THERE was some cracking fare at Monday’s traditional bank holiday meeting in Dawstown, one that was staged under the auspices of the Muskerry Foxhounds, and the Denis Murphy-owned/trained North Tipp (3/1 - 7/2 joint-favourite) lit up the fixture by posting an impressive debut success under Shane Cotter in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

North Tipp, one of five debutants in the race, always took the eye toward the rear of the nine-runner field as Kauto Line and Back The Park vied for supremacy up front.

The son of Pillar Coral, in whom Nenagh-based breeder Joe Slattery still holds an involvement, moved closer after the fourth-last of the 15 obstacles, before sustaining interference just before the bend on the ascent to three out.

Rider Shane Cotter refused to panic, and sent the eventual winner to the front at the penultimate obstacle, and held a slight advantage over runner-up Orderly Watch when throwing the faster jump at the last.

He then unleashed a powerful turn of foot on the flat to dismiss Sean Doyle’s charge by three and a half lengths.

“Shane gave him a smashing ride; he rode him cold. I think that he will be a lovely horse going forward,” remarked Ballyboy Stables operator Murphy of North Tipp.

First win for Walsh

Mark Walsh from Doneraile comes from a family steeped in jumps racing with his grandfather being former accomplished trainer Johnjoe Walsh.

The 18-year-old had an afternoon he won’t forget afternoon by partnering an initial career winner aboard his father Brendan Walsh’s mare Annie Questions (4/1 - 6/1) in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden.

The hooded eight-year-old Annie Questions, an former track mare who finished second in a Listowel handicap hurdle in June 2024 when under the care of Paddy Cronin, came from well off the pace, and the recent Ballysteen fourth jumped past long-time leader Ballintemple King at the last.

The daughter of Ask then asserted to beat favourite Ballintemple King by a length.

Handler Walsh reported of his wife Rose’s Annie Questions: “I would like to thank Paddy and Danny Cronin for giving us this mare for Mark to ride. She will probably now go for a winners’ race.”

Eric Mellerick rode a third career winner by teaming up with handler Andrew Lee to collect the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden aboard Bower House Boy (6/1 - 8/1).

The eight-year-old Bower House By, representing his handler’s long-standing patron Maria Hinfelaar, was another to come from off the pace, and last season’s Knockanohill fifth overtook Kalico Leader at the final fence to thwart Cal Shine’s mount by a length.

HANDLER John Murphy was all smiles following the success of his charge Hunting Call (7/2 - 5/2 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 14 runners.

Hunting Call, who was sent off favourite when pulling up on his only previous start at Dromahane in early December, got into a lovely rhythm with Johnny Barry and still had some eight horses in front of him on the descent to the fourth-last.

The son of Poet’s Word made smooth progress to lead two out, and whilst runner-up Ballintrane Duke closed on the flat, he was still three parts of a length adrift at the line.

Murphy, who struck the crossbar at Ballindenisk on Sunday with a pair of five-year-olds’ (Rond Point and Water Mill), reported of the Highfort Partnership 1-owned Hunting Call: “I think that he’s a good horse and he likes this nicer ground.”

Supreme success

Owner/trainer Robert Tector, paying an initial visit to Dawstown, sent out the five-year-old gelding Supreme Force (3/1 - 9/2) to oblige in the winners of two.

Supreme Force, who was recording a third victory of the campaign, came through to overtake long-time leader Depalma at the last and he then strode clear for Jack Hendrick to dispose of Sam Curling’s gallant charge by a length and a half.

Tector indicated that the Workforce-sired Supreme Force, in whom breeder Ger Flynn still holds an interest, will be offered at the forthcoming Goffs UK sale in Doncaster.

GLANTANE native Donal O’Connor partnered his second winner of the weekend by landing the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard owner/trainer Luke Murphy’s newcomer Works For Me (4/1 - 5/1).

The mid-June foal was still only sixth on the approach to three out. However, he soon started to pick off his rivals and jumped past long-time leader Seeking Sika at the last en route to dismissing the staying on Dream On Max by two and a half lengths.

“We’ve been waiting for good ground with this horse, and he has really blossomed over the last month,” said Murphy of Works For Me, an €11,000 acquisition as a foal

Luke Murphy then completed a double as he steered the Paul Pierce-trained newcomer Park Hall (4/1 - 5/1) to success in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Park Hall mostly disputed the running with favourite Echoes Of Jane until outjumping her fellow pacesetter three out, and she then went for home on the ascent from this third last obstacle.

The five-year-old daughter of Walk In The Park gamely maintained the momentum in the closing stages to fight off the previously twice-placed Fine Thing by a half-length in the colours of the Blackhall Stables Partnership.

Horse to follow

Seeking Sika (J P Berry): Having finished seventh on his Tullaherin debut a little over two weeks earlier, this grey gave an exhibition of fencing from the front when finishing third in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. The son of Wings Of Eagles should develop into a track winner going forward.