A STRONG local crowd were in attendance at the seaside town of Portrush on Saturday and those lucky to be there may have witnessed a future star in the opening four-year-old maiden.

Declan Lavery sent King Of Kingsfield (7/2 – 6/4 favourite) straight to the front from flag fall and the pair were never headed, making all to win by a distance from the Colin McKeever-trained Ballymackie.

The winner is trained in Co Down by Patrick Turley and was wearing the colours of Mary Turley.

“He’s a very straightforward horse and I’d say if they went a bit faster, he would have won by further because he was just doing everything so easily. His homework had been very good and he jumped brilliantly,” said the winning rider.

“He has a lot of flat breeding behind him but he has a big future. He’ll be some horse for a bumper.”

Vaucelet’s victory

Vaucelet (2/7 – 1/3 favourite) won an open over course and distance in October and he followed up here for Barry O’Neill and David Christie. The son of Authorized never had a moment’s worry as he won easily by eight lengths from the Stephen McConville-trained Nick Lost.

“His last run was in really bottomless ground at Down Royal and he hates that. He wouldn’t have been in love with that watered ground today but we knew we had to get him out if we were going to run him in the hunters chase at Fairyhouse,” said Christie of the John Hegarty-owned winner.

“That could be his next target at their Easter meeting. He’s very easy on himself at home so we might have to go for another open before Fairyhouse to have him on his ‘A’ game. I was delighted with the way he jumped there.”

Winnie does it

The mares’ maiden provided the Harvey family with a memorable success. Winnie Woodnutt (6/1 – 7/1) is owned, trained and bred by William Harvey, and she scored under William’s son Ben. The daughter of Kalanisi scored by a distance from the Cian Collins-trained Dame De Fortune after the odds-on favourite Celebrating Katie fell at the third last, bringing down Speedy Alice in the process.

“She had a couple of nice hurdle runs but it has just taken a little bit of time for the penny to drop with her. We said that we would come back point-to-pointing and have a crack with her. We really fancied her today and it’s great to ride a winner for my dad! I imagine that we’ll go for a mares’ winners race with her next,” commented the winning rider.

STUART Crawford sent out the potentially top-class Coco Masterpiece to win at Nenagh last weekend and the Larne handler sent out another exciting type in the division as Harjo (5/1 – 7/1) ran out a comfortable seven-length winner of the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Ben Crawford-ridden son of Yeats won going away at the line from the Gordon Elliott-trained Ellis Boyd Redding.

“That was effectively his first time out today. He was quite green and backward, and I thought that he would need it the last day. He never got any experience that day though! He has a good pedigree, a good bit of ability and a good attitude,” said the winning handler of the Roy Wilson-owned gelding who is for sale now.

The second division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden saw Jamie Sloan’s once-raced Abbeyhill (6/1 – 9/1) run out a 13-length winner over the James Lamble-trained Of Corse I Can. The pair provided owner Wilson Dennison with a one-two in the contest.

The winning handler said, of the Brian Dunleavy-ridden winner: “He has improved a lot since his last run. He’s a big, strong horse. He likes that bit of good, tackier ground. We were slightly disappointed the first day because we think a bit of him. He jumped for fun there though, and went to the line strong. He’ll more than likely go to the sales now.”

Dennison double

Owner Wilson Dennison scored a double on the day as he took the older geldings’ maiden too with Grave La Klass (6/1 – 7/1) who was ridden by Cormac Abernethy. The son of Saddler Maker was returning from a 104-day break and he managed to get the better of the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Roar Of Approval by a short head in a thrilling finish.

“He had a good run in a bumper back in lockdown times. He’s a lovely horse and a gentleman in every way. He’ll definitely go to the sales now,” said the winning handler Colin McKeever.

THE concluding winners’ race saw Beyond Redemption (3/1 – 7/2) record his third success between the flags from eight starts, as he won by four lengths from the Gary Dillon-trained Drumlee Castle. The winner is trained by Peter Flood and owned by Teresa Flood, and the winning rider was winning rider Georgie Benson.

She said: “He has been really good for us this season. He’s just back from a little break there so it’s great to get a winner on him already.

“He might go for a hunters chase next, provided he comes out of this okay.”

Horse To Follow

Fralimonti Berry (D.P. Murphy): The four-year-old son of Montmarte would have finished placed in the opening maiden had he not come down at the last. He’s sure to go very close next time out.