JOHN Shinnick won with both his Clonmel rides on Thursday, where the 5lb claimer bagged winners for in-form trainer Ken Budds with Stormalong and for his principal employer Terence O’Brien, on Stellar Symphony.

Shinnick began by winning the Derrinlaur (Mares) Handicap Hurdle on Budds’ Stormalong (11/4 favourite), scoring by six lengths from Wudya.

Budds, who was notching a sixth winner of the current season, and regarding the Coleman family’s winning mare, reported: “She finished second in this race last year, but the ground had gone soft. She has got her ground plenty of times this year and will go chasing next year.

“If the ground goes, we will let her off, but I wouldn’t rule out going to Dundalk, as she ran well in a recent flat race and isn’t slow.”

Sweet symphony

Shinnick’s second success came on Stellar Symphony (11/1) in the Glenary Handicap Hurdle, as the nine-year-old went clear of her rivals from the second-last, and held Crossing The Bar by a length and three-quarters.

The successful TerenceOBrien Racing Syndicate were again in fine voice, singing the Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee in the winner’s enclosure and afterwards Shinnick, riding his 12th winner of the term, reported: “I didn’t expect that, as in her last few runs, she had been running well up until a point, but dropping out.

“Today, coming down the hill for the last time, it took her a while to catch her breath, but once she did, away she went. She was good and gamey.”

RACING began with a promising point-to-point winner Mystical Goddess (10/3) landing the Killaloan Maiden Hurdle, for jockey Darragh O’Keeffe, trainer Henry de Bromhead and the Off Our Marbles Syndicate.

Previously successful for Michael Griffin at Ballyvodock last February, the Walk In The Park mare was pushed out to beat Marcus Furius by four and three-quarter lengths.

O’Keeffe commented: “She did it nicely, jumped really well and travelled well. I was in a pocket coming to the second-last, but she winged that flight and, once she got some daylight, she quickened up well,” O’Keeffe reflected.

Point-to-point-placed Ol Man Dingle won the other longer two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle, as the 5/1 shot scored for trainer Eoin Griffin and jockey Ricky Doyle.

Penny dropped

Wearing a first-time tongue-tie, the five-year-old was produced from rear to eventually win easily and afterwards Griffin reported: “It has taken a while for the penny to drop with him and I know it is a cliche, but you can see by looking at him, he is a chaser in the making.

“He might run next in a rated novice hurdle in Wexford in late October and and we also have Leopardstown over Christmas in mind, if he gets his ground.

“I’m delighted to give Brian (Caherty - owner) his first winner. He is a publican from Newtownhamilton, has been involved in a few horses in the past and is with me nine months.”

Cozone (10/3 favourite) went unclaimed, having registered a fourth career success in the Slievenamon Claiming Hurdle, as the Spoonful Of Irish Syndicate’s gelding returned to form for father and son, trainer and jockey combination, Matthew and James Smith.

Smith junior later reported: “He loved that ground, jumped really well and, in that company, was well in at the weights. He jumped himself to the front going down the back straight and, while I got there sooner than I wanted, he stuck at it well. I thought we were going plenty fast enough, but he kept pulling out.”

BIGGEST-priced winner was U Asking Me’s 16/1 success in the Tickincor Handicap Hurdle for trainer Eoin Doyle, jockey Hugh Morgan and the Your The One Syndicate.

Patiently ridden, the seven-year-old improved to lead at the second-last and eventually beat Hatfield Hammer by three and a half lengths.

Morgan said: “Eoin and the lads had him in good nick and he had his wind done after his last run.

“In fairness to Philip Enright (jockey), after his last run he said to get it done, so credit to him and it made the difference.

“He had previously shown snippets of form and his work at home had been good, but had been disappointing on the track. I was able to find my way through them and then had something (Hatfield Hammer) to aim at.”

Major redemption

The concluding Ravens Rock Bumper was won quite nicely by the Harry Swan-partnered Quint Major (6/1), which returned to form to provide trainer Mark Molloy with consecutive winners.

Quint Major reversed recent Listowel form with today’s runner-up Arctic Lane and after the race, Thurles-based Molloy reported: “I shouldn’t have run him in Listowel, as the ground became softer and softer as the day went on.

“I thought I might have got away with going two and a half miles, but not on that ground.

“I always loved him, he works incredibly well and does everything well and, while I was disappointed with him in Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day, it wasn’t a bad race. We might go hurdling, but I own him in partnership with Sean Ronan, so we’ll see.”

“We are a dual-purpose yard and won a Curragh maiden with a filly (Just For One Day) on Saturday, who just happened to come my way. I enjoy training whatever I get and train a dozen horses.”