LOCAL owner and one of Ballinrobe racecourse’s saviours, Michael Cawe had a winner at the Mayo track on Tuesday when his homebred Only One Plan (7/1) landed the David Heneghan Memorial Handicap Hurdle for trainer Michael Flannery.

Ridden by Conor Owens, Only One Plan raced prominently throughout the 15-runner race and in the end held on well to score by a length and a half from the fast-finishing Realism.

Ballinrobe-based trainer Flannery reported: “Mick (Cawe) was one of the founding directors of the racecourse here and, along with the members, helped develop the course.

“From the beginning, and a lot of years ago, he raised a lot of money for the course and this win is great, although he is not well at the moment. He will be delighted, as this was the plan.

“In fairness to Mick, the stand wouldn’t be there without him and it was the first development that we did. It was done in the early 1990s and he was one of the fellas who kept this place alive, as the course was pencilled in to be the first racecourse to close.

“Mick had winners here over the years and I trained a winner for him here 20 years ago.

“I thought we might be going a bit soon after his run in Kilbeggan, but it was great it came off. This is also my Cheltenham.”

Tipp on top

Tipperary trainers continued the county’s good run of form by winning two of the day’s races, with hurling-mad trainer John Ryan setting the tone by landing the BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle, with Drumgill (3/1).

Ridden by Dan King, Drumgill improved to lead on the run-in and finished well to score by five and a half lengths from Net Boy.

Ryan was completing a double of sorts as his county had won Sunday’s All-Ireland Hurling Final. “He was a wrong price and he should have been 4/6!,” the trainer said. “I don’t care how good the other horse (Net Boy) is, he is a class horse and is only six. Menorah is in his direct pedigree and he is also related to Constitution Hill. He is going for the Galway Blazers now.

“I am a hurling man all my life and Sunday (Tipperary’s win in the All-Ireland final) was brilliant. My jockey Dan King is a Cork chap. I was sorry for him, but gave him some slagging!”

Impressive newcomer

Tipperary’s Andy Slattery landed the concluding Jennings Meats Bumper with well-backed and impressive newcomer Gameball (13/8 favourite), who scooted clear to win by 12 lengths, under jockey Adam Ryan.

Willie Slattery represented his brother and reported: “He is a nice horse, is well-bred and, to be fair to Dan (Breen, successful breeder and owner in the yard), he only breeds a handful but is great at the job.

“Brian’s (Slattery, brother) wife Eimear owns this horse and he’ll either now be sold or go for a winners’ bumper. He is a half-brother to a Grade 1 winner (Marie’s Rock) and Arcadian Sunrise.”

McNamara double

Trainer Andy McNamara registered his second winner in as many days at the Mayo course, with Warriors Wood causing a 16/1 upset in the RBC Brewin Dolphin Rated Novice Hurdle.

Ridden by championship-leader Darragh O’Keeffe, Warriors Wood raced with the leaders and held on well to hold faster-finishing Spy by a neck.

McNamara, successful with Galaxy Wonder a day earlier, stated: “Warriors Wood is a gorgeous horse with a great attitude and does things really well. He travels nicely, settles and jumps well.

“Darragh was good and positive on him, that suits him. He has won twice now, but we’ll try to find something similar again.

“The owner Sean McElroy isn’t here today as it was a five-hour drive from where he lives. He is a good man and has a couple of horses in the yard.”

RACING began with the O’Hare’s Bar Maiden Hurdle, which was won by Danish-import Dunkerque (100/30 favourite) who scored for trainer Gavin Cromwell, jockey Kieren Buckley and the Poetry In Motion Syndicate.

Defying an 8lb winner’s penalty, Dunkerque led at the last and held Killian’s Garden by a half-length, to give Buckley a winning spare ride, as declared jockey Keith Donoghue was unwell.

Troy Cullen, joint owner and Cromwell’s race planner, said: “Myself and Joey (brother) took a chance by purchasing the horse from Denmark and, since he has come over, has been finding his feet.

“He was very green and seemed to be raw. In the last while he has come to himself, loves that ground so hopefully he’ll keep improving.”

He added: “Joey knew a contact in Scandinavia, where this horse had won the Consolation Derby in Denmark and had been one of the favourites for the St Leger, but didn’t run. He was a similar type to Lot Of Joy (ex-Willie Mullins trained) and was rated about 90.

“We have plenty of options and we’ll go to Galway for a handicap hurdle now.”

Tiernan Power Roche incurred a 14-day suspension for his ride on Coolboy Christy, with the stewards punishing last season’s champion conditional jockey under Rule 212, which relates to non-triers. Held up in rear, the 40/1 chance made late headway to eventually finish a modest eighth-place, with the stewards later interviewing connections.

Coolboy Christy was also suspended from racing for 60 days although his trainer Philip Rothwell, who wasn’t at the meeting, was not punished.

Spick ends losing span

The other maiden hurdle on the card was won by the Frank Reynolds-owned Spick And Span (5/6 favourite), which ended a 19-race losing run to score on her third start for trainer James Fahey.

Ridden by Kevin Sexton, Spick And Span stretched clear in the closing stages to beat Love At Sea by four lengths. Fahey reported: “I’m delighted for her more so than anything else, as at least she has her winning bracket now. Frank (Reynolds, owner) bought her to turn into a broodmare and I was lucky he sent her to me. I think the handicapper has me snookered though as, for an eight-year-old mare, he gave her 6lb for finishing second in a 0-100 in Sligo. She might jump a fence though and she could run in a flat maiden. She is very well-bred and has her bracket now.”

THERE was a somewhat interesting outcome to the Sweeney Oil Handicap Hurdle (Div I) with Emmet Mullins working his magic to win with long-absent but well-backed Chance Another One (6/4 favourite), which scored easily on debut for the National-winning trainer.

Ridden by Donagh Meyler, the winning point-to-pointer made all, beating Sydney Cruiser by 11 lengths. Mullins said: “Shane Duffy had him previously and we had also found another one (a winner) from there as well. His point-to-point win came on good and I’d say he is ground dependant. The first-time tongue-tie suited. He isn’t the biggest, but has size for summer fences. It is my first winner for Carl Slattery (owner) so it was important to get that.”

The later division saw jockey Darragh McGill pick up a winning spare, as he steered the Noel Kelly-trained Mister Vic (8/1) to win for owner Ryan Turner, whose jockey son Luke was unable to take the ride. Mister Vic went clear of his rivals after the second last and scored readily from Western Opera.

McGill said: “He was supposed to run at Kilbeggan and it was just luck today that I got on him. Hopefully he could get another one.”