THE South Union Foxhounds annual Kinsale autumn fixture took place on Sunday and Cloudy Tuesday showed that he’s in line for another productive campaign by making a victorious return to the fray in the open under handler Turlough O’Connor.

Just five horses lined up here and the March 2021 Thurles hunter chase scorer Cloudy Tuesday (3/1 - 4/1) disputed the running with Notice To Close until the latter was overtaken by favourite Lord Schnitzel with five out of the 15 obstacles still remaining.

There was little to separate Cloudy Tuesday and Lord Schnitzel from the third-last with the pair well clear of Notice To Close.

Cloudy Tuesday was beginning to get the better of the argument from the penultimate obstacle and Lord Schnitzel was held in second spot when blundering at the final fence.

Full flight

Notice To Close was in full flight by now and, while closing on the flat, he was unable to peg back the winning seven-year-old with two lengths separating the pair.

“He’s a tough horse that had a few hard races last season and he’ll now run in another open in about a month’s time. He’ll also go back for a hunters’ chase at some stage,” said O’Connor of Cloudy Tuesday, owned and bred by his aunt Irene Walsh.

The Pat Doyle-trained newcomer Marv Michael (1/1 - 1/2 favourite) ensured that punters experienced the best possible start to proceedings by justifying his odds in the four-year-old maiden, much to the dismay of the eight bookmakers present.

Triumphant

Double Digits took the nine runners along at a decent clip as Ben Harvey was keen to hold onto the eventual winner in mid-division on the outer, the triumphant son of Westerner edging closer in second spot from four out.

Double Digits still held the call between the final two fences as the jolly was asked for his effort. The response was in a positive vein as Marv Michael assumed command under 50 yards out to see off Double Digits by a length while The Big Reveal completed a clean sweep of the placings for first-timers by finishing third a further two lengths adrift.

“He’s a grand smart horse, not your typical point-to-pointer perhaps, and he will make into a nice hurdler,” opined handler Doyle of the Gerard Madigan-owned winner.

Doyle also explained that Marv Michael, a €35,000 acquisition at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover Sale and whose Oscar-sired dam was blacktype-placed over fences, is now likely to be transferred to Henry de Bromhead for a track career.

Declan Queally has his string in cracking order and he kept his supporters happy by sending out Desert Heather (1/1 - 4/5 favourite) to supplement her recent Ballycrystal maiden victory in the winners of two.

Desert Heather made the best of her way home from four out with Chris O’Donovan and she provided some hope to the pursuing Autumn Philtre by leaping out to the right over the final two fences.

Desert Heather however readily rose her effort on the flat to beat last month’s Portrush maiden scorer Autumn Philtre by an increasing two lengths with a five-length break back to the third-placed Useitorlooseit.

In Queally’s absence, Desert Heather’s owner/breeder Henry Gettings reported: “She’ll run away in winners’ race for the moment, but she will go back ‘inside the rails’ at some stage as she’s handicapped over fences.”

Hannon on the double

JAMES Hannon, who made his initial mount of the season a winning one aboard Mister Park at Loughanmore the previous weekend, was the only rider to partner a double with the Tallow amateur opening his account aboard the Robert Moloney-trained newcomer Mylesfromwicklow (5/2 - 3/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Ocovango-sired Mylesfromwicklow, having really stood out in the preliminaries, was bounced out smartly and he gave a superb display of fencing at the head of affairs.

The previous Sunday’s Umma House runner-up From The Clouds went in pursuit from three out, but the winner was quite simply in a different league as he asserted before the last.

He duly returned with eight lengths to spare over From The Clouds with just a further short-head back to Shantou Moon in third spot.

Strong stayer

“He’s a very strong stayer and the plan was to bounce out and make the running,” said Bandon-based handler Moloney of his brother Paul’s Mylesfromwicklow, who traces back to Putty Road.

“He had been working with my four-year-old Jack Hyde that came third in Portush a few weeks ago and he’ll now be sold.”

Hannon signed off aboard Eamonn Gallagher’s former hurdler Tender Queen (7/4 - 2/1) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Tender Queen, who was making her point debut, moved to the head of affairs three out and she commenced the incline from this third-last fence with a couple of lengths advantage.

The victorious six-year-old, the first winner that Gallagher has trained for owner/breeder Conor O’Brien from Fermoy, was clearly in command after two out and she swept clear from the last to see off newcomer Lyrid by eight lengths.

Gallagher intimated that the Elusive Pimpernel-sired Tender Queen will now be targeted at a winners’ race.

Dundaniel scores poignant success for his breeder

THE Mikey Kennedy-trained Dundaniel (3/1 - 4/1) returned to the form that saw him finish second at Bandon last term by coming out on top under Johnny Barry in a gripping finish to the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Seasonal debutant Dundaniel was always positioned on the pace until edging into a couple of lengths advantage on the descent from five out.

Denied

While runner-up Pray Tell closed from before the last, Dundaniel was in no mood to be denied as he held on valiantly to score by a neck.

This was a victory tinged with sadness however as Dundaniel’s breeder PJ O’Driscoll, a long-standing points supporter, passed away the previous month.

Horse To Follow

Double Digits (Michael Goff): This British-bred newcomer by Mastercraftsman gave it a good go from the front in the four-year-old maiden. He was only headed inside the final 50 yards and beaten a length by Marv Michael. Compensation is likely to be a formality and a successful track career should beckon.