THERE was a fabulous atmosphere at Monday’s Duhallow – Kanturk meeting at Dromahane and the fixture is one that will live long in the memory of handler Ellen Doyle and rider Brian Dunleavy as they dominated proceedings by combining to record a sparkling treble with their trio of winners all carrying the familiar colours of the Baltimore Stables Syndicate.

The pair experienced the best possible start to the afternoon by landing the four-year-old mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 15 runners, with newcomer Afancy Getaway (5/2 - 3/1 favourite).

One of eight debutants in the field, Afancy Getaway was bounced out smartly at the head of affairs and the daughter of Getaway gave a superb display of fencing in front.

She was clearly in command from two out, holding a five-length advantage over Miss Doyenne. The early June foal surged further clear approaching the last and she duly returned with 23 lengths to spare over dead-heaters’ Miss Doyenne and Getaways Charm in the style of one that we will be hearing a lot more about.

“She’s a lovely filly and fair play to Frank O’Meara who sold her to us [for €37,000] at the Derby sale last year as he told us to wait around for her as she was in late in the day,” Ms Doyle’s brother James of Afancy Getaway, whose dam Noras Fancy was a Grade 2 chase winner. “She will now be sold.”

The Doyle-Dunleavy combination then collected the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden with Modern Man (4/1 - 9/2).

A creditable third on his debut behind Skylight Hustle at Umma House in October, Modern Man made his way past long-time leader Western Explorer on the approach to three out and the eventual winner had to be rousted along at this third-last fence where the challenging Ubatuba came to grief. The son of Milan was in command from two out and he then kept Western Explorer at bay to triumph by three lengths while the November Boulta third Duel Au Soleil was doing all of his best work at the finish, a further one-length adrift in third.

Improved a lot

James Doyle reported of Modern Man, a half-brother to Grade 3 hurdle winner Gwennie May Boy that hails from the same family as Castlekellyleader and Black Jack Ketchum: “He’s a lovely horse that jumps and gallops. He improved a lot from his run at Umma House and that was a hot maiden.”

Twenty-two-year-old Dunleavy, posting an initial career three-timer and who was cheered on by his father Liam and brother DJ, will seldom ride an easier winner than he did aboard Ms Doyle’s Starzand (2/1 – 7/4 favourite) in the second division of this same contest.

Starzand, the clear form choice considering that he finished second to Colm Murphy’s recent impressive Navan bumper winner Goraibhmaithagat on his only start last season in a two-and-a-half-mile Knockanard contest, was another that benefited from frontrunning tactics.

The son of Harzand, a €21,000 Derby sale graduate, led from the fourth-fence and he stormed clear approaching the penultimate of the 13 obstacles to dismiss the never-dangerous newcomer Wildhorserider by an unchallenged 25 lengths.

“He stepped forwards from his summer’s break and we really fancied him coming here,” said James Doyle of Starzand, whose grandam Kylebeg Dancer was a listed winning hurdler in the UK.

THE Sam Curling-trained mare Angels Dawn (evens - 6/4 favourite) secured her qualification for this season’s Cheltenham Foxhunters by landing the open, a one that was restricted to non-graded winners on the racetrack, under regular partner Pa King.

Angels Dawn, who recorded the most prestigious of her three trace successes in the 2023 renewal of the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham, supplemented her points debut success at Boulta in late November by making her way into pole position approaching two out to defeat seasonal debutant Ryehill by six lengths in the silks of her Callan-based breeder Alfred Sweetman.

Qualification

Curling, who paid tribute to the state of the ground at Dromahane, commented: “She might run in the hunter chase at Naas in February, but it’s great that she has secured her qualification for the Cheltenham Foxhunters and I would like to keep her fresh for the spring.”

Twenty-year-old Josh Ahern from Bartlemy brought his career tally to four by landing the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts’ maiden for novice riders aboard the Louis Archdeacon-trained grey Initateur (4/1 - 6/1).

Returning from a near 20-month sabbatical, the six-year-old Initateur made smooth progress to lead before two out and he was clearly containing closest pursuer John Coffey when the latter fell at the last.

Initateur, owned by Archdeacon’s near-neighbour Gerard Murphy from Gortmore outside Banteer, then crossed the line with 20 lengths to spare over dead-heaters’ Song For My Father and Southern Point.

LONG-standing points supporter ‘Trixie’ Barry struck with his wife Mary Hayes’ Fairye Forth (3/1 - 7/2 co-favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The grey Fairye Forth, runner-up to Gameofinches on his debut at this same venue in November, was always well positioned and he bravely came a second time by surging back to the front with Darragh Allen on the inner before the last to score by six lengths from Potters Voyage.

“He’s a very genuine horse that we actually bought as a foal and the plan is to sell him now,” said three-horse handler Barry of the Kingston Hill-sired Fairye Forth.

Potters Voyage’s Knocknagoshel-based handler Michael Mangan, who started off recent Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle winner Potters Charm in points last season, went one better courtesy of the Happy Valley Syndicate-owned A Pleasant Surprise (4/1 - 5/1) in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

A Pleasant Surprise, having been placed on all three autumn forays, benefited from a switch to forceful front-running tactics and she dug deep for Ross Sugrue to fend off promising newcomer Lily Milan to oblige by three parts of a length in what was the day’s closest finish.

A Pleasant Surprise is frequently ridden out by her handler’s 10-year-old grandson Ross Mangan.

Miss Doyenne (R. J. MCGrath): This newcomer by Doyen, a foal purchaser that’s a half-sister to her handler’s blacktype placed racemare Miss Eyecatcher, made a pleasing debut by dead-heating for second spot in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

This late May foal should easily go one better before embarking on a successful track career.