TREMENDOUS weather conditions coupled with fine crowds and large fields created a fine atmosphere and a lively betting ring as the Laois Hunt hosted their fixture on the picturesque grounds of Stradbally House, by kind permission of the Cosby family.

Maxine O’Sullivan was in fine form as she bagged a brace and was unlucky not to have a treble when only being touched off elsewhere on the card.

Speaker Thomas (7/2), a son of Presenting, initiated the brace when taking the adjacent maiden for owner David O’Rourke.

Having made all from pillar to post, this was a confident ride from O’Sullivan who had most of her rivals working hard in behind as they headed for the second last.

The winner galloped on strongly and stuck the task well, going on to score by a length and a half from Artic Weather.

“The last day he didn’t jump. When he came home he wasn’t fully right,” winning trainer Shark Hanlon said.

“He will go on for the farmers’ race in Punchestown now. He was third in it last year and the owners are from Kildare, so this will put him right for it. Maxine gave him a great ride, a great confident ride and that’s what the horse wanted.”

O’Sullivan had to wait until the concluding contest on the card to secure her double, as handler Ray Hackett produced Littlebiggie (5/1 - 7/1) to score on debut in the mares’ maiden.

Adopting similar tactics to her earlier winner, this daughter of Ask raced prominently throughout and injected pace on the run for three-out, soon opening up a commanding advantage.

That was a decisive move and the deficit was never bridged, as she had the contest in safe keeping from a long way out to defeat Stellar Symphony by seven lengths.

A track career likely now beckons, as Hackett stated: “Maxine gave her a peach of a ride. She just likes being left alone and doing her own thing. I’m delighted for Martin and Siobhan Hogan, neighbours of ours. They bred her and they will take her now and go racing on the track now.”

The opening five-year-old geldings’ maiden went the way of Red Hugh (4/1) who opened his account at the fourth time of asking.

Smooth progress

Having sat towards mid-division throughout, this son of Shantou fenced well throughout and made smooth progress to challenge on the run for home. He found plenty for Troy Walsh’s urgings and scooted into a four-length advantage approaching the last providing owner, trainer and breeder Kevin O’Donnell with a deserved success.

“He had been a bit ring rusty, so the few races he had brought him on nicely. Troy got the best out of him today, he’s a really well-related horse he could go anywhere.”

Snugsborough Hall makes winning point return

THE open went the way of the Liam Cusack-trained Snugsborough Hall (3/1) who made a winning return to the pointing fields having been last seen in action under rules at Killarney last summer.

A proven good-ground performer, the son of Beneficial was patiently ridden throughout as the long-time leader Brooksway Fair held a commanding advantage of some 20 lengths, but this lead began to reduce on the run to two fences from hom.

The winner was confidently delivered by Ross Berry and he stayed galloping powerfully to the line to win going away by four lengths.

“I told him take his time, get him into a rhythm and just creep away, as he hadn’t run for a while. I felt I had him in good nick, but you never know until you run them,” Cusack stated of the 12-year-old who could now go to Punchestown.

“I thought he might be rusty, especially with him being a track horse coming back into opens. I just said that I would start him back here as he’s kind of a summer horse and we will get him qualified for a few hunter chases and see how we go.”

The six-year-old geldings’ maiden saw the John Neilan-owned and trained Imperial Data (8/1) score under Finny Maguire.

This son of Imperial Monarch caught the eye a long way from home and seemed to be travelling best of all, until a mistake three out cost him some momentum.

He was gathered up again and soon came back on the bridle before he forged into a narrow lead approaching the last and went on to fend off the persistent challenge of Delta Melody by a length.

“He’s a nice horse. On his first run he just fell at the last in Quakerstown when running a nice race and the ground was just too soft for him in Dromahane the last day, commented Neilan.

“Today he got a bit of nicer ground and he’s a very nice horse, he jumps well and stays. We always thought that he was a nice horse and he proved that there today. Hopefully he will get sold now.”

Far From Over denies Focus Point of fourth win in a row

FOCUS POINT may have been a warm odds-on favourite for the winners of three contest as he went in search of a fourth success on the bounce. However, the Brian Linehan-owned, trained and ridden Far From Over (4/1) had other ideas, as he caused an upset.

Always happy to sit second behind the favourite in a strongly-run contest, he was sent to the front on the run to the penultimate fence and quickly put daylight between himself and his nearest rival to prevail by 15 lengths.

Home

“We had him in the sales last year after he won in England and we weren’t going giving him away, so we said we would take him home,” Linehan said.

“If he’s sold, he’s sold if not we will hold on to him. He’s a big immature horse, and he will improve again. He would handle soft ground too. He’s a nice horse.”

Horse to follow

Olivers Travels (M. R. Murphy): This son of Sea Moon seemed to get caught for pace on the run to the last when held in fourth but, to his credit, he battled strongly to dead-heat for second. This was a nice debut and there is likely more to come from him.