SELDOM, if ever, will Shark Hanlon spend £600 better than he did when securing Skyace at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Ascot November Sale as the daughter of Westerner made it two wins from as many starts for the trainer in the two-and-a-half-mile conditions hurdle.

After being placed on all three of her bumper runs, this mare was then picked up at that Ascot sale and she provided her owners, the Birdinthehand Syndicate, with a near €6,000 dividend when winning a Tipperary maiden hurdle last month.

Here the five-year-old coped well with a drop in trip after Jody McGarvey was allowed to dictate the tempo from early on. In the straight, nothing could really lay a glove on the 10/1 outsider of the five-runner field who defeated Dame De Ruban by eight lengths.

“I knew she was good but I didn’t think she was that good,” said Hanlon. “That was a very good performance. I’d say we might skip Galway but it’s just great to have two mares like her and Dime A Dozen.”

A double for Gavin Cromwell and Jonathan Moore was completed by the useful Flooring Porter (15/2) whose victory in the three-mile handicap hurdle has set him up for a tilt at the valuable Guinness Handicap Hurdle at Galway next Friday.

Racing keenly

This five-year-old, who has progressed on each of his last six runs, didn’t help his cause by racing keenly and he also made a mistake at the final flight when he was challenging Cusp Of Carabelli. He recovered quickly to get on top on the run-in and succeed by half a length.

“He does run well fresh and it was a good performance considering he ran with the choke out there,” reported Cromwell who trains the five-year-old for the Flooring Porter Syndicate.

The 4/1 joint-favourite Kilkishen was found to be lame after pulling and was reported not to have let himself down on the ground.

Earlier, Cromwell’s Luis Van Zandt (13/8) got off the mark on his second outing for the trainer as he took advantage of a good opportunity in the 80-102 rated Holden Plant Rentals Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles.

Command

The Old School Syndicate-owned six-year-old took command of this race with three to jump and from the turn-in Jonathan Moore’s mount was always containing Comporta who went down by four and a half lengths.

Doyle and Flanagan’s good runs

JOCKEY Ricky Doyle maintained his good run when Conor O’Dwyer’s stalwart Jon Ess (9/2) picked up the first division of the Goffs Supporting Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle over two miles.

This six-time flat winner had run a number of good races in defeat since he first went jumping in September 2018 and he deservedly got his turn after making all the running.

Jon Ess, who carries the colours of the Brinkleys Syndicate, shook off the odds-on Meticulous after the second last flight en route to a seven-length triumph over the Thurles bumper winner Coolbane Boy.

Another jockey in great heart is Sean Flanagan and he moved on to the 10-winner mark for the season as With A Start justified his position as the 13/8 favourite for the second division of the Goffs-sponsored maiden hurdle.

As he looked to build on a good second to Run For Mary on the flat at Bellewstown, the Noel Meade inmate adapted well to this new discipline. With A Start wasn’t too fluent at the third last but he was in quickly in charge after jumping the next and finished half a dozen lengths clear of the 50/1 newcomer Fix The Bill.

The victorious Sea The Stars gelding is owned by Conor O’Brien.

“He’s a nice horse who jumps very well and he will win plenty of races.

“I’d say Galway will come too soon for him and we will probably run him back on the flat before too long,” commented Meade.

After runner-up finishes in a maiden hurdle at Tipperary last month and a flat handicap at the Curragh 10 days previously, the Joe Murphy-owned and trained Swelltime secured the second success of his career in the Connolly’s Red Mills Maiden Hurdle.

The front-running 9/4 favourite was left to come home in splendid isolation when Pepperoni Pete, who had loomed up menacingly to dispute the lead, crashed out at the second last.

This left David Mullins’ mount to finish some 16 lengths clear of Royal Aide.

A trip to Galway for a flat handicap before a possible tilt at Listowel’s Lartigue Hurdle could be on the winner’s agenda.

Elliott bounces right back with bumper double

AFTER a couple of reversals earlier on the card, which included Avanzi suffering a fatal injury in the maiden won by With A Start, Gordon Elliott ended the day with a bumper double which began when Mr Jackman followed up his recent debut success at Tipperary.

The N H J Racing Syndicate-owned gelding was the only previous winner to tackle the two-mile bumper and was returned a 4/9 chance under Jamie Codd.

In a very steadily run affair, Mr Jackman looked as though he might be in trouble turning for home but the four-year-old ultimately ran out a cosy one-and-three-quarter-length winner.

“He’s a grand horse who tries hard and he stays well so he’ll probably go hurdling now, although he will get an entry for the winners’ bumper at Galway,” remarked Elliott.

It was then the turn of the Codd-ridden Jimmy Jimmy in the two-and-a-half-mile bumper where the Brendan Scully-owned gelding delivered on the promise that carried him to runner-up efforts at Fairyhouse and Navan earlier in the year.

Jimmy Jimmy (4/5) had to work for this victory but he showed a good attitude over the course of the last furlong to get the better of Florey Spud by three-quarters of a length.

“His form entitled him to win and he will come on a lot for this and we’ll go jumping next. I’m pleased for his owner Brendan who is a great supporter of the yard,” stated the trainer.