THE capable Abraham has taken very little time to establish himself as a useful recruit for trainer Martin Brassil and his son Conor and the eight-year-old made it two wins in three starts for that team in the two-and-a-half-mile Seamus Mulvaney Crockafotha Handicap Hurdle.

The Colm Herron-owned gelding, who provided the trainer and jockey with their first success since early January, was running for the first time in six months.

Abraham (12/1) turned out in good heart to defy a rating that was 11lb higher than the one he won off at the start of the year.

From early in the straight, Abraham emerged as the chief threat to the game front-runner Roi De Dubai and he went on to defeat that one by two lengths.

The winner edge dsteadily left in the closing stages, which prompted an enquiry, but the placings remained unchanged. Ben Harvey, who rode the second, picked up a five-day whip ban.

Good ground

“He’s a good-ground horse and Conor said he possibly wasn’t in love with the ground today as it has gone a bit loose,” said the winning trainer. “The longer trip over hurdles has helped him and there are a couple of handicaps in Galway that we could look at.”

Gordon Elliott’s team took a week or two to find their stride after jump racing resumed but the trainer made it five winners in seven days when Tiger Twenty Two (3/1) progressed from a pleasing comeback at Limerick to take the three-mile handicap hurdle.

Davy Russell kept close to the pace on the Gin And Gee Gees Syndicate-owned nine-year-old who was a clear-cut winner over So Enjoy. The winner could bid to follow-up at Roscommon on Monday.

Elliott was also expected to win the Tattersalls Ireland-sponsored bumper with the odds-on Jawbox but had to settle for a six-and-a-half-length second to the promising Hand In My Pocket.

After their near miss with Roi De Dubai in the day’s feature, John McConnell and amateur Ben Harvey enjoyed better luck with this Musselburgh bumper runner-up whose sole start in points yielded a second to the exciting Queens Brook.

The front-running 7/2 shot, who is owned by Caroline Ahearn, looks a mare with good prospects and is now likely to go hurdling.

Bullion strikes gold for Meade and Walsh

THE 7lb claimer Eoin Walsh once again showcased his talents as he teamed up with Noel Meade’s Laura Bullion to take the Equine mediRecord Hurdle which provided the daughter of Canford Cliffs with her second success over timber.

A terrific finale was in store coming to the second last where the winner was doing battle with King Pellinor and Anna Bunina but the latter exited there to leave just two doing battle for victory. The outcome still hung in the balance late in the contest, but Laura Bullion (2/1) held off King Pellinor by three parts of a length. There was a further 19-length gap back to the favourite, Battle Of Wills.

There has been no shortage of big-priced winners in recent weeks and both divisions of the 80-102 rated two-mile handicap hurdle served up surprise results.

The second of these came when Upgraded struck at 28/1 for Tony Martin and Philip Enright to return to the form that saw her win a flat handicap at last year’s Galway Festival.

The John Breslin-owned daughter of Acclamation returned in great form on her first start since November to record a smooth seven-length victory; it was her first outing over hurdles since April 2019. The six-year-old is likely to return to Galway.

Half an hour earlier, Elegant Lass sprang a 50/1 shock for Tom Gibney and Darragh O’Keeffe as she too returned to action for the first time since November.

The Leonard Kinsella-owned five-year-old, who lined up as a 17-race maiden under both codes, made all the running to defeat Shamad by eight lengths, with last Saturday’s winner Important Message a further head away.

Cromwell strikes again

THE useful Bentham (11/10) maintained Gavin Cromwell’s bright start to the campaign with a smooth success in the two-mile Intersure Group (C&G) Maiden Hurdle.

The Jonathan Moore-ridden six-year-old was unable to justify odds-on favouritism at the first meeting of the season at Limerick but readily made amends on his return to a track where he recorded the first of three bumper victories last season.

The 121-rated six-year-old, who carries the colours of the Carpe Vinum Partnership, was a comfortable six-length winner over Belfast Banter after making the running.

“I thought he’d win at Limerick and I was a bit disappointed he didn’t but it’s nice to get this. He might go to Galway, and even though he’s by Jeremy, he loves nice ground,” reflected Cromwell.

One trainer with an embarrassment of riches among the ranks of his summer novice hurdlers is Henry de Bromhead and he sent out his seventh maiden hurdle winner in just over three weeks when She Tops The Lot obliged under Rachael Blackmore.

A recent second to Bonarc at Roscommon saw the daughter of Yeats returned at 7/4 for the Hibernia Steel Products Mares Maiden Hurdle and she made most of the running before fighting off the market leader Trevana on the run-in.

At the line, the Foleys Bar Syndicate-owned seven-year-old had three and a half lengths to spare on just her third racecourse appearance.

Protocols breach referral

THE Stewards received a report from IHRB Security Officer Chris Gordon regarding a possible breach of the Covid-19 protocols.

Evidence was heard from Mr. Gordon and also from Darren Lawlor, HRI Health Screening Officer and Enda Bolger’s representative Sarah Bermingham.

Gordon stated that an apparent breach of the protocols was brought to his attention by Lawlor who stated to the stewards that Ms. Bermingham had not gone through the health screening for the meeting but was present in the stable yard. The stewards referred the matter to the Referrals Committee.