THE Rob James-trained/ridden Conman John lit up Sunday’s Kilkenny Foxhounds meeting at Damma House by annihilating the opposition in the second division of the four-year-old maiden.

Conman John (3/1 - 4/1), who brought arguably the best form to the table considering that he was beaten six lengths into third spot in a high-class Dawstown contest in May, was joined by newcomer Starmount from as early as the fourth-fence.

The son of Malinas edged into a couple of lengths advantage after the third-last of the 16 obstacles. Starmount was some two and a half lengths adrift in second spot, and having to be ridden along, when falling two out.

The Matchmaker Syndicate-owned then unleashed a strong turn of foot from this penultimate obstacle, one that carried him some 20 lengths clear of last month’s Portrush runner-up Daydream Nation. The favourite Riskaway, already beaten when sustaining second-last fence interference, returned three lengths further adrift in third.

“He’s a very nice horse that was just a bit weak when he ran in Dawstown,” said James of Conman John, a €31,000 Goffs Arkle sale acquisition that’s out of a half-sister to A Rated from the same family as Planet Of Sound.

“The summer’s grass has done him the power of good and he’s a horse with a very good cruising speed.”

Do no wrong

The formidable Colin Bowe-Barry O’Neill alliance can do literally no wrong at present and they combined to collect the first division of this contest with Soldier In Mayo (5/2 - 3/1), a creditable third on his only previous start at Castletown-Geoghegan last month.

Recent Peppard’s Castle runner-up Kool Kid tried to force the pace, but Soldier In Mayo moved closer in second spot on the outer from two out.

It was the eventual winner that got away faster from the last and the Alberta Capital Ltd-owned bay then maintained a narrow advantage to the line to deny the rallying Kool Kid by a neck.

Former track performer Lucky Manifest shaped more than respectably by securing the minor honours, a further six lengths adrift.

“He’s a nice horse that’s as game as a pebble,” remarked Bowe of the son of Soldier Of Fortune, an €8,000 foal purchase that traces back to Vodka Bleu. Soldier In Mayo was then added to the forthcoming Tattersalls sale after racing at Cheltenham next Friday – November 15th.

Doyle winner

Pat Doyle sent out his second winner of the campaign when his wife Mary’s Dixie Mafia (2/1 - 5/2 co-favourite) got a deserved turn in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Dixie Mafia, who fell when travelling best at the last in Comea last year before departing two out in the Castlelands race, won by subsequent Cheltenham bumper victor Block Rockin Beats, disputed the running with Jump Style until setting sail for home after the third-last.

The son of Sholokhov, a Derby sale graduate, was always in command thereafter under talented 5lb-claimer David Doyle and he duly defeated former hurdler Howdoyalikeherhome by 25 lengths.

“He really deserved that and he’s probably a better horse on softer ground. He’ll now be sold,” disclosed handler Doyle’s son Jack of Dixie Mafia.

SAM Curling, who was responsible for an across-the-card three-timer on Sunday, saddled two winners at this meeting and he was all smiles following the success of Wonderwall (2/5 favourite) in the open.

Successful on his points debut at Loughrea last month, Wonderwall moved stylishly into contention from three out and he eased past long-time leader Francois on the inner before two out with Derek O’Connor.

Wonderwall, a former dual track winner in Britain for Richard Spencer, who also finished a commendable seventh in the 2021 renewal of the Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival Bumper, then coasted clear to beat Francois by 10 lengths in the silks of John O’Leary.

“That’s brilliant, he’s now qualified for the Cheltenham Foxhunters,” reported Curling of the Yeats-sired Wonderwall, a £33,000 purchase at this past summer’s Goffs UK sale in Doncaster. “We’ll give him a break and maybe bring him back to run at Belharbour in February, otherwise he’ll go straight to Cheltenham.”

Curling then signed off with Longhouse Star (1/3 favourite) in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden, a race in which just two horses faced the starter.

The seven-year-old Longhouse Star gave an exhibition of fencing with Toni Quail on the inner and the former track performer, representing John Duggan from Birdhill, asserted from two out to dismiss Bective Bridge by four lengths.

Curling commented: “We’re after having a great weekend and I’m delighted that both Toni [Quail] and Jack O’Grady, who rode a winner for me at Rathcannon today on Dont Tell Shirley, got on the scoresheet.

“Longhouse Star jumped great and we’ll now run him in a winners’ race for Toni and he could also go jumping banks.”

Roche ‘Leading’ the way to first success

IT was a memorable afternoon for Cleariestown-based owner/trainer Shane Roche as he sent out a first career winner courtesy of Leading Endeavour (3/1 - 4/1) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Leading Endeavour, who pulled up after a mile on her only previous start at Bartlemy last term, set sail for home with Barry Stone after three out and she duly returned with 20 lengths to spare over Nanny Betty.

The winning daughter of Leading Light, home-bred by Roche’s father Kevin, possesses an interesting pedigree as her half-brother Great Endeavour won the 2011 renewal of the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase for David Pipe at Cheltenham’s November meeting.

In the lead

The victory of Leading Endeavour was compensation of sorts for Roche, as his Highway Skyline fell when travelling best in the lead at the final fence in the Lisronagh older horses’ maiden the previous afternoon.

Fountain House (3/1 - 7/4 favourite), runner-up in last season’s Ladies Cup at the Punchestown Festival, supplemented his Loughrea success last month by landing a competitive renewal of the winners of two.

Fountain House moved closer from the third-last and he led from two out for Eoin Mahon to eclipse Milo Miller by a half-length, in a race that saw three and a half lengths cover the first four home. Handler Ian McCarthy indicated that his wife Nicki’s Fountain House will once again be campaigned in banks races this year.

Kool Kid (Michael Goff): A rare points runner for sire Kool Kompany, this Peppard’s Castle runner-up made most of the running until headed from the last in the first division of the four-year-old maiden. He rallied bravely in the closing stages to be beaten just a neck into second and compensation should be easily attained, whilst he’s also likely to slot in on the racetrack.