THE Cheltenham bumper hero Ferny Hollow got his jumping career off to a bright start at Gowran yesterday with a highly encouraging display in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle which headed a short-priced four-timer for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

Ferny Hollow was returned at 1/3 for his first outing since Cheltenham but faced one very notable rival in Bob Olinger who impressed with his debut success in a point-to-point bumper at this track last March.

This pair dominated the race to the exclusion of everything else and by the time they reached the line they had pulled some 46 lengths clear of the chasing pack.

Bob Olinger led Ferny Hollow from flag fall but there wasn’t much between them throughout and at the second last there was less than a length between the leading duo. The favourite then began to get on top nearing the last and an instinctive jump there enabled him to consolidate a useful lead which saw him carry the day by a length.

The coming months will reveal more but the lingering feeling left by this race was that the finish was fought out by two potentially top-drawer novices.

“They are two good horses and hopefully we will hear much more form both in the future. I was very pleased with Ferny Hollow and he will improve from this. I’d imagine we will look towards Christmas with him,” said the champion trainer.

Juvenile

Mullins also looks to have a nice juvenile hurdler on his hands in Youmdor (1/3) who made short work of his opponents in the opening three-year-old hurdle.

A dual flat winner in France, this McNeill Family-owned gelding took very well to this discipline to look a jumping recruit of some promise.

The son of Youmzain eased to the front with two to jump for Townend and was unextended to hand out a 16 lengths beating to Bigz Belief. He too could be bound for a Christmas outing according to his trainer.

“He handled the ground very well for a three-year-old,” reflected Townend. “He did get underneath a couple of hurdles early on but his best two jumps were at the last two and he’s an exciting horse.”

Another odds-on winner for Mullins and Townend came when Annamix (5/6) made all in the two-and-a-half-mile conditions chase.

This lightly raced seven-year-old produced some bold jumps through the course of this race and his only scare came at the second last but at the same fence the chasing Spyglass Hill also made a mistake.

Once Annamix cleared the last he was assured of victory and he finished with nine lengths to spare on his first outing since last January.

“He’s a horse that is improving with time and that was a nice performance, he jumped well. This is probably a good trip for him but I wouldn’t be afraid to go further with him,” commented the trainer.

The four-timer was completed by Energumene (8/13) who made a seamless transition to fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase in a time that was just under nine seconds quicker than that of Annamix.

A winner of a Thurles bumper and a maiden hurdle at this track last season, the Tony Bloom-owned son of Denham Red looks to have found his true calling in this sphere.

He produced a bold and fluent display as he raced in a clear lead for most of the race and, one error aside, his jumping was impressive. He crossed the line with 18 lengths to spare over Fort Worth Texas.

“He loves chasing and Paul was very taken with him which has to be a good sign. We’ll look for something for him over Christmas,” declared the champion trainer.

ARTHUR Moore could have quite a prospect on his hands in Sea Ducor (8/1) who returned from a year off the track to win the BoyleSports-sponsored novice hurdle.

This Chris Jones-owned son of Sea The Moon, whose only previous start over timber saw him finish second to Aspire Tower in a Punchestown maiden, was given a waiting ride by Donagh Meyler and was conspicuous by the progress he made on to the heels of the leaders inside the final mile of the race.

Sea Ducor eventually put himself in with every chance coming to the last and he finished out his race in admirably gritty style to defeat the odds-on French import Galopin Des Champs by half a length.

“His jumping was electric and he handled the ground which is a help going forward,” stated Moore. “He picked up a little fracture about 10 days after his last run which is why he had time off, although he might have been back for Punchestown if we hadn’t gone into lockdown.

“He’s a lovely horse with a good temperament and ideally I’d like to find a winner’s race for him before he moves up in class.”

John McConnell’s sustained run of good form continued into the Holden Plant Rentals Novice Handicap Hurdle where Make Good (11/2) and Simon Torrens came home some 13 lengths clear of their opponents.

After filling the runner-up spot on his last three outings over timber, the Paul Newman-owned son of Fast Company stole into a commanding lead for Simon Torrens on the final circuit.

Make Good’s rivals never looked likely to bridge that deficit and all that was required from him in the straight was to safely negotiate the last two flights which he duly did.

Fortune strikes for Connell

AN industrious first season as a trainer for Barry Connell continued with Hostage To Fortune (13/8) in the two-and-a-half-mile beginners’ chase for horses rated 102 or less over hurdles. This Jeremy gelding was entitled to win this given the level he had run to on his first three outings over fences and he produced a solid effort under Mark Bolger after racing on the pace throughout.

Hostage To Fortune, a sixth winner of the season for the trainer, reached for the third last somewhat but recovered well and stuck to his task in determined fashion for the length of the straight to defeat Exit To The West by three and a half lengths.

“He had experience in better races and that probably stood to him. He’s a fine, big horse and this is his game. I’d imagine he will go handicap chasing for the winter,” stated the owner-trainer.

John Ryan made it 12 winners for the season when Cluan Dara bagged the two-mile handicap chase under Conor McNamara to record his first win since April 2018.

The 8/1 chance arrived travelling smoothly on the outside of the field in the straight and asserted between the last two fences to defeat Conright Boy by three lengths.

“I’m delighted for the horse as he’s gone a long time without winning. He was actually second to Samcro in a bumper one day when my daughter Gillian rode him,” declared Ryan who trains the winner for the Bitview Partnership.