A REVELATORY few months for Portrade culminated in the progressive five-year-old’s victory in the featured Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle which provided trainer George Stanley with the biggest success of his career.

A welcome winner for Andrew Lynch, who lost his position as first jockey to Alan and Ann Potts and only returned from injury on Sunday, Portrade gave Stanley his first winner for four years when scoring at 40/1 at Bellewstown in July. Since that success the Trade Fair gelding has done nothing but improve and he took this rise in class in his stride.

The open nature of the day’s feature was reflected in the betting where a trio of runners shared favouritism at 7/1 and next best was Portrade (8/1) who kept close to the pace throughout. As the runners filed into the straight, Smiler had the field on the stretch and he still held a marginal advantage at the last where a mistake cost him his chance of victory. This left Portrade in front and he battled on well to see off Macnicholson by half a length.

“He got a lovely ride from Andrew who had him much more settled than on his last couple of runs and we are lucky that we were able to get Andrew today,” said Ratoath-based Stanley. “I thought that he’d run well and a lot of credit most go to Joe Smith who works in the yard at home and has put a lot of work into this horse. Training is a hobby for us but we’ve a couple of nice horses coming along.”

Willie Mullins ended the day with a double which was completed by the classy Daring Carlotta as she brought up hat-trick of bumper wins in the Helena Sheahan Memorial (Pro/Am) Flat Race. Another smart sort to carry the prolific Supreme Horse Racing Club colours, the Kayf Tara mare was giving Mullins his consecutive win in this race. The strong travelling 9/10 favourite loomed up between the Ronnie O’Neill stablemates Bay Sly and Behana with well over a furlong to run and she needed only a shake of the reins from Patrick Mullins to win stylishly.

“She’s improved with every run,” stated Patrick Mullins. “She’s not the biggest and there’s not much of her and I’d say good ground is the key to her. She’s good enough to win on the flat and she will win over hurdles.”

Earlier the Mullins-trained Security Breach showed good progress from his recent debut over fences at Killarney as he produced an assured display from the front in the Kevin McManus Beginners Chase.

The Giggsintown House Stud-owned gelding was strongly pressed by the favourite Benemeade from before two out but he answered Paul Townend’s promptings by producing quick jumps at the last two fences. On the run in, Security Breach stuck to his task well to prevail by two and a half lengths.

“He jumped well and it wasn’t ideal to make the running with him although he did get a soft lead. It was a nice performance,” commented Townend.

A resurgent Face Value won his first race since the 2012 November Handicap as he sprung a 20/1 surprise in the Behans Horseshoe Bar & Restaurant Handicap. On his first outing of the year, the Sean Gallagher-owned six-year-old showed that he retains much of his old prowess to earn another November Handicap tilt. Face Value was being driven along in fourth on the approach to the straight and with over a furlong out, it looked as though the Jessica Harrington charges Modem and Kabjoy would fight out the finish. To his considerable credit, Face Value answered Ross Coakley’s every call to force his way past Kabjoy in the final yards.

“He had been working well but I felt the ground might be too quick and I’m a bit shocked to be honest,” reported McGuinness. “The plan is to go back for the November Handicap and he will run in some staying handicap hurdles over the winter. He hasn’t run since December as I felt he just wasn’t right and I’m delighted he’s won for Sean Gallagher who has been a great supporter of mine.”

Wayne Lordan made it three winners for the meeting as No Wunder opened his account in the Frank O’Leary Memorial Maiden. The David Wachman-trained 11/8 favourite, who is owned by Fitri Hay, had been placed on seven of his eight career starts coming into this mile event and took advantage of a good opportunity. No Wunder did have to work to get by the front-running Mutawed but once he got into the lead with over a furlong to run, he pulled away to defeat Celestial Fable by a length and three parts.

“He’s a grand horse and came here off a couple of solid runs,” declared Lordan. “He was a bit weak earlier in the year but he is strengthening up all the time and he stays well, a longer trip would be no problem for him.”

There was further joy for favourite backers as the Dermot Weld-trained and Pat Smullen-ridden Intisaab claimed the Tote-sponsored three-year-old maiden over an extended six furlongs. The Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned gelding, who was placed on his first three runs, looked to be struggling to get to grips with the front-running Chiclet early in the straight. However, the last-named could do no more when pressed by Intisaab as the last furlong loomed and the even money chance asserted over the last 100 yards to succeed by three parts of a length.

“He thought about it up the straight but in fairness the second filly was getting all the weight and she’s not a bad little filly. I thought our horse might outstay her,” stated Smullen.

Equation Of Time took advantage of the significant differential between his rating on turf and on the all weather to land the Speedy’s Bar Moyvane & Ballylongford Handicap. The grey lined up off 67, which is a stone lower than his polytrack rating, and had no trouble recording his first win on grass. Shane Foley produced the 10/1 chance to lead with a furlong to run and Equation Of Time quickly asserted his authority to defeat Watereloo Sunrise by two and three quarter lengths.

“He’d a lovely draw and got a lovely ride from Shane and it’s great it worked out as it’s a long way down for us. He’s won a few times at Dundalk but I always felt he could transfer that to grass,” commented Donnelly whose charge carries the colours of Gerard Clarke.

After winning his first race in April 2011, Memories Of Milan had to wait until last month to add to his tally but he is busy making up for lost time after striking again in the Devon Inn Hotel Handicap Hurdle. The John Queally-trained top weight won over two miles at Cork but had no trouble stepping up to three miles here and Davy Russell produced him to challenge on the inside of the running Buster Dan Dan after the last. The latter tried hard to hang on but Memories Of Milan (13/2) forced his way past to score by half a length.

“He lost his way after a bad fall but he seems to have gotten plenty of confidence from his win at Cork. We always felt he had ability and the jockey had a lot to do with it today,” reflected Queally whose wife Miriam owns the eight-year-old.

ACTING STEWARDS

P.J.A. O’Connor, M.J. Doyle, J.P. Barry, O. Kearney, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

TRADE MARKED (A. Leahy): He produced a good effort to take third in the handicap won by Equation Of Time where he came from off the pace to secure third. This was his best effort from seven outings and it would indicate that he can be placed to advantage at some point.