EOIN Staples has looked one of the conditional finds of the early National Hunt season and he recorded the second double of his career when travelling to Downpatrick for three rides on Friday.

Having shared the INHSC novice rider series title last season in point-to-points, the Co Wexford native made a big impression when landing an €80,000 handicap hurdle at this year’s Galway Festival on Come On The Lads just a month on from his first rides as a conditional. His exploits on Friday left him in a share of second in the conditional jockeys’ standings on 11 winners, behind the red-hot Alex Harvey on 17.

Staples’ brace began when the Gavin Cromwell-trained Arcland gained an overdue first win over hurdles, having previously been 0-15 in this sphere. At the age of nine, Eugene Blaney’s home-bred has been in sparkling form this summer on the flat and stayed on best as 9/4 favourite to beat Half A Chance in the MB McGrady And Co Chartered Accountants Handicap Hurdle.

Speaking after the half-length success, Staples said: “He’s had a couple of very consistent runs over hurdles and he was due his day in the sun. We were worried that he wouldn’t battle and, to be fair, today he put his head down and dug deep for me.” He added: “I’m based in Gavin’s four days a week, in Paul Nolan’s one day and one in Colin Bowe’s as well. They are supporting me well and I’m very lucky.”

It was a much more comfortable victory that brought up the 7lb claimer’s double, as Sporting Glance (3/1 favourite) defied a 9lb rise for a recent Galway win in the Charles And Kathleen Caldwell Memorial Rated Novice Hurdle over an extended two miles and five furlongs.

Cian Collins and Kevin McConnell’s six-year-old had looked promising in his early point-to-point and bumper showings before not quite coming to the boil immediately over hurdles. He looks set to reward his connections even more if continuing on this roll, though, simply outclassing his rivals on his way to a seven-length win.

“Eoin’s 7lb off just levelled [the handicap rise] there. He was impressive and did it very well,” said Collins.

“Eoin thought he had gears there again today, so he is probably versatile enough. It is nice to see him do that on a bit of softer ground as well. That is soft enough out there now; it takes a bit of getting. We won’t rush or won’t overface him but he’s a nice horse to have.”

A TERRIFIC spell for Cian Collins continued when Solly Attwell made it five winners from the trainer’s last eight runners in the Peter Fitzpatrick & Sons Estate Agents And Chartered Surveyors Handicap Chase - a brace on the day for the young Co Meath handler.

Like Sporting Glance, the Del Boy Partnership-owned seven-year-old had won at Galway just 11 days earlier and thrived with his confidence up to run out a six-length winner under Jordan Gainford, who was in winning form for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm at Auteuil a day earlier.

Perhaps the most surprising element of the result was the winner’s SP, returning an extremely easy-to-back 12/1 (from a morning price of 100/30).

Collins said: “There was plenty going on there and it was an absolutely brilliant ride by Jordan, he never panicked and it just worked out brilliant for him. They went a good gallop and he’s a good, honest horse.

“He’s a stayer and hopefully he will progress. He doesn’t want the ground too quick or too soft. He’ll stay going for a while, and we will pick and choose where we go with him.”

Cohen collects

Another who could be able to pay his way as a chaser going forward is the Noel Meade-trained Mickey Cohen (9/4 favourite), who took advantage of a 10lb four-year-old allowance to run out a convincing winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase.

It had the potential to be a good opportunity for the Noel Meade Racing Ltd-owned gelding by US Navy Flag if taking to his first taste of this sphere, and he impressed his winning rider Donagh Meyler in scoring by five and a half lengths. This was thought to be the first winner over jumps (on these shores at least) for his Group 1 sprint-winning sire.

“He was very good everywhere, maybe a bit sticky over the last,” said Meyler.

“I suppose it is his first time being in front like that. He operated well and stayed at it really well. I suppose he was coming back a couple of furlongs [to two miles and two furlongs] and I knew that he would stay, so he certainly did that today.

“There was plenty of pace on so I just got into a lovely rhythm throughout and it was pretty plain sailing. I think his chasing mark could be a little bit higher than his hurdling mark. We’ll take it step by step, but hopefully he can go on from that.”

CO Derry-based trainer Noel Kelly has saddled more National Hunt winners at Downpatrick than any other track in Britain and Ireland, and his recent Galway Festival runner-up High Court Cave made the most of an excellent chance as 8/13 favourite in the opening Randox Maiden Hurdle.

Down in distance by half a mile to two miles and two furlongs, the point-to-point and bumper winner kept on well under Oran McGill to pull four and a quarter lengths clear of flat recruit Sea Eagle.

Kelly said of the Victor McCrea-owned five-year-old: “We probably didn’t get the straightest of runs with him the last two weeks, he had wee issues that annoyed him a bit. We were in two minds whether we were going to run him or not. I’m delighted he did that. It was that bad a race, you had to go and give him a chance.

“His owner, Victor McCrea, lives beside me and helps me out a lot all the way. Oran is a very useful jockey and rides him out at home. I have no plans yet for the horse but he’s probably an out-and-out chaser down the line.”

Og on the up

Fresh from getting off the mark at the ninth attempt at Sligo a month earlier, improving four-year-old Tir Og (4/1) doubled her tally for Eoin Seymour’s Co Tipperary yard and 7lb claimer Calum Hogan in the Tennents NI Handicap Hurdle.

A 5lb rise for her breakthrough win wasn’t enough to halt her progress for the Keepthehighballslow Syndicate, beating 7/2 favourite Centaq by five lengths.

Hogan said: “It felt to me as if I was getting my own way in front. I was in my comfort zone. I was questioning how much I had left at the top of the hill but, once I gave her a slap down the shoulder, she came alive with me and she won cosy enough.

“She’s small, but she is a very good jumper and is very honest. I’m delighted for the boys. She’s not a filly that I would imagine would take her races fairly well, she can be a bit highly-strung. I’ll leave plans up to the boys.”

Dama delivers

Patrick Mullins pulled victory out of the fire in the concluding J Murdoch Contracts Bumper on his father Willie’s 15/8 favourite Moja Dama, managing to get the better of Bells Grove after being headed in the straight.

The Grand National-winning rider bowled along in front with a nice advantage on Brendan O’Sullivan’s recent Kilbeggan bumper third, but looked in a spot of bother until the mare pulled out more in the final 75 yards.

“We went to Plan B very quickly!,” said the winning jockey, after the neck success.

“We jumped off to go very slow and she just took me to the front, but she settled in front. She had a few breathers and I was able to keep taking back until the home bend, and she was very tough because she got headed and got back up.

“She does carry her head high - she is Motivator/Montjeu - and wears the hood. I think when things are right for her, she does try and she showed it there today.”