FOR the second year in succession Gordon Elliott struck gold in the Grade 2 Lyons Of Limerick Jaguar Land Rover Novice Hurdle as Farouk d’Alene banished memories of his ragged effort at Navan last time to get his season back on track.
The Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding, who was a chance winner for Jody McGarvey after Keith Donoghue went to Leopardstown, looked ill at ease going left handed in the Monksfield Novice Hurdle last time, but jumped far better this time. Indeed the 2/1 favourite looked to be firmly in charge of this near three-mile contest when he strode to the front with around six to jump.
The race was far from over though as Darrens Hope loomed up as a danger on the approach to the straight. The favourite raised his effort to deal with that one between the last two flights but Vanillier came with a decent late rattle to close the deficit all the way to the line and Farouk d’Alene finished with just three parts of a length to spare.
“I think he is a lovely, staying horse and he’s shown a good attitude to get it done in tough conditions,” declared Elliott. “I don’t know what happened last time as that was most unlike him but maybe he wants to go this way around. I wouldn’t rule out going left handed again and he actually doesn’t have many options going right handed over the next few months.”
Henry de Bromhead could have quite a useful type on his hands in Heather Rocco who made a winning racecourse debut in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle.
A winner of his sole point-to-point outing just over two months previously, this Mustafa Elatrash-owned five-year-old turned in a lovely effort. Heather Rocco looked to be full of running turning for home and he jumped the last two flights as if they were the first and appeared to finish full of running as he came home 11 lengths ahead of Song Of Earth. The 9/2 shot could be a notable contender for the final of this series at the Punchestown Festival.
Notice To Close, who has been in fine form over fences lately with wins at Cork and Clonmel, brought up a hat-trick in the CUBE Handicap Hurdle over three miles.
The Seamus Neville-trained gelding was taking advantage of a hurdles mark some 23lbs lower than the one he holds over fences and he made most of the running for Barry John Foley who once again based himself in America for most the year.
Bold Assassin tried his utmost to find a way past the leader in the straight but he wasn’t as fluent at the last as the 5/4 favourite, which may have settled the outcome.
THE Long Mile bagged his second valuable prize of the calendar year when dominating the closing stages of the feature Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase.
A winner of the Shamrock Chase at Gowran in March, this likeable Philip Dempsey inmate picked up another Grade B pot in this €40,000 contest where he was making it four wins from his last six starts. The former Arkle Chase third Articulum led the field into the straight but on either side of him were the J.P. McManus-owned duo of Scoir Mear and The Long Mile.
The last-named wasted no time stamping his authority on this race between the last two fences as the 18/1 chance surged clear for Niall Madden to win by 22 lengths. Next month’s Leopardstown Chase could be on the agenda for the winner.
There was further cheer for the McManus team as Ciel De Neige, a desperately unlucky loser here last Christmas, eased to a smooth success in the Future Ticketing Maiden Hurdle.
This Willie Mullins inmate, whose other form last season included a fine second in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, was returned the 1/8 favourite under Jody McGarvey and won nicely. The 138-rated gelding eased to the front before two out, took a few lengths out of his rivals and was never subjected to strong pressure to defeat Castle Town House by two and a quarter lengths.
Another cosy winner came in the shape of Paul Nolan’s Itsnotinit in the 80-102 rated D Pack Packaging over just short of two and three-quarter miles.
This Albert Dravins and Eamonn Scanlon-owned gelding was placed in a bumper at this meeting back in 2017 but had been restricted to just four runs since then. After shaping with a degree of promise on his three outings this season the 5/1 joint favourite rewarded the considerable patience of his connections.
Philip Enright’s mount came home four and three-quarter lengths ahead of Seangoell but was value for more and could easily add to his tally under similar conditions this winter.
IT was a day to cherish for amateur Seamus Perry (21) who rode the first winner of his career aboard Peter Fahey’s Lucky Tenner (4/1) in the Doherty Woodshavings Flat Race.
The Jason Barron-owned winner, who was placed in a Thurles bumper on his debut in November, did battle with the odds-on newcomer Where It All Began for the duration of the straight and he gained the upper hand inside the distance to prevail by three-parts of a length with a gap of some 20 lengths back to the remainder.
After starting his season in a couple of hot looking beginners’ events Dinny Lacey took advantage of a drop in grade to land the Parkway Shopping Centre Rated Novice Chase for James Motherway and jockey Mikey Hamill who started out with the winning trainer.
This Robcour-owned six-year-old, who won a Punchestown bumper earlier in his career and was backed from 10/1 in the morning into half those odds.
He turned in a decent effort to defeat Stormy Judge by eight lengths and signal that he might contend for a decent handicap chase over the coming months.