THERE was just one place to be on Wednesday and that was at Ballyknock for the annual Easter week Inch meeting, one that was hosted by the Killeagh Harriers.
Derek O’Connor continues to break records, and this country’s winning-most point-to-point rider moved on to the 1,400 winner mark between the flags with a double on the day completed by owner/trainer Sam Curling’s Holshot (5/4 - 6/4 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The son of Pastorious, that was acquired for €68,000 by Thing Me Syndicate at the 2024 Goffs Arkle sale, always travelled well in fourth spot on the inner as Poet’s Laureate and Well Eliot cut out the pace in the 12-runner contest.
The French-bred moved into second after three out and overtook Poet’s Laureate after the penultimate of 15 obstacles. Poet’s Laureate was then destined for second spot, some one and a half lengths adrift, when falling at the last.
The departure of Colin Bowe’s aforementioned charge then enabled Baldilou to come through for the runner-up slot, 11 lengths adrift of the Skehanagh Stables inmate.
“He’s a lovely horse that had a great run the last day when finishing second in Lisronagh and Derek [O’Connor] felt that he would be better being ridden with some restraint here.
“He should make up into a nice horse over staying trips,” said Curling of the exciting Holshot.
Having a Ball
It was also Curling that supplied O’Connor with his initial success of the afternoon, courtesy of the Walter Connors-owned newcomer Ceasar’s Ball (6/4 - 2/1 favourite) in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Ceasar’s Ball came from off the pace to go third from after three, by which point Stromy Wind had just moved through to join issue with Milord D’anjou.
Stromy Wind appeared to make the decisive move by quickening into a three-length advantage approaching the last, but Denis Murphy’s charge was slow here as the winning son of Great Pretender arrived to narrowly take his measure on the flat to beat him by a neck.
Curling remarked of Ceasar’s Ball: “He’s a lovely horse that we’ve always liked. He takes a lot of work as he was still a bit heavy beforehand here and he’s also very green.”
THERE was a gripping conclusion to the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden with the judge awarding a dead-heat between Dooceys Legacy (3/1 - 4/1), one of just two horses owned by trainer/breeder Pat Doocey, and Matthew Flynn O’Connor’s newcomer Imperator Furiosa (5/2 - 7/2).
Dooceys Legacy moved to the front on the outer with talented 5lb-claimer Willam Verling after three out, except that Imperator Furiosa came through to challenge for Brian Lawless approaching the last.
It was Dooceys Legacy that secured the faster jump here and she then took a narrow advantage, only to be joined approaching the line by Imperator Furiosa.
The Jet Away-sired Dooceys Legacy is a maternal granddaughter of Grade 2 hurdle-winning mare Mae’s Choice, whilst Imperator Furiosa, a €23,000 yearling purchase, is a granddaughter of British Grade 2-winning hurdles mare Shatabdi.
The indications are Dooceys Legacy and Imperator Furiosa, a daughter of Blue Bresil, will now be sold.
Favouritism justified
The Sean Aherne-trained Ask Millie (5/2 - 11/4 favourite) vindicated the promise of her third-placed Ballycahane debut effort last month by landing the five-year-old and upward mares’ maiden, much to the dismay of the 13 bookmakers present.
The hooded Ask Millie led from the seventh fence under Alan O’Sullivan and she sealed victory with a fabulous leap at the second last. The Mahler-sired winner, owned and bred by James Leahy from outside Lismore, then asserted approaching the final fence to account for promising newcomer A Quick Call by three and a half lengths.
“She made a couple of small errors in Ballycahane and that cost her,” reported handler Aherne of Ask Millie.
“I was hoping that she would step forwards from Ballycahane and thankfully, she did. She will probably now be sold.”
THE Ellen Doyle-trained Pointofdifference (5/2 - 11/4 joint-favourite), whose only previous outing came when winning a Bartlemy four-year-old maiden last term, made a stunning return to action under Brian Dunleavy in the winners of one.
The Crystal Ocean-sired Pointofdifference, acquired for €80,000 at the 2024 Goffs Arkle sale, effortlessly made his way to the front five out.
Whilst runner-up Silent Temptation held every chance in a close second two out, the eventual winner threw a breathtaking leap at this penultimate fence and powered clear before the last to oblige by a widening six lengths in the Baltimore Stables Syndicate silks.
Doyle’s brother James suggested that a bumper could be next for Pointofdifference.
The biggest field of the day in 13 runners lined up for the adjacent hunts maiden and Jimmy Kelly’s mare East Cork Flyer (5/1 - 7/1) put her hurdling experience to good use by coming from well off the pace under Johnny Barry to land the spoils.
Struck the front
Coolnav struck the front after two out, but the winning daughter of Yeats touched down in front over the last and she was then in command on the flat. At the post, the A Pint Of Plain Syndicate-owned East Cork Flyer had a length to spare over Coolnav.
“A terrific group of lads from Midleton own her and they gave her loads of time. She could now go to the track for the summer and I would also like to thank the chiropractor Rory O’Brien who did a lot of work with her,” disclosed handler Kelly of East Cork Flyer.
Horse to follow
Stromy Wind (D. P. Murphy): This French-bred newcomer by Choeur Du Nord, a €40,000 Derby sale graduate, was overtaken by the winner Ceasar’s Ball after the last in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden having been slow at the final fence. The bay, who was then beaten a neck into second, appears to be a naturally classy sort and a bright track career seems assured.