CONOR Moore stole the show at Stradbally as he rode a concluding race double, to double his seasonal tally to four winners. The opening leg of that double came in one of a number of incident-packed races, namely the winners-of-three contest where Benefits Jeu (3/1 – 7/2) came out on top.

The son of Scorpion, who broke his maiden tag at Knockmullen House in November, came to challenge the favourite Wasdale Park at the third last when that rival came down.

That left the Thomas Byrne-trained and Denis William Moore-owned gelding to come home an easy five-length winner over the sole other finisher, Sizing Joshua.

Flat out

“I was going flat out but I still had a bit underneath me, when Wasdale Park came down. Win My Wings, who won the Scottish National, won her point in these colours so it has been a great 10 days for them. The yard is flying now,” said the winning rider. “He’ll probably run in another winners’ race in the next few weeks.”

Back for Moore

The double was brought up in the concluding older mares’ maiden where Moore steered the Jonathan Fogarty-trained debutant Bare Assets (5/2 – 5/1) to a half-length success over the Ross Berry-ridden Imperial Lough.

The winning daughter of König Turf’s task was made easier when favourite and long-time leader Pink Power crashed out at the second last when she still held an advantage.

It was a second success of the season for the winning handler, who was absent, but his brother Mikey said of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned winner: “She’s a very nice mare. She just took a bit of time – she’s tall and weak. She will go to the sales now.

“Johnny wasn’t able to come today as he has only just got back from Aintree, so he sent me!”

THE six-ear-old geldings’ maiden turned into a straightforward assignment for the Sam Curling-trained Le Boulevardier (1/1 – 6/4 joint-favourite) as he ran out a cosy three-length winner in the hands of Pa King.

The winning son of Champs Elysees led or disputed for much of the contest, before asserting after the third last, with the Andrew Burke Ott-ridden Inchidaly Copper finishing best of the rest in second. The winner had finished in the runner-up spot in his previous two runs at Lisronagh and Nenagh, so he was deservedly getting his head in front here.

Fast ground

“His last couple of runs were very good and he’s a grand horse. He’ll probably go for a winners’ race next but he’s handicapped on the track too. He loves that fast ground,” said Curling of the winner, whom he also owns. “Pa said he was idling up the straight. He wouldn’t be one to overdo it. He’ll win plenty of races, whichever way he goes. It just took a while to get his confidence back but he’s going well now.”

Impressive El Muchacho

The opening five-year-old geldings’ maiden saw the once-raced El Muchacho (3/1 – 5/2), run out an impressive eight-length winner over the Sam Curling-trained Not A Light. The winning son of Walk In The Park made all in the hands of Dan Nevin for the Mick Goff yard.

The winner had previously pulled-up on his debut at Dromahane only a week before this success. “We went down to Dromahane last week for good ground and it was soft, but we decided to run him anyway.

“He didn’t perform on that yielding to soft ground but he was fresh out on the Monday after the race so we said that we would enter him here,” said Nevin of the Caitriona Goff-owned winner.

“He was in good form during the week. He relished the good ground. He’s sales bound now and will be a lovely horse for the track over two miles.”

THE adjacent maiden contest wasn’t short of drama as the Georgie Benson-ridden Road To Redemption held the advantage approaching the last before coming down.

That left Eric Carmen (3/1 – 5/1) to come through and pick up the pieces, scoring by a length and a half from the Aidan Fitzgerald-trained Tara Line.

It was a first success of the season for the winning rider, Cathal Healy, and the winning handler, Eoin Doyle. Healy, who also owns the gelding, said: “He missed the third last badly but I gave him a chance after it, and he came back on it. He did it well at the line. Eoin (Doyle) had filled me with plenty of confidence beforehand. He’ll probably run away now for the summer.”

Forging ahead

The featured open contest saw a small but select field of four go to post, with recent Loughrea scorer The Forge Hill (1/1 favourite), supplementing that success by running out a half-length winner from the Pa King-ridden Isaac Wonder.

The Sean Staples-ridden and Sean Doyle-trained daughter of Morozov made all here to win for the sixth time between the flags. “When the ground is good, she comes alive. She’s tough as nails. She made all the running there and they couldn’t get by her at the finish,” said Staples of the Monbeg Partnership-owned mare.

“She pinged the third last and I landed running. I wanted to keep in front from there to the line. She might come back here for the mares’ open at the beginning of May.”

Horse to Follow

Pink Power (M. Goff): The daughter of Kayf Tara had made all of the running and still held the advantage before coming to grief at the second last.

Her turn looks to be only around the corner.