THERE was an electric atmosphere at Sunday’s Avondhu Foxhounds meeting in Knockanard as all roads led to the popular Fermoy venue for the first banks race to be staged at the venue for approximately 70 years.

The brainchild of landowner Jimmy O’Leary, who then instigated the construction of a superbly designed cross-country circuit that includes banks modelled on the ones seen at Punchestown, the race was run over 24 obstacles and some 11 contestants went forward to the starter.

Victory ultimately went to owner/trainer Richard O’Keeffe’s admirable cross-country specialist Vital Island.

The successful 11-year-old, winner of the Ladies Cup over the banks at last season’s Punchestown Festival, was always positioned close to the pace as Artic Pearl, Loggan Lady and Solomn Grundy vied for supremacy early at the head of affairs.

Vital Island (9/4 - 7/4 favourite) moved through for Benny Walsh to challenge Loggan Lady after four out and hit the front well before the final fence with no less than five horses within a couple of lengths of him as Space Cadet and Shannon Bridge led the chase.

The Johnny Barry-ridden Space Cadet then attempted to mount a challenge on the flat and he got to within a head of the victorious son of Trans Island at the line with a short-head back to the third-placed The Red Menace, a second points ride for Canadian native Brady Betlamini.

Live long

There were seven finishers with remarkably just a little over three lengths covering the septet and this is a race that will live long in the memory of the vast majority of those present.

“He loved the track and Benny [Walsh] knows him like the back of his hand,” reported six-horse handler O’Keeffe of Vital Island.

“He will probably go back for the Lingstown banks race on March 12th and then hopefully try to win the Ladies Cup again at the Punchestown Festival in April.”

The Jonathan Fogarty-trained Denemethy (4/1 - 5/1) became the only winner on the card to fully benefit from front-running tactics by recording an emphatic success in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Denemethy, beaten 20 lengths into second spot by Native Speaker at Ballindenisk on New Year’s Day, got into a lovely rhythm with Eoin O’Brien and he could be called the most likely winner on the steep ascent from the penultimate of the 14 obstacles as the pursuing Drumcliff Bay couldn’t quite raise his effort.

The winning son of Flemensfirth, despite jumping right-handed at the final fence, stayed on stoutly to contain Sam Curling’s promising newcomer Lowry’s Bar by four lengths with a neck back to another first-timer Chigorin in third spot.

Fogarty indicated that the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned Denemethy, a €56,000 foal purchase whose dam is an own-sister to Grade 2 chase winner Petit Robin hailing from the same family as Tony Martin’s former Cheltenham Gold Cup third Anibale Fly, is now likely to be sold.

Satisfaction

Derek O’Connor will have attained immense satisfaction from his success aboard newcomer No Flies On Him (2/1 - 4/1) in the two and a half mile four-year-old maiden as the son of Westerner is also the very first winner that he has trained for J.P. McManus.

No Flies On Him, bought by Mike Hyde for €82,000 at last year’s Derby sale, still had all of five horse in front of him on the descent from four out.

The former multiple champion however refused to panic and his mount made smooth progress from the second-last with the close relation to three-time Melbourne Cup winning mare Makybe Diva forging past Jango Baie 50 yards out to score by three quarters of a length.

O’Connor suggested that No Flies On Him, a particularly well-built individual, will join one of his owner’s track trainers for an autumn campaign.

Jango Baie (Michael Goff): This son of Tiger Groom was only headed some 50 yards out when beaten three-parts of a length into second spot on his debut in the two and a half mile four-year-old maiden. He fits the profile of a smart track type.