THERE was some cracking fare at last Sunday’s Clonmult/Dungourney fixture in Boulta and Don’t Matter Now lit up the United Hunt meeting for many by recording a battling success under his handler Declan Queally’s son and namesake in the winners’ of two.

The ex-hurdler Don’t Matter Now (5/4 favourite), who also won another winners’ contest on his previous start at this same venue on November 25th, moved through to dispute the running with Brave Endeavour and Prophet’s Corner from the sixth of the 14 obstacles in a race that was run at a generous pace on the testing underfoot conditions.

The eventual winner led from five out, but he had company from the third last as West Of Carrig made smooth progress to hold every chance under Adrian Browne.

There was then very little to separate the pair until West Of Carrig pecked on landing over the final fence when in the region of a half-length adrift in second spot.

Don’t Matter Now, a son of Ask duly asserted to dismiss West Of Carrig, whom he also beat here a little over two weeks earlier, by two and a half lengths with the pair being the only finishers from the 11 runners that set out.

“He’s progressive and we’ll probably skip the hunters chase at Limerick over Christmas and instead run him in an open in January,” disclosed rider Queally of the May 2021 Cork maiden hurdle runner-up Don’t Matter Now, who was recording his third success of the campaign in the silks of the Hoping For The Best Syndicate.

Excellent debut

Previous Boulta form also came to the fore in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden as the Jimmy Kelly-trained Electric Dream (6/4 - 7/4 favourite), who made an excellent point debut by finishing second to Miners Bridge here last month, sauntered home under James Hannon.

Electric Dream, another with previous experience over flights, always took the eye in running and she edged ever closer from five out.

She could be called the most likely winner from the third last and she subsequently assumed command after the penultimate obstacle.

With her closest pursuer Lucky Mahler blundering at the final fence, the wining daughter of Malinas bounded clear in the closing stages to account for Come On Sally by seven lengths.

“She’s a big raw mare and the penny is really only beginning to drop with her now,” reported locally-based Glengoura handler, Kelly, of Electric Dream, owned by the Foireann Gliondar Syndicate that includes her breeder Joe Fogarty of Kilfeacle Stud.

“She might go for a winners’ race now or else she will go back over hurdles.”

Eventful

The Paul Power-trained Gentleman Bill (4/1 - 6/1), called after his Tramore-based owner-breeder Fionan O’Driscoll’s vet Bill Twomey, landed an eventful renewal of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Gentleman Bill, having unseated four out on his career debut at Lingstown eight days previously, made smooth progress for Barry Stone on the run to two out.

With the penultimate obstacle claiming no less than three horses who all held a chance of sorts at the time, Gentleman Bill forged to the front after this second last fence to deny long-time leader Traveling Soldier by a length.

THE Mick Goff-trained Rosscahill (3/1 - 5/1) went into most observers’ notebooks as a horse to keep an eye on when casting his attentions to the racetrack following his authoritative debut success in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Rosshill was always positioned close to the pace and he was sent to the front by Mikey Sweeney after four out.

With the second last claiming long-time leader Manatee Du Brizais, who was disputing second spot at the time with Angostura, the winning son of Malinas stormed clear on the flat to dispense with the staying-on Malfoy Manor by five lengths in the colours of his handler’s wife, Catriona, who shares the triumphant bay with Galwegian John O’Halloran.

“He’s probably one of the best jumpers that I’ve ever had, but he has just needed that bit of time. The plan was always to come either here or else go to Dromahane on December 30th,” commented the winning handler of Rosscahill, a €26,000 graduate of the 2022 Tattersalls Ireland May sale who is out of a half-sister to former Grade 1-placed chaser Roberto Goldback from the same family as Sound Man.

Impressed

There was another Wexford-trained winner as Paul Pierce’s debutant Lady Rose Hackett (4/1 - 6/1) impressed by landing in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Lady Rose Hackett, whose Alflora-sired dam Amaretto Rose finished third for Nicky Henderson in the 2007 renewal of the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, made smooth progress from three out and she took command for Sean Staples after the second last to eclipse fellow first-timer Gogo Bagatelle by two and a half lengths.

Pierce’s brother, Andy, remarked of the Blackhall Stables Partnership-owned Amaretto Rose, who was purchased for £22,000 at Ascot in November of last year: “She did it well and she’s a very good filly that has been a natural from day one.”

THERE is nothing quite like winning at home and Tallow-based owner-trainer Joe O’Keeffe, who was one of the doctors on duty at the meeting, did precisely that by sending out Topothelane (4/1 - 6/1) to make a victorious points debut in the five-year-old and upward adjacent hunts maiden.

The six-year-old Topothelane, who was still lying a close fourth when falling two out in a Clonmel maiden hurdle in March of last year, moved to the front for Johnny Hurley by throwing a spectacular leap three out and he duly returned with two lengths to spare over long-time leader Meetmeatthepillar.

O’Keeffe indicated that Topothelane, one of three winners sired by Malinas throughout the course of the afternoon and homebred by his brother Bill, will stay pointing for the foreseeable future.

Gogo Bagatelle (C. Bowe): This newcomer, a half-sister to former 153-rated British hurdler Gumball, was beaten two and a half lengths into second spot by Lady Rose Hackett in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The French-bred grey should effortlessly go one better while she also fits the profile of a likely track winner.