THERE was an abundance of runners at the first session of the two-day Laois Foxhounds meeting which took place at Stradbally last Saturday with some 94 horses participating in the nine races throughout the course of the afternoon, where Ross Sugrue made his initial mount for in-form handler Jonathan Fogarty a victorious one by landing the second division of the four-year-old maiden aboard newcomer Local Derby.

The Soldier Of Fortune-sired Local Derby (5/2 - 3/1), an own-brother to Jonjo O’Neill’s dual hurdles winner Fortunate Man who was acquired for €220,000 at last year’s Goffs Punchestown sale, had to be briefly pushed along before the third last of the 16 obstacles as Empire Success was still holding the call over If Any Man Can.

Local Derby though moved closer in second approaching two out and, while running green, he still surged past Empire Success before the last.

The bay was in no mood to be denied on the flat as he accounted for Empire Success by one and a half lengths in the colours of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership.

“He’s a lovely horse that Tom Coleman owns with me and he will now go to the sales,” remarked handler Fogarty of Local Derby, who was led out unsold at €45,000 at last year’s Derby sale.

Cosimeasy best

Sugrue then combined with Peter Croke to collect the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 16 runners, aboard recent Borris House runner-up Cosimeasy (4/1 - 9/2).

Owned and bred by Croke’s Glenealy-based landlord Maurice Sheehy, Cosimeasy was left in front when the leader Versace Twentyone fell four out and the daughter of Doyen made the rest of the running to beat Je Suis by four and a half lengths.

Croke disclosed that he trained Cosimeasy’s dam Hasiteasy (by Kalanisi) to come second in a bumper before she sustained an injury. The likelihood is that Cosimeasy will now be sold.

Luke Whitty, an 18-year-old from Skeoughvosteen outside Graignamanagh, will always treasure fond memories of this meeting as he recorded an initial career success aboard his boss Aidan Fitzgerald’s Garm Colombe (5/2 - 3/1) in the winners’ race.

The sweet-jumping Fralimonti Bilberry set out to make all, but he was overtaken by Garm Colombe after the second last. The winning French-bred, posting a fourth career success in the silks of the Cobajay Syndicate, then stayed on determinedly to thwart Fralimonti Bilberry by one and a half lengths.

THE Sean Doyle-trained Ultimate Survivor (2/1 - 5/2 co-favourite) brought up the concluding leg of a two-timer for Rob James by landing the second division of the four-year-old auction maiden, and by doing so, the son of Court Cave was atoning for finishing a well-held fourth behind High Court Cave on his debut in a competitive Toomebridge contest the previous Saturday.

Ultimate Survivor, representing the Monbeg Partnership, edged ever closer inside the final mile and he overtook long-time leader Dynamite Dan two out. A €12,000 Goffs Arkle sale graduate that’s a half-brother to Born Survivor, Ultimate Survivor then strode clear to dismiss Elusive Shine by two and a half lengths.

The Killanne native was earlier on the mark aboard Sean Doyle’s brother Donnchadh’s Klub De Reve (5/2 – 2/1 favourite) in the first division of this same contest, much to the dismay of the seven bookmakers present.

Klub on top

Klub De Reve, who finished second to Scope To Improve on testing ground at Necarne two weeks earlier, was engaged in a ding-dong tussle with Catch Me Quick from three out.

The son of Fly With Me, a £16,000 acquisition at last year’s Goffs UK spring store sale at Doncaster, had the benefit of the valued inside berth and he duly fought off Pa King’s mount by a head.

Klub De Reve was due to be offered at Doncaster this past Wednesday.

Donnchadh Doyle was actually responsible for two winners as he was earlier on the mark with Golan Loop (3/1 - 7/2), similarly sporting the same Monbeg Syndicate silks of Klub De Reve, in the first division of the four-year-old maiden.

It was Alan Harney who was entrusted with the mount aboard Golan Loop and the Kilmacow native sent the recent Ballindenisk debut fourth through to lead from the eight fence.

Golan Loop seemed set for a comfortable success on the run to the last, but Saxon Cross closed on the flat to get within a length of the winning son of Walk In The Park at the line.

Golan Loop, an early May foal who Michael Cullen holds an involvement in, is out of a half-sister to Grade 2-placed chaser Medical Card from the same family as Mouse Morris’ outstanding Grade 1-placed hurdling mare What A Question.

THE Warren Ewing-trained Jay Bee Why (3/1 - 7/2), a former dual track scorer for Alan King who was rated 137 in Britain at one stage, brought up the concluding leg of a brace for Jack Hendrick by landing the open.

Jay Bee Why, who made a winning return to points duty at Portrush in October having been acquired for £32,000 at Doncaster last May, picked up the running six out and he dug deep from the last to contain the staying on Francois by a length.

Shane Wilson, who shares Jay Bee Why with the Jamesy Hagan Partnership, indicated that the nine-year-old son of Yeats was due to be re-offered at Doncaster this week.

Hendrick earlier combined with owner/trainer Denis Moore to collect the second division of the five-year-old and upwards unplaced maiden aboard Mr Gower (7/1 - 10/1).

Mr Gower, a foal purchase by garden furniture centre proprietor Moore who was well positioned when unseating two out on his initial outing in the Lingstown race won by Final Demand in March, picked up the running at the fourth last and he stormed home to dispense with Jump Style by 15 lengths. Mr Gower, the only horse that Moore has run this season, will now be sold.

Vinny Devereux’s Onyerbike (4/1 - 5/1) meanwhile won the first division of this same race in the hands of Shane O’Rourke.

Onyerbike, owned and bred by his handler’s father James Devereux, vindicated the promise of his eighth-placed debut effort behind subsequent British bumper winner Kingston Pride at Curraghmore last term by leading before four out to eclipse Sainthilaire by three and a half lengths.

Horse to Follow:

Je Suis (Aidan Fitzgerald): This homebred daughter of Champs Elyees posted an excellent effort by chasing home the more-experienced Cosmieasy on her second start in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. The Spirit Leader relation should easily go one better in the autumn.