REMEMBER the name Minella Premier. That was the clear message emanating from Sunday’s Muskerry Foxhounds’ meeting at Ballindenisk as the John Nallen-trained newcomer of the same name hinted that an extremely bright track carer lies in wait by destroying the opposition in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On an afternoon that witnessed some 93 runners participating on the eight-race card, Minella Premier (3/1) was always positioned close to the pace and the €20,000 acquisition as a foal picked up the running for Johnny Barry approaching the penultimate of the 12 obstacles.

The winning son of Shantou then effortlessly surged clear after this second-last fence and, having quickened from the last, he duly returned with 12 lengths to spare over Sam Curling’s Malinificent. The newcomer Quay Item meanwhile more than acquitted himself by returning a further one and a half lengths adrift in third.

“He was one of those foals that you really wanted on seeing him in the stable for the first time at the sales,” related Nallen of wife Bernardine Rochford and his sister Elizabeth Nallen Bowen’s Minella Premier, a direct descendant of Mary Reveley’s outstanding mare Function Dream who numbered the Castleford Chase at Wetherby as one of the most prestigious of her 11 track victories.

The Clonmel hotelier continued: “He went well in a schooling race at Fairyhouse recently and my nephew Sean Bowen, who is now in England, has always loved him.”

Gearoid O’Loughlin’s runners generally fare well at Ballindenisk and the owner/trainer struck with Cahier’s Den (6/1) in the first division of this same contest.

The Idaho-sired Cahier’s Den atoned for falling when out of contention on his only previous outing in a Durrow auction maiden in March by surging to the front some 75 yards out for Bertie Finn to see off Gillane by two lengths.

Meanwhile, Pookie Holler, having sustained interference before the second last, kept on to purposeful effect to secure the minor honours some two and a half lengths further adrift. Cahier’s Den is incidentally a late June foal and the chesnut is out of a half-sister to Irish Grand National third Ballyadam Approach from the same family as Adamant Approach and Adamantly Chosen.

Contrasting fortunes

Sean Doyle has his team in cracking order and he struck with newcomer No Flies On Her (5/2) in the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden, much to the dismay of the 11 bookmakers present.

No Flies On Her was positioned in third spot for Jamie Scallan as Princess Keria and Stylia cut out the running. The half-sister to Edward O’Grady’s listed placed novice hurdler No Flies On Him, hit the front before the last and asserted on the run-in to dismiss Princess Keria by a snug two lengths.

“She has always done everything very easily at home. She loved the big track here and jumped very well,” observed handler Doyle of the Soldier Of Fortune-sired No Flies On Her, representing his younger brother, Gearoid.

JAMES Coffey, a 21-year-old that hails from Gurtacue outside Midleton, returned to a rapturous reception on recording a second career success aboard his boss Terence O’Brien’s Minella Staycation (7/1) in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Minella Staycation, a runner-up at Ballycrystal back in October, moved second before two out and he overtook runner-up Southern Point at the last en-route to asserting on the flat to score by a length. Owner/trainer O’Brien indicated that he will hold on to Minella Staycation for the time being to give the lads and lasses working with him further experience in points.

Ballyduff Upper-based owner/trainer/breeder Vincent Sheehan’s Onefortheditch (5/2 – 9/4) put her track experience to good use by landing the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon with 15 runners.

Onefortheditch, runner-up in a Cork maiden hurdle back in October off a mark of 84, made her way to the front before two out and she forged clear from the last with Darragh Allen to beat Hardy Diamond by 15 and a half lengths. Sheehan indicated that Onefortheditch, the only animal that he has in harness at present, will probably now return to racecourse duty.

Holokea (7/2) booked his passage for this month’s Goffs UK sale in Doncaster by collecting the winners’ race in the hands of Eoin Mahon for trainer/breeder Garry Aherne.

The five-year-old Holokea, victorious in the Ballyknock adjacent hunts’ maiden last month, assumed command after three out and he duly crossed the line with 30 lengths to spare over Salseros in the silks of long-time points supporter Charlie Moore from Kilworth.