ZOLPHARINE, owned and trained by John Ryan, made a winning start over jumps when running out a convincing winner of the opening two-mile Sean Hughes Memorial Maiden Hurdle last Friday.

Liam Quinlan tracked the leaders on the 9/2 chance before driving him into a narrow lead approaching the final flight and the five-year-old pulled away on the run to the line to record a five-length victory over Rock Ya Boy Ya.

“This is a lovely horse, he’s a half-brother to Fairyhill Run,” said Ryan. “He’ll go to Listowel now for the winners’ of one novice. He wants further, he’s out of a Flemensfirth mare. He’s not very big yet but he’s a nice one and he won that race with a bit in hand.”

Tom McGreevy (11/4) bounced back to winning ways when claiming the Pat Doyle Memorial Handicap Hurdle for Liz Doyle.

James O’Sullivan moved up three from home in the two-mile event, to take over from front-runner Effernock Fizz and his mount battled gamely on the run-in to hold Cerberus by a length and three-quarters.

“He’s difficult, it’s not easy to get his setup right. He needs to go right-handed and needs a good pace,” said Doyle.

“I’m very pleased for the owner/breeder Edward Holly and the Peaky Blinders Syndicate. We might look at the flat with him as well as he seems to have plenty of boot.”

Double completed

O’Sullivan completed a double when giving Union Park (10/1) a lovely patient steer in the Kilsaran Handicap Chase over two miles and three furlongs.

The Wexford man steadily made up ground from the rear of the field on Oliver Barden’s seven-year-old and got into contention on the run to the last. Jumping past Rotten Row there, he quickly went clear to beat that rival by seven lengths.

“He ran in a chase at Ballinrobe a couple of months ago and we felt he ran a little bit flat so we gave him a holiday afterwards,” said winning trainer Philip Rothwell.

“He came back with the idea of running in Galway but I just felt he wasn’t ready enough.

“He’s rated 100 over hurdles so we’ll probably go back that route in the winter at some stage. I’d say that ground is ideal, it’s probably yielding tonight. He wouldn’t want it too heavy and he’s a big horse so you wouldn’t run him on quick.”

THE locally-trained Granville Street, first and second in two flat outings at the Galway Festival, went in at the first time of asking over jumps in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

Having tracked the leaders, the 4/1 chance was kicked a few lengths clear approaching the last by Eoin Walsh but was all out to hold on by a head from Iriskana.

Ciaran Murphy trains the five-year-old for the Street Wise Syndicate.

“There is plenty of improvement jumping-wise but he’s a nice horse and he was gutsy from the back of the last,” said Walsh.

“They went a good solid gallop and I probably got there a fraction soon but the horse in front stopped. My lad stays well to be fair.”

The first division of the Sean Daly Cornaher Memorial Opportunity Handicap Hurdle went to 13/2 chance Cathys Quest.

Stayed on strong

Ridden by John Shinnick, the half-sister to ill-fated 10-time winner Sole Pretender took over in front four out and stayed on strongly to beat Tango Theatre by 15 lengths.

Terence O’Brien, who trains the six-year-old for the Coolglen Syndicate, said: “She’s from a very good family and we thought that she’d win a long time before this. It’s hard to get her to eat and she was always a little bit light. She’s thriving a little bit better than she was. This is a progression and hopefully if she keeps going she might pick up a few more.”

O’Brien and Shinnick quickly doubled their tallies for the season when Stellar Symphony (11/2) landed the second division of that three-miler.

The daughter of Mahler was making just her second start for O’Brien who trains her for the TerenceOBrien Racing Syndicate.

After making steady headway on the final circuit, she got past Doyen For A Drink on the approach to the last and went on to beat that rival by three and a half lengths.

“We only have this mare a couple of months.

“We got her from Edmond Kent and in fairness to him he did say she should be able to win. He had a lot of horses and he gave us this one to lease.”

TYPICAL Thomas (10/3) was a fortunate winner of a dramatic Moyvalley Meats Beginners Chase in the hands of Peter Smithers.

A second winner on the card for Dylan Thomas, the six-year-old looked beaten in third on the run to the last in the two miles and three furlongs contest.

It was all change at that final fence, though, as the leader Natural Look came down and Nottodaybobo, in second, was hampered by that one’s fall and unseated rider.

In behind, market leader Dutch Schultz was also a casualty as Typical Thomas was left to come home eight lengths in front of Construct.

James Fahey, who trains the winner for Heather Heffernan, said: “When your luck is in it’s in. He was probably going to be third.

“He got lucky and once everyone else got up that’s the main thing. He’ll get a little bit of a break now but as soon as the rain starts he’s going out. We might just freshen him up and look for something across the water.”

Mullins in the bumper

Willie and Patrick Mullins combined to land Kilbeggan’s 2023 finale, the Lucy Gannon Memorial (Pro/Am) Flat Race, with 5/4 favourite Longview Lady.

Owned by the John Battersby Racing Syndicate, the five-year-old charted a wide course before forging clear to beat fellow Mount Nelson mare, Workinonadream, by two lengths.

“She improved hugely for her first run and we stepped her up three furlongs,” said Patrick Mullins.

“She has a super pedigree, her dam is a half-sister to Bob Olinger. The further the better for her, I’d say. She’s a fine big mare, she’s light and she has the scope to go chasing if they decide to do that. She’ll win her hurdles first.”