CLAIMING the feature Guinness Handicap, Nans View (12/1) picked an opportune time to end a lengthy barren spell for Jarlath Fahey last Friday.

Providing the Monasterevin handler with his first success in almost nine months, the 85-rated bay raced mainly in second under Leigh Roche, joining the front-running Cloud Seeker with half a mile to go.

Gaining an outright advantage approaching the straight and ridden from the furlong pole, she soon appeared set for a cosy win, however Cheeky Wink chased hard and there was a diminishing head between them at the line.

“I thought halfway up the straight we were there, but the last 50 to 100 yards was very terrifying!” Fahey, who trains the winner for his daughter Sinead, divulged.

“She was second at the festival last year and won over a mile and a half in the last race of the year here (in October). That day Ronan (Whelan) said she could be a premier handicap filly next year, so this was half in our mind from then.”

Mighty win

Out of luck with Cheeky Wink, Ben Coen and Johnny Murtagh were also just denied in the opening James’s Gate Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden.

The fast-finishing Mighty Danu beat their Bellamano by a neck in this seven-furlong heat, with the Gavin Cromwell-trained victor returned at 11/1.

A daughter of Truffles, who won twice at this weeklong festival in 2018, the Gary Carroll-ridden bay is owned by Cromwell’s wife Kiva and Eoin Hughes.

“Mighty Danu was very green, but we liked her and she went to the line well,” Cromwell said before adding, “She is a big, tall filly and there is plenty of improvement in her. She is going to make a nice three-year-old.

“I thought she had a place chance, I knew she was going to be very green, I wasn’t sure that she was going to be streetwise enough to win. Gary [Carroll] gave her a nice ride and gave her a chance.”

Burns gains compensation

Carroll had to settle for the runner-up berth on William F Browne in the Arthur Guinness Handicap, with Mother Mara (15/2) coming out on top in this 16-runner heat.

Just denied with Bear Profit in the Colm Quinn Mile on Tuesday, this was a measure of compensation for Nicola Burns, Ger O’Leary and the Purosangue Racing Syndicate.

Previously in the care of Ralph Beckett and bought by current connections for £21,000, the 68-rated victor was ridden with over a furlong to go and gradually reeled in her aforementioned rival, with half a length between them at the line.

Assistant trainer Dean Curran commented: “It was a great result. Ger had Mother Mara ready to rock coming here today.

“She was showing plenty at home. It is a great place to get winners. She is a big filly and we knew the trip was going to be no issue. Winners are hard to come by here and we were unlucky on Tuesday [Bear Profit beaten by a head], but we are glad to get this one and we are going to enjoy it.

THE Rockshore Refreshingly Irish Race went to Taipan for the second year running, with the Fiona Carmichael-owned seven-year-old providing Jessica Harrington with her third winner of the week.

Well-supported into 5/2 favouritism (from 7/2), the 95-rated bay was in front for much of this mile and three-quarters contest, powering clear of his rivals when ridden from the furlong pole. Sky Captain chased in vain, with the Keithen Kennedy-ridden victor ultimately easing to a five-length win.

“He’s a legend of a horse and pulls it out of the bag every so often. The further he goes, the better he goes,” Kate Harrington reflected.

Steps to success

Favourite-backers were out of luck in the Hop House 13 Handicap, with first reserve Steps In The Sand (22/1 from 8s early) completing a hat-trick for the Zoom Buddies Syndicate in this concluding event.

Successful the previous afternoon and widely expected to follow-up, 10/11 favourite Glenroyal (from 2s) faded tamely approaching the straight and beat just one rival home.

In what was a sweet result for the bookmakers, the easy-to-back Ciaran Murphy-trained victor swept to the front inside the final 100 yards and finished two lengths clear of the front-running Coulstys Way, in the hands of Patrick McGettigan.

“There were a lot of boxes ticked today. She had a lovely draw in two, we had the man (McGettigan) that had won twice on her before taking off 7lb and the ground had tightened up nicely,” Murphy explained.

Spirit set to return

Eternal Spirit was another to defy a market drift, with this Aidan O’Brien-trained 7/1 chance (from 7/2 early) taking the Guinness Irish EBF Fillies Maiden in first-time blinkers.

Upped markedly in trip and prominent throughout under Wayne Lordan, the Galileo bay was ridden with over a furlong to go and soon edged past the front-running Generous Support.

Kept up to her work in the closing stages, she ultimately came home a length and a quarter to the good for owners Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

“Wayne gave her a brilliant ride and she’ll probably come back for the Oyster Stakes over the course and distance,” stable representative Chris Armstrong disclosed.

THE oldest runner in the line-up, Turnpike Trip rolled back the years in the Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase. Out of action for over three years and failing to make an impact in two starts since returning in May, the 124-rated 11-year-old was sent off at 20/1 (from 40s).

Trained by Charles Byrnes and ridden by his son Philip (who later picked up a two-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency), the Peter Acheson-owned bay made his way to the front from the fourth.

While it looked as if his race was run when headed from the last, he found plenty for pressure on the lengthy run-in and regained the lead inside the final furlong, battling on gamely to score by a length and a half.

“He was rated 145 over hurdles at one stage and, if you look at it that way, he was running off a nice weight today. We’d have been disappointed if he wasn’t competitive,” the winning handler remarked.

Approaching the Plate

Intense Approach bounced back to form in the Guinness Beginners Chase, the only other National Hunt contest on this eight-race programme.

Switching to fences after winning four-times over hurdles, the John McConnell-trained six-year-old was sent off a well-supported 13/2 chance (from 16s early).

In front for much of this extended two-and-three-quarter-mile contest, the Alex Harvey-ridden chesnut was pushed along in second away from the last.

Regaining the lead approaching the straight, he soon had a whole host of challengers close behind, but ultimately fought them all off and came home three-quarters of a length to the good for owner Caroline Ahearn.

“I’d say he could end up in Cheltenham in October,” McConnell reported.

“The fact that he handles two miles six around here, you could be thinking about the Plate next year, but that’s a long way off.”

Danny Gilligan later picked up a six-day ban for using his whip with excessive force and frequency on runner-up Talk In The Park.