HOMEBRED Kilbarry Chloe (12/1) credited trainer Con O’Keeffe and conditional jockey Mike O’Connor with career highlights on Sunday as the mare won Limerick’s featured Grade 3 Irish Wire EBF Shannon Spray Novice Hurdle.

A two-mile winner at Wexford last Sunday, Kilbarry Chloe stepped up to two miles, six furlongs and beat runner-up Mi Lighthouse by three and three-quarter lengths.

O’Keeffe, who bred Kilbarry Chloe and owns her in partnership with Tadhg O’Sullivan, reported: “She had been promising that all year, she is a staying mare who needs soft ground.

“It came too soon after her Wexford win but today’s conditions were perfect and these graded races don’t come so often, so you have to take your chances.

Credit

“All credit to all the lads at home and she got a great ride. He (5lb claimer O’Connor) is an excellent young man and has a bright future. She is a soft ground mare so we won’t get carried away and Punchestown’s ground can come up quick enough. Fairyhouse is a month away so we’ll cool our jets now and see.”

He added: “Breeding is our game, we have a lot of broodmares and have this family for 25 years. It has been so good to us and keeps throwing up winners.

“We just train our own fillies and this is our Cheltenham, we’re thrilled. I’m delighted for Tadhg who has been with me for years.”

Working well

Cheltenham was also on the mind of Paul Fahey, trainer of first race winner of the BetVictor Hurdle, Man O Work (15/8).

A Fairyhouse Grade 3 faller last time out, the son of Workforce, under Donie McInerney, scored by two and a quarter lengths from the Willie Mullins’ trained Instit (8/13 favourite).

Fahey said: “I didn’t think he had enough experience to run in the Boodles Hurdle at Cheltenham. I thought he had the quality and the rating for it but he had never run on the flat.

“Apart from the ones gone to Cheltenham, he is probably the best of the rest and we’ll talk to the owner (Charles O’Reilly) regarding plans.

“I don’t know what is left for him in Ireland except Grade 1s and that is a big step-up.”

WILLIE Mullins later completed a double, beginning with the Rich Ricci-owned El Barra (1/4 favourite) in the Book Online Beginners Chase.

Jack Foley made all on the eight-year-old, who won pulling up, and the jockey later commented: “That was straightforward, he travelled away and jumped away great.

“I had never ridden him before and I’d like to thank Willie and the owners for giving me the opportunity today and it was great we pulled a win out of it.”

Mullins completed his double in the concluding Adare Bumper with impressive winner Hunters Yarn (8/13 favourite), under son Patrick Mullins, and for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Mullins junior reported: “He has a lot of ability and it was getting late in the season to lose his novice status so Willie wanted to go back for a bumper.

“His hurdles run the last day was a long way below his best but he is definitely a graded horse and maybe he’ll go for one of those good bumpers in the spring, or could also go for a graded hurdle.”

Balkito gets one over the handicapper

THE Barry Connell-owned and-trained Balkito followed up a recent Thurles win with success in the BetVictor Handicap Chase, under jockey Eoin Walsh.

The seven-year-old was defying a 10lb rise for his Thurles success when beating Sir Bob and Connell later said: “It was a surprise as I thought the handicapper had him after the last day. He is a big, slow horse but jumps grand and that is a big help around here.

“I’d be hoping next year, he might get into the bottom of those extended handicaps, races like the Cork National, National Trial or Porterstown Handicap as the more jumping the better for him.”

Angels Dawn (15/8 joint-favourite) gained an overdue first success in the BetVictor Maiden Hurdle, scoring for trainer Sam Curling, owner Alfie Sweetnam and initiating a double for jockey Philip Enright.

Curling said: “She was due that, she had great form and it all came together today. She didn’t handle the track (Punchestown’s inside track) the last day and she also had a couple of very hard races and I’d say it took her a long time to get over them.

“She has blacktype, loves that winter ground and I’ll talk to Alfie who is very keen to go chasing with her, but I’ll look for another mares’ hurdle next.”

PHILIP Enright doubled his score in the Croom Handicap Hurdle (Div I), on the Eddie Cawley-trained and owned Native Gold.

Cawley said: “He surprised us how well he ran the last day. He hadn’t run for a year and we were saying he was a very slow horse and would he ever win one.

“He is so slow and Philip said he was nearly pulling up in front but when the horses came around him, he picked it up again and went on. He is just an idle boy.

“We had a few problems with him over the years and when I had him handicapped, he must have entered him up 20 times but was balloted and balloted and balloted.

“Anyway he has got his day, but it could be his Gold Cup!”

The second division went to the Eric McNamara-trained Holiday In Kerry, which scored under his son Conor McNamara and for the Forever Optimists Syndicate. Holiday In Kerry had the measure of Extreme Cacao when that closest rival fell at the last.

Kerry spree

McNamara junior commented: “He has been a bit disappointing but he is a grand horse and loves heavy ground and wants a trip. Hopefully the handicapper won’t put him out of the 80-95 bracket as he was left clear at the last and it was a moderate race.

“The owners are Kerry-based and have had horses with us for years without success, so it is lovely to get this.”