THERE was some stellar fare at Saturday’s first stage of the two-day Ormond Foxhounds fixture in Ballingarry and owner/trainer Frank Oakes was understandably the happiest individual at the meeting, following the success of his charge Dylan Oak in the open.
Oakes saddled his most recent winner in a flat handicap at Gowran Park in June 2021 and Dylan Oak, who recorded his sole previous success for Denis Cullen in June 2022, is the only horse that he has run in points this season.
The 10-year-old Dylan Oak (7/1 - 10/1) was put to sleep at the rear of the seven-runner field and still had just two horses behind him on the approach to the fourth last of the 15 obstacles.
The eye was drawn to the eventual winner as he cruised into third spot after two out, by which stage Knockiel Synge still held the call from Benny The Duke.
The victorious son of Dylan Thomas surged to the front approaching the last and eased clear for Bertie Finn to beat Benny The Duke by four and a half lengths.
Oakes, now in his 84th year and who recalled being present at a point-to-point fixture here at Ballingarry in the 1970s, rides out Dylan Oak every day.
He reported: “Bertie [Finn] gave him a great waiting ride today. I told him whatever about getting beaten for coming too late, don’t go too early on him.”
Patient tactics
William Verling partnered a second career winner aboard the Denis Ahern-trained St Lawrence’s Well (4/1 - 6/1) in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
St Lawrence’s Well benefited from waiting tactics and made smooth progress from off the pace to go second approaching four out. Whilst blundering at this fourth last fence, the winning son of Idaho picked up the running clearly travelling best after two out.
Although then coming somewhat wide off the final bend before the last fence, the Cork raider still returned with seven and a half lengths to spare over Christy’s Chief.
“He has always been a nice horse and likes nice ground,” said trainer/breeder Ahern, of his wife Norah’s St Lawrence’s Well, who was quickly added to this past Thursday’s Tattersalls Ireland sale in Fairyhouse.
Double the tally
Josh Halford likewise brought his points tally to two by landing the second division of this same contest aboard the Enda Bolger-trained Deebert (3/1 - 4/1).
The Ocovango-sired Deebert vindicated the promise of his fourth-placed Comea effort in February by moving through to challenge No Hard Feelings well after two out and the half-brother to Arthur Moore’s useful handicap hurdler The Miracle Man then asserted to dismiss Sundance Square by four and a half lengths in the familiar John Power silks.
THE Cormac Doyle-trained Krystal Sky (7/2 - 3/1) hinted that a bright track career awaits by annihilating the opposition under Jamie Scallan in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Having run out when leading three out on her previous start at Tattersalls last month in the race won by Magic Gloves, Krystal Sky made all the running here in what was noticeably the fastest run race of the afternoon.
Whilst blundering four out, the winning daughter of Snow Sky didn’t lose any momentum and she stormed clear from after the second-last to dispose of the never-dangerous Wishful Wings by 40 lengths. Bartlemy runner-up Walkingmayotomilan faded from the last to return a further two lengths adrift in third.
In handler Doyle’s absence, stable representative Philip O’Brien remarked of the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership-owned Krystal Sky: “She’s a very nice mare that’s a good jumper and the plan was to let her bowl along today. She will now go to the sales in Fairyhouse next Thursday.”
Fantastic finale
Barry O’Neill made his final mount of the season a winning one, sharing the southern regional riders’ title with the aforementioned Jamie Scallan in the process, by teaming up with Colin Bowe to collect the five-year-old mares’ maiden aboard Belle Star Outlaw (2/1 - 5/2 favourite).
Having finished second on her Ballysteen debut last month, before then coming third to I C U In My Dreams in a vintage Dawstown contest on bank holiday Monday, the Milestone Bloodstock Ltd-owned Belle Star Outlaw made her intentions known from the outset as she set off in front.
Runner-up Queen Of The Gales moved through to challenge four out, but the winning daughter of Kalanisi was clearly possessing all the aces from after the penultimate obstacle as she strode clear to defeat Garrett Ahern’s likeable charge by nine lengths.
THE Costello sisters, Emily and Laura, fought out a pulsating finish to the novice riders’ winners of one. It was 21-year-old Emily who emerged victorious as her mount Burren View (2/1 - 9/4 joint-favourite), representing the pair’s mother Claire Costello, supplemented his Ballindenisk maiden success by getting the better of Seamus Murnane’s Dromleigh from the last to oblige by a half-length.
The six-year-old Burren View, trained by her rider’s uncle Tom Costello and led up here by J.J. Slevin, is another that was bound for the Tattersalls Ireland sale on Thursday.
Owner/trainer Jim O’Neill experienced a fruitful campaign and he was on the mark with Seaniecon (5/2 - 3/1) in the four-year-old auction maiden.
The Necarne debut runner-up Seaniecon eased through to lead for Sean Staples on the inner approaching three out and it was all plain sailing from after the second-last as the victorious son of Capri, a €12,000 Goffs Arkle sale graduate that traces back to Calling Wild and Celtic Giant, bounded clear to dispense with newcomer Speakasyoufind by 13 lengths.
Horse to Follow
Glenrouge (D. Duggan): This well-built daughter of Elusive Pimpernel made her debut in the five-year-old mares’ maiden. She came from well off the pace to finish fourth to Belle Star Outlaw when she was doing all of her best work at the finish, beaten 18 lengths in total. The striking bay fits the profile of a track winner.