JONATHAN Fogarty continued his stellar season by registering a double at this Killinick Harriers fixture, with the spring sunshine undoubtedly contributing to the large crowd in attendance.

Saddling a memorable treble at the Lingstown circuit in November, Fogarty again enjoyed a fruitful afternoon at his local track, striking first with Katie’s Melody (6/4 - 9/4) in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

A €55,000 Goffs Arkle Sale purchase and from the family of dual Grade 2 winner Whatuthink, the Flemensfirth bay was settled in mid-division by Barry O’Neill.

Improving into second from three out and ridden to the front before the last, a slow jump there ultimately mattered little, as she coasted to a six-length win.

The front-running Bridge Of Machalee filled the runner-up spot, with just three of the nine starters managing to complete the course.

Good pedigree

“She has taken a bit of time being a Flemensfirth. She was very green and had a good look at the last, but she’s a nice mare with a good pedigree,” Mikey Fogarty, brother of the winning handler, commented.

Also carrying the increasingly familiar silks of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership, Kasino Des Mottes (2/1 - 3/1) claimed the 14-runner five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

An encouraging fourth on debut at Tattersalls late last season, the £35,000 Doncaster Spring Store Sale acquisition took closer order approaching four out and soon improved to dispute the lead.

Gaining an outright advantage before the penultimate obstacle, the Barry Stone-ridden bay kicked clear on the run to the last and had six lengths to spare at the line.

Ya Will Ya filled the runner-up spot, with this Sean Osborne-trained debutant one of just four finishers.

“He missed a few fences the first day at Tattersalls. He was sick then in October and we said we’d bring him back here as it’s only down the road,” Mikey Fogarty revealed.

“We’re having a very good season and a lot of it’s down to our great staff and owners.”

THE oldest runner in the line-up at 13, course specialist Vital Island (9/4 - 7/2) outfoxed his rivals in the open to complete a double for Barry Stone.

Third when nimbly negotiating the sharp turn between five and four out, the evergreen Trans Island bay soon found himself in front.

While ridden and pressed from the next, he proved game in the silks of owner/trainer Richard O’Keeffe and eventually came home three lengths clear of Fralimonti Bilbery, who is six years his junior.

“Punchestown and then the Pardubice, that’s the plan,” O’Keeffe enthused. “He’ll probably run twice at Punchestown, in the La Touche and the handicap on the Saturday.

“I’d say he made 10 lengths with the move up the top track. He went around that bend like a Honda 50, that’s what he does, he is so used to going around here.”

Combining with Jonathan Fogarty for that aforementioned course treble in November, Stone had to settle for the runner-up berth on Diamond White in the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Always prominent, the Cormac Doyle-trained Sapphos Word (7/4 – 4/1) claimed this six-runner contest under Jack Hendrick.

The fourth foal out of six-time winner La Sarrazine and bought for €37,000 at the Tattersalls Derby Sale, the Poet’s Word victor disputed the lead from flag fall.

Gaining an outright advantage from three out, she soon skipped clear and maintained her lead all the way to the line, coming home four and a half lengths to the good in the colours of the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership.

“She’s a lovely mare, we think a lot of her and her homework has always been very good,” Doyle reported.

“She’s 16.2hh and is very strong, she has everything to be fair to her.”

A FIRST point-to-point runner for Success Days, the Michael Murphy-trained If You Believe (4/1 – 5/1) showed a likeable attitude to take the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

In a share of the lead from flag fall, the €30,000 Goffs Arkle Sale graduate, who was bred by the late Jay Kavanagh, gained an outright advantage four fences from home and was left a few lengths clear, when nearest pursuer Gaelic Rover crashed out at the penultimate obstacle.

Briefly tackled by Centauri Star on the long downhill run to the last, the Redbridge Stables-owned victor picked up again under Darragh Higgins and was four and a half lengths clear at the line.

“Alan Kavanagh (son of the winning breeder) rang me last night and I told him that he has never been off the bridle at home and that he’s a very, very good horse,” Murphy remarked.

“He has plenty of condition on him and he’ll come on for the run. He’s a proper one.”

The concluding five-year-old and upwards maiden for handlers with 10 winners or less, went the way of Kilbuny Supersonic (2/1 – 9/4 favourite), the only mare in the line-up.

Trained in Co Waterford by Richard O’Hara, the Harzand bay attempted to make all under Sean Staples, but was ridden and headed before two out.

While three lengths down approaching the last, the Delton Syndicate-owned five-year-old never threw in the towel and rallied to regain the lead on the run-in, prevailing by a length and a half.

After getting to the front before the penultimate obstacle, a slow jump at the last proved costly for Moves Like Mason, who ultimately had to settle for the runner-up berth.

“She was unlucky to come up against a right good one (Echoing Silence) last season,” O’Hara reflected.

“She had to work hard today and was all out.

“There is a point-to-point bumper at Cork on Easter Monday and she might go there now.”

Fralimonti Bilbery (D. P. Murphy): Punchestown could now be on the cards for this French-bred bay. Battling all the way to the line, but ultimately beaten into second by banks course specialist Vital Island, he encouragingly drew 10-lengths clear of the third.

Still only a seven-year-old, he could be tailormade for the Ladies’ Cup.