TRAINER Gordon Elliott capped a fine day at Killarney on Wednesday as he sent out his fifth winner in the concluding MC Construction (QR) Maiden with Run For Oscar.

Elliott had had four winners at Downpatrick’s earlier fixture and while Killarney’s meeting was all flat, Tiger Roll’s trainer added another win with the Lisa O’Neill-partnered Grand Annual Chase winner Chosen Mate.

The Northern Four Racing Partnership-owned Chosen Mate was having his first start since his Cheltenham Festival heroics and readily beat Nibblers Charm by three and a half lengths.

Third-placed 6/4 favourite Peregrine Run surrendered much ground by racing on the wide outside and stayed on to be a never dangerous third, four and a half lengths behind Nibblers Charm.

Dermot Weld sent out his a fifth consecutive race-day winner as his trainer’s Aga Khan-owned Haparanda landed the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Handicap under jockey Oisin Orr. Weld had winners at the Curragh last Friday before adding winners at Leopardstown (Saturday), the Curragh (Sunday), and Killarney (Monday) before action racing resumed on Wednesday.

Haparanda, a daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar, made a winning handicap debut in first-time cheekpieces when beating runner-up Celtic Crown by two and a half lengths.

Murphy’s focus

Champion Chase-winning trainer John Murphy regularly trains winners at this local track and sent out his own Sharp Focus to win the Dawn Hi + Lo Milk Handicap for the second consecutive year.

Another by Rock Of Gibraltar, this one ridden by Killian Leonard, Sharp Focus raced behind the leaders, moved to lead over a furlong out and in the end held on for a half-length win over Summer’s Dream.

Murphy’s son George later reported: “He ran a lovely race in Leopardstown the last day but the trip might have been a little short for him and he was caught for toe early on and stayed on.

“He might go to Galway next. We’ll see how he comes out of this first.”

ANOTHER Killarney winner bound for Galway is Raphael, who won the Kelly Farm Modernisation Ltd. Apprentice Handicap for trainer Ado McGuinness and jockey Stephen Mooney.

The son of Roderic O’Connor was previously twice successful for trainer Kevin Prendergast and although rated 86 at his peak, had finished last on his last two starts in recent weeks.

The Dooley Thoroughbreds-owned Raphael pegged back clear leader Mary Salome in the closing stages and edged ahead at the line for a short-head win.

McGuinness later said: “He was very keen and half ran away the last two runs. I put a different bridle on him today and Stephen (Mooney) gets on with him.

“I knew the ground would really suit him today and there’s a 0-90 for him in Galway and might run in it now. On his day he is a good horse but had his problems and bled during the winter when he probably wasn’t in love with the all-weather surface.”

Racing began with the Dawn Milk Run Race which was won by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Keats, under Wayne Lordan.

The mile trip was on the sharp side for the son of Galileo but he responded well to Lordan’s urgings when making all for a length-and-a-quarter win over Real Force. The colt is owned by Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

Afterwards, Lordan said: “He races lazily and did the whole way down the back. He is a horse who tries very hard and I was trying to keep him going forward because he doesn’t quicken if something came to him so I was trying to keep the revs up.

“He had a good run at the Curragh the last day and coming here was the one to beat.”

Overdue win

Harvey Specter notched a third career win in the Easyclean Handicap as the Dick Donohoe-trained gelding scored an overdue win under Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Co Kilkenny based Donohoe later said of the Paul Sweeney-owned gelding: “He was very consistent all last year but didn’t get his head in front.

“He got a great ride there and the starter was a help too as he put me on the list to go in late; that helped as he was losing ground at the start last year and possibly cost him a win.

“He is a well-exposed horse and we’ll bide our time before running him back at another country meeting.”

The concluding race, the second division of the MC Construction (QR) Maiden, was won by the Charles Byrnes-trained Run For Oscar (1/3f) which squeezed through on the inner with a furlong to race when taking the lead from Rocket Lad.

At the line the Top Of The Hill Syndicate-owned Run For Oscar held Rocket Lad by four lengths to credit Byrnes’ son Philip with a winning first ride at the Kerry venue.

Afterwards, Byrnes senior admitted: “He fell into the soft division. That’s the way it goes and if you get the chances, you have to take them.

“He was caught a bit flat-footed but got up and that was the main thing. We’ll see what mark he gets now but he (the handicapper) can’t be too hard on him.”