DARRAGH Allen is riding with terrific confidence at present and the Araglen native dominated Sunday’s Tallow meeting, which was hosted by the West Waterford Foxhounds at Shanakill Cross outside Conna, by partnering a double to move into the lead in the southern regional championship.

Allen will have attained immense satisfaction from his initial success aboard Lonesome Boatman (4/1 - 5/1) in the open as the eight-year-old is trained by his elder brother, Sean.

Lonesome Boatman, a former Martin Brassil inmate that was having an initial start in open grade having won his maiden at Lingstown in late November, was always positioned close to the pace as Gaspard Du Seuil picked up the running with four out of the 15 fences remaining.

Gaspard Du Seuil still had an advantage of in the region of five lengths over the pursuing Lonesome Boatman on the approach to the last.

However, the eventual winner moved closer in second just before take-off and Gaspard Du Seuil then blundered here losing valuable momentum in the process.

The winning son of Jukebox Jury, who finished second in a Galway Festival maiden hurdle in July 2021, stormed past Rodger Sweeney’s charge shortly after and then swept clear to score by a widening five and a half lengths.

“We’re very happy with him and we might tip on to Lismore now with him next month,” disclosed the winning handler of the Jukebox Jury-sired Lonesome Boatman, representing Patrick O’Leary from Rathcormac.

Number one again

Darragh Allen meanwhile signed off by returning to the coveted number one slot aboard the Jimmy Kelly-trained mare Margarita Grande (evens - 11/10 favourite) in the adjacent hunts’ maiden, much to the dismay of the 13 bookmakers present.

The seven-year-old Margarita Grande, who shaped with track potential when finishing second on her belated career debut in a Carrigarostig mares’ winners’ contest three weeks earlier, took the field along until overtaken by Ailt An Chorrain after half-way.

The daughter of Well Chosen, owned and bred by John O’Mahony, moved back to the front four out and it was clear that she was travelling best from the third last.

She duly returned with four and a half lengths to spare from Holokea, trained literally across the road from the meeting by Garry Aherne.

Kelly, now operating from nearby Glengoura, remarked of Margarita Grande: “She’s a very nice mare that actually had to be bottle-fed as a foal. I’m delighted to win with her and she’ll now go for the Gain Mares’ Final at Ballynoe.”

Returned to form

The Cormac Doyle-trained Fancy Prospect (6/4 - 11/8 favourite) returned to the form that saw her finish third on debut at Lisronagh in November by getting the better of Margarita Grande’s stable-companion Dear Orla in a gripping finish to the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

The patiently-ridden Fancy Prospect edged ever closer in second on the inner approaching two out and, having thrown the faster jump at the last, she assumed command on the flat with Jack Hendrick to oblige by a length in the colours of the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership.

Handler Doyle indicated that the Court Cave-sired Fancy Prospect, a €36,000 Derby sale graduate, will now contest a winners’ race.

ELLEN Doyle’s newcomer Idaho Valley (4/1 - 5/1), a first point-to-point winner for sire Idaho from his initial crop, just came out on top with Brian Dunleavy in a pulsating conclusion to the four-year-old maiden.

Idaho Valley, a half-brother to 140-rated chaser Toss Again, disputed the running from the outset and he held a slender advantage over Klimt Madrik when the latter made a race-ending error two out. Dont Tell Jack picked up the chase after this penultimate obstacle and Ellmarie Holden’s charge actually hit the front after the last.

Idaho Valley is however a teak-tough customer and he re-assumed command in the closing stages to triumph by a nose in what was not surprisingly the day’s closest finish.

Tough horse

Ms Doyle’s brother, James, reported of Idaho Valley, a €13,500 acquisition at Goffs as a foal: “He’s a tough horse that jumped well and showed a bit of toe. We liked him coming down here and he’ll now be sold.”

There was yet another Co Wexford-trained winner as Kilmore-based owner-trainer John Byrne struck with newcomer Koori Star (4/1 - 6/1) in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

The Alkaadhem-sired Koori Star, a half-brother to Colm Murphy’s Macs Charm that was bred by Byrne’s late grandmother, Mrs Patricia Byrne, came back a second time on being headed after the last to oblige by two lengths under Tralee native Ross Sugrue.

Koori Star, one of 14 horses that Byrne presently has in harness, could now be sold.

THE Eddie Power-owned/trained debutant The Top G (7/1 - 10/1) hinted that he holds a bright track future by winning a truly-run renewal of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Top G, a towering bay who is out of a half-sister to Grade 2-placed hurdler Potters Cross, always travelled with plenty of zest in third spot as favourite Allstitchedup forced the pace with Corbally Cross in close attendance.

The winning son of Doyen moved through with Johnny Barry to challenge Allstitchedup on the outer approaching four out and he edged into a fractional advantage from the third last.

There was then little to separate the pair until The Top G landed the faster over two out, where the market leader blundered.

The Top G always seemed to be travelling marginally better in the lead thereafter and while Allstitchedup rallied gamely on the flat, he was still a half-length adrift at the line with a further 11 and a half lengths back to Chasingoutheblues in third.

“He’s the best horse that I’ve had by a long way and has always shown a lot from day one,” said former professional jumps jockey Eddie Power, who now trains a small string from Gannon’s Hill outside Johnstown in Kilkenny. The horse is entered for next Friday’s Cheltenham Sale.”

Klimt Madrik (C. Bowe): A French-bred newcomer by Choeur Du Nord, this fellow was lying a close second when blundering two out and losing all chance on his debut in the four-year-old maiden.

He was duly beaten a shade over 21 lengths into third, but he’s a likely track winner that should prove difficult to beat the next day.