OWNED and trained by Eddie Power, The Blind Piper (4/5 - 1/1) sustained his recent winning streak when landing a fast-paced winners-of-three at last Sunday’s Longford Hunt meeting held at Corbeagh House.

The nine-year-old son of Robin Des Champs was turned out swiftly following his 60-length victory in Moig South just seven days previously to score again in similar fashion for Adam Ryan, on what was his fifth run in the point-to-point sphere.

Coasted home

Content to track the leaders until the latter stages, this half-brother to the Ben Pauling-trained chaser Kildisart, was never in danger after entering the straight and coasted home 24 lengths clear of Mizuma.

That Vincent Halley-trained gelding was no match for the winner from before the second last and got tired in the home straight in what was a strongly-run contest.

Having run on the track four times previous to no avail, The Blind Piper seems to have found his niche in the point-to-point field.

Now set to contest the maiden hunter chase in Limerick over Christmas, he will look to follow in the footsteps of Lord Schnitzel, who won that event having also landed a similar winners-of-three en route.

“He went very well. He won by 60 lengths last week and he normally doesn’t come out of his races that quick but we had no choice, there’s no other winners of three before Christmas,” said the winning Johnstown handler.

Better fresh

“He wouldn’t have been 100% right, he’s a better horse fresh but he did it very easy. The plan now is to go to the maiden hunter chase at Christmas in Limerick just to freshen him up. He likes that ground and would love it softer again, Limerick will suit him.”

Eight faced the starter in the opening four-year-old maiden, with Mint Boy (2/1 - 5/2 favourite) narrowly scoring for the absent Gavin Cromwell in what was an impressive debut between the flags.

The son of Mount Nelson, who cost €50,000 as a store at Goffs, was headed at the last after a slight mistake but rallied on well to get half a length ahead at the line. It was two well-fancied newcomers that battled it out in this race which was run at a decent gallop, with runner-up, Rainbow Trail, jumping well and unlucky to miss out by such a narrow margin.

The first three home in this race were all due to go under the hammer in Friday’s Tattersalls Cheltenham December sale.

The father and son trainer and jockey duo of Sean and Noel McParlan won the five-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden with Fathom Two (5/2 - 3/1), a bay son of Court Cave.

Authority

Having had just one previous run, he won here with plenty of authority. In front from three out, the Donal Boyle-owned homebred was always in command and won snugly at the line beating the sales bound The Butler Yates by three lengths.

“He ran a great race and Noel gave him a good spin; he did everything right on him. I think he’d prefer a little bit better ground but he jumped well and ran well there,” Boyle said.

“I still have the mare at home which is great. I didn’t go to the sales with him because he didn’t have enough height and he turned out a nice horse.”

Iron strikes hot for Murphy

THE Ciarán Murphy-trained Iron Allen (7/4 - 5/2) scored in the hands of Simon Cavanagh in what was a disappointing turnout for the day’s four-year-old auction race.

Three newcomers made up three of the four runners, but it was experience that prevailed for this son of Kitkou who cost €20,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale last year. Finishing third of three runners on his debut in Castletown-Geoghegan in April, the half-brother to Enjoy D’allen didn’t seem to carry his form into his last run this season when Harry Swan had to pull him up before the last.

However, this winning performance was completed with minimal fuss by the good-looking grey who galloped strongly to the line to dismiss his three rivals. Twentytonine, who was six lengths behind him in second, ran a solid race for his debut effort under Liam Gilligan.

Jump well

John Kearney, from the Mullingar-based Go for Porter Syndicate, said: “He went great and liked the ground. He ran twice already in Castletown and the ground was hard on both occasions and this was his first day out on soft ground and he seemed to finish well and jump well.”

A quick double was completed for Ciarán Murphy and Simon Cavanagh when the Milan mare, Lavinia Fontana (2/1), got over the line in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. With just a neck to spare at the line, the five-year-old jumped well and was prominent from the offset here to gamely beat James Kiernan’s Dancetildawn who was having her third run in point-to-points.

The successful Sean Kiernan-owned mare relished Sunday’s conditions to step up from her fourth placed effort at Tattersalls last time out.

“She loved that ground there. She had a couple of runs on hard ground and it didn’t suit her at all, especially over two miles,” Kiernan said. “We’ll probably stay campaigning with her but we’ll have to see what the trainer says.”

The Tipperary-based trainer has now seven wins from 26 runners this season, with this mare contributing three wins.The John O’Leary-owned daughter of Martaline drew clear from her rivals from before three out and looks the sort to continue in such a manner after she defeated Rose Of Coolbally by 12 lengths.

“Brian gave her a lovely ride,” Curling said. “She’s not the easiest to ride and she’s a lot better going left-handed.

“We’ll find something for her after Christmas but she’ll stay point-to-pointing.”

Dancetilldawn (J. M. Kiernan): This Ocovango mare was narrowly beaten in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ when a mistake at the last proved costly. She should improve from this run in the coming weeks.