THE feature open lightweight at Carrigarostig on Sunday saw Chris’s Dream (2/7 - 1/4 favourite) maintain his 100% strike-rate in open company.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding made all the running under Maxine O’Sullivan and jumped well throughout to land the three-runner affair, beating the Colin McBratney-trained Welsh Saint by a cosy three lengths in the end.

The Brian Acheson-owned 11-year-old, who was rated 165 over fences, is a six-time winner under rules with his victories including the 2020 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park and the previous year’s Troytown Chase at Navan.

The son of Mahler is now qualified for the Cheltenham Festival hunter chase and would look to hold big claims if connections decided to go down that route.

Winning rider O’Sullivan, who knows the gelding well as he started his career by winning a Boulta maiden for her father Eugene, stated: “We had him at home as a young horse, so I know him very well and I’m delighted to be reunited with him.

“He did it really well. I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to ride him today, it is a real treat to ride a horse like Chris.”

The six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden produced a dramatic finish as the Marie Harding-trained Fionns Choice (5/1), who had always raced in the first half of the 10-runner field under Joanna Walton, was disputing the advantage with the favourite, Good Friday Fairy, when that rival came down at the last.

Advantage

That left the son of Mountain High with the advantage and he kept on best to beat the Colin Bowe-trained Tara Cove by two lengths at the line.

The fine, big seven-year-old, who had previously finished third at Kinsale in October, is a homebred owned by Harding’s father John and had gone unsold when offered both as a foal and as a store.

The winning rider, who is enjoying a 50% strike-rate for the season, having recorded two victories from just four rides, explained that the gelding, who is normally partnered by Eoin O’Brien who was in action at Turtulla, had been ready to run in recent weeks with connections just waiting for the right opportunity to run him.

Alan O’Sullivan partnered his fourth winner of the season when guiding Mamaker (9/4) to success in the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden for novice riders.

Faller at final fence

The Ciaran Fennessy-trained daughter of Saddler Maker, who was a final-fence faller at Aghabullogue a week previously when booked for third, bounced back to form here.

Having never been too far off the pace, the six-year-old then went on from the fourth last fence and won nicely in the end, getting the better of the Louis Archdeacon-trained Cailin Beag by a comfortable six lengths at the line.

The Patsy Murphy-owned mare is out of Grammatiste who won seven races under rules. “She is a lovely filly, she was unlucky last week, she ran very well and would have finished third. She has had two runs pretty quick so we will give her a month and then go for a mares’ winners’ race,” said handler Fennessy’s father Liam.

“She is owned by Patsy Murphy from Mayobridge and he is a great supporter of ours. He can’t be here today as he had a small bit of an accident, but he is with us in heart.”

Nevin calls all the shots on Calli Black

TWENTY-one-year-old Dan Nevin guided Calli Black (9/4 favourite) to success for absent handler Mick Goff in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

A faller on debut in Dromahane on the penultimate day of last season, the daughter of Califet was always to the fore under an enterprising front-running ride and, with the exception of being briefly joined at the fifth obstacle, she hardly saw another rival.

Despite the best efforts of her six rivals, they could never really land a blow, with the €8,000 foal finishing four lengths clear of Femme Magnifique. Nevin indicated that Calli Black, who was running in the colours of her handler’s wife Caitriona, had been fancied by connections and was now likely to be offered for sale.

Handler Pat Crowley gained his initial winner of the season as Glenbeg Express (5/2 - 3/1), who was a winner at Mainstown in 2020 when under the care of Shane O’Brien, took the mares’ winners-of-two contest.

The Darragh Allen-ridden mare made most of the running in the four-runner contest and, despite being headed after the third-last obstacle, she fought back to regain the lead before two out and kept on best to get the better of Like Ta Ma by two lengths.

“She had a grand run in Ballindenisk but fell at the second last,” said Allen of the Stephen Ahearne-owned mare. “She was good and tough in fairness to her. She battled the whole way to the line. Hopefully another winners’ race might be an option in another couple of weeks.”

Barrabooka ticks the boxes

COLIN Bowe and Barry O’Neill combined to win the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with the debutant Barrabooka (9/2 favourite).

The son of Presenting was never too far off the pace and joined the long-time leader and eventual runner-up Milan AC before heading that rival at the final fence and keeping on best to score by a length and a half at the line, in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

The €80,000 foal was winning in the colours of the absent Demi O’Byrne, who was represented by his nephew Timmy O’Byrne and son-in-law Kieran Cotter.

Bowe indicated that Barrabooka, who is a fine, big chasing type from the family of the 16-time winner Oscar Whisky and is the first horse that he has trained for O’Byrne, will now head to the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale next Saturday after racing.

Good Friday Fairy (P. Crowley): This big grey son of Fairly Ransom was disputing the advantage and holding every chance when coming down at the last in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden. The James Moran-owned six-year-old should easily atone in the coming weeks.