket for this week’s Cheltenham Festival sale by making a victorious career debut in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, which was a race that unfortunately witnessed just three runners.

Midnight Jukebox, the only winning favourite on the day, disputed the running with Soldier Reeves until landing in front over the third-last.

The Jukebox Jury-sired winner was always travelling best thereafter and, although Soldier Reeves closed on the flat, Robert Tector’s charge was still three-parts of a length adrift at the line.

Gearoid Doyle commented of Midnight Jukebox, a €40,000 Derby sale acquisition that’s also a mid-May foal: “He’s as good a horse as I’ve had and all of his homework has been very good.”

JIMMY Kelly similarly had an afternoon to savour, as he saddled an initial career double with the Glengoura-based operator opening his account, courtesy of Caoimhe (3/1 - 4/1) in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, a race in which all nine runners were newcomers.

The Blue Bresil-sired Caoimhe, a well-built filly that towered over her rivals in the preliminaries, led until overtaken by Burds Of A Feather after six out and the Macroom raider then injected fresh pace into the race.

Burds Of A Feather, having been joined by Dance Again three out, was still disputing the running and travelling well when cruelly unseating at the second-last.

Runner-up Dance Again was left in front and, although Caoimhe sustained some interference here, she surged past Paul Pierce’s runner on the flat with Darragh Allen to oblige by an increasing five and a half lengths in the colours of Pat McCarthy from Kilcock.

Lovely sort

Kelly reported of Caoimhe, a €28,000 Goffs Arkle sale graduate, who is out of an unraced own-sister to Grade 3 hurdles winner Morning Run from the same family as Dancing On My Own: “Coming here, we were thinking of the future and she should be a lovely sort next year. Pat [McCarthy] will more than likely hold on to her.”

Kelly completed his brace with Accustomed (3/1 - 4/1) in the five-year-old and upwards unplaced maiden.

The five-year-old gelding Accustomed, owned by Mrs Catherine Cashman, but in whom handler Kelly and fellow trainer James Hannon also hold an interest, atoned for getting brought down two out on his comeback effort at Dungarvan last month, by readily sweeping clear with James Murphy from the second-last to account for Cebu City by 10 lengths.

THE Aidan Fitzgerald-trained Queens Secret (5/1 - 7/1) stepped forwards from her fourth-placed Dungarvan debut effort behind Broomfield Aderra on February 1st by landing the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Queens Secret, who still had six horses in front of her four out, made smooth progress inside the final half-mile to challenge Dempsey’s Milan two out.

The winning daughter of Order Of St George assumed command with Troy Walsh approaching the last and then fought off the renewed effort of Dempsey’s Milan to score by three-parts of a length, with the pair returning 31 lengths clear of the third-placed Queen Of The Gales.

Handler Fitzgerald disclosed of Queens Secret, sporting the silks of the Cobajay Syndicate: “She’s actually owned by the staff in the yard and I’m really delighted for them.”

The five-year-old Queens Secret was then added to Thursday evening’s Cheltenham Festival sale.

Burds Of A Feather (G. Kelleher): This newcomer by Westerner picked up the running from six out in the four-year-old mares’ maiden and was still travelling well with a dispute of the lead when exiting at the second-last.

The own-sister to blacktype hurdles-placed mare Sarah Beara appears to hold an extremely bright future.