ALL roads led to picturesque Quakerstown last Sunday as the Co Clare-hunt held an autumn fixture at the Burrenside-venue for the second year in succession.

The fare on track was of the usual high standard and competition appeared particularly intense in the opening four-year-old maiden.

Here, the in-form Donnchadh Doyle sent out well-touted debutant Ideal Des Bordes (6/4 - 4/5 favourite) to claim the spoils and initiate a double for his rider Rob James.

Prominently-ridden throughout, the towering Ideal Des Bordes, a €115,000 graduate of last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale, had many of his eight rivals crying enough turning for home, eventually dispatching last month’s Rathcannon runner-up Scandisk Park by three and a half lengths.

“This is a lovely stamp of a horse. Rob said he was travelling everywhere. He picked up nicely after two out but was green enough after the last. He has a nice future ahead of him,” disclosed Doyle of the Coastal Path gelding.

Handler David Christie saddled his sixth winner of the season courtesy of Ultimate Optimist (4/5 - 1/2 favourite) who completed the James-brace in the winners of two.

Former champion novice-rider James enjoyed an armchair spin as the recent Loughanmore-winner dominated from the front before cosily seeing off the efforts of Keep Me Posted by a length and a half.

Better again

“He’s a horse who will be better again off a stronger gallop. We feel he’s got great potential and could be a Foxhunters horse in time.

“We’ll see nearer the time but it’s possible he could go to Limerick for the maiden hunters chase over Christmas next,” remarked Christie of Ultimate Optimist, who is shared by his long-standing patrons Ray Nicholas and Dr. Sam Campbell.

Having taken the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at this fixture in April with recent Fairyhouse bumper-winner Search For Glory, local-handler John Costello struck once again in the corresponding contest at this fixture, as his first-runner of the season What’s Up Darling (6/4 - 5/2), obliged in taking style.

Always in the front-rank under Costello’s son Conor, the Shirocco-gelding powered on before the turn for home to readily dismiss From The Clouds by 13 lengths.

“This is a really nice horse who is owned by my wife Gráinne. She picked him out herself and he is the first horse since Florida Pearl to carry her colours.

“This horse was running a big race on his debut in Dromahane last season when he would have been placed. Conor gave him a good ride and I’d be lost without him and my other son Ronan,” stated the winning handler.

GORDON Elliott’s former Grade 1 winner The Storyteller (11/10 - 4/7 favourite) brought up his hat-trick for the season when running out a comfortable-winner of the 10-runner ladies’ open under Georgie Benson.

Having moved through to join issue with last month’s Turtulla-scorer Some Are Lucky on the run to two out, Patricia Sloan’s charge was given the office on the run to the final fence by Benson and ultimately recorded a seven-and a-half-length triumph.

“He’s just a class act who is a pleasure to ride. Once I pressed the button, he picked up so well and finished his race out so strongly,” outlined Benson who had also partnered the 11-year-old to victory on his open debut in Ballycrystal in October.

Victory

A field of seven went to post for the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden where victory went the way of the Ray Barron-ridden Dixies Girl (2/1 - 7/2).

Handled in Tallow, Co Waterford by Arthur Goulding, Dixies Girl, who was second in Boulta seven days previously, showed no-ill effects from that fine effort when leading from an early juncture en-route to a two-and a-half-length success over Miss Drussell.

“This is the only one we have in training at the minute so it’s great to get that. This mare had a couple of really promising runs to her name.

“There is more to come from her and if she’s not sold we’ll head on to the track with her now,” said Arthur Goulding of his sister Denise’s home-bred daughter of Soldier Of Fortune.

LOVE The West (5/2 - 9/4), handled in Tipperary by the absent Harry Kelly, was rewarded for some highly creditable previous efforts in similar events, with victory in the closing six-year-old and upwards geldings maiden for novice-riders.

Produced with a renewed effort to collar the tiring Boselli on the run to the last obstacle by David O’Brien, the James Walsh-owned gelding ran on willingly late-on to deny Edmund Power’s Boselli by a widening six and a half-lengths.

Winning rider O’Brien, who was recording his seventh career-success, commented of the previous Sunday’s Moig South-second: “I’m thrilled that this horse has got his head in front as he’s done very little wrong.

“He just kept bumping into one. I knew I’d plenty horse under me at the top of the hill and, in fairness, he kept finding for me all the way home.”

Horse to Follow

Keep Me Posted (T. S. Costello): A maiden-winner last term in Ballycahane, the Shirocco-gelding posted a cracking seasonal debut-effort under Emily Costello when chasing home Ultimate Optimist in the winners of two.

On the evidence of this run, he shouldn’t be long in making his mark at winners’ level.