DECADES-long breeding was rewarded with success from another generation of the Murphy family’s horses at Clonmel on Tuesday, where trainer Donie Murphy’s Mystic Malina (7/2) landed the opening Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

Ridden by Harry Sexton, the daughter of Malinas was initially held up in mid-division and led from the second last to score by six and a half lengths from Loyal Praetorian.

Regarding the well-supported winner (morning 8/1, returned 7/2), Murphy reported: “She is a grand mare and hopefully can go forward from that. She had won a point-to-point and had run well in a bumper and won easily enough today.

“Someone was sure (she’d win), but it wasn’t me who backed her. I told Harry to tip away and to keep an eye on the favourite (Justatan), as I thought he was the one to beat. It worked out well.”

He added: “My brother Matt bred her and she is owned by a local publican Anthony Smart from Ballincurrig. My father and John Magnier had the base mare Even More between them. I don’t know how many steps she goes back, but it is a long time ago.”

’Class is all there’

The feature was the €16,000 Jim Strang and Sons Kilsheelan Hurdle, which was won by the Gigginstown House Stud-owned, Gordon Elliott-trained Staffordshire Knott (8/13 favourite) under jockey Carl Millar. The seven-year-old accounted for his four rivals, beating French Dynamite by 10 lengths.

Millar reported: “It was a very nice performance and the ground was a big help. There had been a morning inspection, but I was almost hoping the rain kept coming! He lets himself down on heavy ground and enjoys the job again.

“He bounced out of his last race well and was in flying form at home. The class is all there, but maybe this year he is more mature and he thrives on that softer ground.”

Off the mark

John Ryan was on the mark in the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle with tricky Finnicky Filly (8/1), under Michael Kenneally.

Having her 16th start, the maiden seven-year-old was held up in rear before eventually improving to lead at the last, scoring by a length and a half from Wild Wild Wind.

Ryan reported: “She’s a cracking filly, who was bred by one of my owners Tommy James and, while I previously leased her to a group of lads who then got tired of her, I wouldn’t blame them.

“She is difficult to train and to mind, but we have great patience, that’s one thing I have with horses and I give them every chance. If this mare had been in another yard, she’d have been scrapped long ago.”

GAVIN Cromwell had a welcome change of recent luck with the success of his Bridie’s Beau (12/1) in the Next Race Meeting Jan 8 Novice Handicap Chase.

Ridden by Keith Donoghue for owner Owen Daley, the son of Blue Bresil improved from rear to score a two-and-three-quarter-length win from Trasna Na Pairce.

Donoghue revealed: “It is nice to get the yard a winner as there is plenty of people talking about our form. It just seems to be one of those things.That was the reason we couldn’t have been fully confident in this lad coming here today, but he had a good run the last day when the race didn’t suit him as they went slow. The deeper ground suited him today.”

Loyal owners

Trainer Pat Fahy credited his owners following the success of He’s Gorgeous (4/1 joint-favourite) in the Clonmel Supporters Beginners Chase, with the gelding scoring under jockey Danny Mullins.

Racing with the leaders, the six-year-old battled well to hold the challenge of On Your Way by three parts of a length.

Fahy stated: “George (Moore, owner) couldn’t make his way over from Cardiff last night as there were floods on the motorway so I’m raging, as he is very loyal and without those lads, small trainers wouldn’t survive. I couldn’t survive without the likes of George and Ray Minion (joint-owner).”

“He started thriving towards the end of last year and the whole plan was to go chasing, which has worked out great. He handles heavy, we know he can go on good ground and I’ll have him well entered up for Christmas, where he’ll probably run at Leopardstown.”

TRAINER Andy Slattery is hoping his Parnell Street (100/30) can continue his good recent progression, having won the Thanks To All For Your Support (QR) Maiden Hurdle under Adam Ryan.

The son of Elusive Pimpernel raced prominently throughout and scored by two and a half lengths from That Danny Feeling.

Slattery stated: “He is a grand horse and Pat (Morrissey, owner/breeder) sold his two half-brothers, one of which, Twinjets, won a chase by 10 lengths for Paul Nicholls the other day. Pat wanted to hang on to this horse and chasing is his game, as you see by the size of him.

“He has been schooled over fences as a three-year-old and is brilliant to jump. He’ll tip away over hurdles this season.”

Mudlark

Great Island (4/1 favourite) was another to revel in the day’s testing ground conditions, landing the opening division of the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle for trainer Eoin Griffin and jockey Calum Hogan. The nine-year-old scored by a half-length from Maciver.

Griffin reported: “He had a good run back following a break the last day and just improved a little bit from it. We’ll look at Limerick over Christmas next, as he loves heavy ground. If we got traditional Christmas ground, it would be right into his barrow.”

Late lunge

The second division of the race was won by the Dick Donohoe-trained Ballinaboola Jet (8/1), under jockey Richie Deegan.

The son of Jet Away was scoring a maiden success and, afterwards, Donohoe reported: “I’m delighted for Seamus (Tobin, owner/breeder), who is a man I’ve known all my life and this is the first winner I’ve had for him.

“The horse had been knocking around a while and Richie gave him a super ride. He had run well in Wexford in October, but he raced prominently and with the choke out the last day in Punchestown. He didn’t finish his race as a result, but we learned from that, dropped him in today and arrived late. Richie gave him a super ride.”