KIELY’S Place created a favourable impression on his debut under rules when leading home a 1-2 for Willie Mullins in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle on this curtailed six-race card where the two chase races were cancelled due to waterlogging.
The son of Wings Of Eagles won a Bandon point-to-point last year before joining the champion trainer and was sent off a 2/1 chance (11/2 overnight) here against odds-on stablemate Arcadian Emperor.
Owner/rider Patrick Mullins elected to make all in this two miles, three furlongs contest and his mount asserted after the penultimate flight and kept on really well to beat the 5/6 favourite by a convincing nine and a half lengths.
“I think he is a very good horse and is ahead of my horse King Of Aces who won here last month. He is for sale to stay in the yard, and is a chaser really,” said Patrick Mullins.
“His previous trainer Eugene O’Sullivan recommended him highly and his nephew Alan O’Sullivan was also very sweet on him, and that is what he has been showing us at home. I’d be hoping he is a graded horse, and he’ll go over fences next year.”
Challenge Series
Daniel King extended his lead in the jockeys’ section of the William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series as Mount Frisco readily justified favouritism in the latest leg, a two-mile handicap hurdle.
The John Ryan-trained gelding was following up a recent win over fences at Gowran and was supported from as big as 3/1 in the morning to go off the 10/11 favourite.
The son of Kalanisi was travelling well when left clear after Is Charlie Around fell two out and kept on strongly to beat Political Stance by 20 lengths.
“We nearly lost him in Listowel (September 2024) and he was on three legs for six months afterwards. He is back to himself now though and will go for a listed chase at Gowran next month, in which he finished second in 2024.
“He’ll take beating in that race as he loves the heavy ground, but he also goes on good ground,” said the Templemore owner/trainer.
COURTBRACK Boy was no match for Our Uncle Jack here last month but opened his account when going one better to take division one of the Cloneen Handicap Hurdle.
The Terence O’Brien-trained gelding asserted between the final two flights under John Shinnick and despite a mistake at the last, the 100/30 favourite kept on well to beat Robindevidastar by seven lengths.
Owner/breeder Tim Murray, from Courtbrack, Blarney, said: “I went to Castlehyde Stud hoping to put my mare in foal to the cheapest stallion and Pour Moi was there at the time, but had gone out of favour. I can’t remember what I paid but that was the start of it and this horse was the most perfect foal.
“We had a winner previously from the same family, which goes back to Red Marauder, and I had a half-sister to him as well.”
Well-backed
Harty Cup, trained by Robert Tyner for J.P. McManus, appreciated the testing ground conditions to land division two. The Yeats gelding was sent off a well-backed evens favourite and headed the front-running Cry Before Dawn at the penultimate flight before drawing clear under Mark Walsh to beat Falcon Park by six lengths.
McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “He ran well at Gowran when staying on nicely on deep ground and needs that ground. At the minute he is fine at that (two-mile) distance in that ground.”
FENWAY Park appreciated a drop in class when successfully reverting to hurdles in the Nire Valley Claiming Hurdle.
The Andy McNamara-trained gelding was an easy-to-back 7/2 chance as the market spoke strongly in favour of Gather Yourself who was supported into 7/4 favourite from quotes of 10/1 earlier in the day.
The pair were in the air together when Gather Yourself fell two out, and Fenway Park kept on best under Anna McGuinness on the run-in to score by a length and three-quarters from Qaasid. Fair Damsel (sixth) was claimed by trainer Cian Collins for €6,000.
McNamara said: “He hadn’t been putting it in in chases recently so at least when others came to him today, he stuck his head down and battled. The syndicate is a hab dash of people from all over and half were included in I’m A Game Changer, who won a graded race.”
Strong support
Brown Boots completed a good afternoon for punters when justifying strong support in the concluding Rosegreen Handicap Hurdle.
The Liam Cusack-trained gelding was available at 2/1 earlier in the day and was backed from 11/8 into evens favouritism on track for this three-mile event.
Brian Hayes oozed confidence as the seven-year-old, who was also successful on his chasing debut at Navan last month, led approaching the last and soon took command to beat Mullanour by an easy 10 lengths.
“He is a nice, solid horse. He hadn’t that many fences jumped going to Navan, but he jumped very well and it takes a bit of winning there. That is testing ground today, but he seemed to handle it and we’ll work away with him now over both codes,” said Cusack.
“His owner John Murray, from Shinrone, is a good supporter of mine and was involved with Snugsborough Benny with me in the past.”