FIRST Ascent kicked off an opening race double for Gordon Elliott and Danny Gilligan, when making all the running to take Division l of the Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Maiden Hurdle.
Placed on his last two starts, the Alan Egan and Ray Stokes-owned gelding was sent off 11/2 and eased clear to score by 14 lengths.
Elliott said: “He won well, cheekpieces helped him today. It was good to get a winner in those colours. My first-ever winner as a trainer was in those colours, Arresting, many moons ago. It was in Perth in 2006. Martin and Alan Egan are with me a long time, so it’s brilliant.”
Gilligan later received a one-day suspension, as did Mark Walsh, while Darragh O’Keeffe was suspended for two racedays following a stewards’ enquiry regarding their second approach to the start.
Following a separate enquiry, Niall Moore was suspended for one raceday for failing to report in the first instance anything that might have affected the running of his mount Man Down, who was beaten over 40 lengths in sixth.
Special silks
Combs completed the Elliott/Gilligan brace, when justifying 2/1 favouritism in the next division. Always prominent, Mrs Pat Sloan’s promising four-year-old led after two out and kept on strongly to post a length-and-a-half success.
Elliott reported: “On ratings, it was his race to lose. He’s been disappointing, but everything went right today. He jumped well and did things right.
“He should go back into handicaps after that. He could be one for something like the Lartigue Hurdle.”
Henry de Bromhead enjoys a simply Splendid double
THE Henry de Bromhead-trained Splendid Fellow justified 4/7 favouritism, when keeping on best to win the featured Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle.
The Peter Davies-owned gelding led at the second last and stayed on strongly under Darragh O’Keeffe to post a nine-and-a-half-length success.
Stable representative Robbie Power said: “He was entitled to do that. He had some nice form in maiden hurdles behind the likes of Talk The Talk.
“The Red Mills Series are great pots, so it’s nice to win one. Delighted for Peter as well, he’s a good owner in the yard. It was a good performance, so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards.”
Home-bred winner
De Bromhead secured a second winner after Pat O’s Rock (85/40 favourite) built on last month’s debut fourth to easily land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares INH Flat Race under John Gleeson.
In front from the outset, Michael O’Flynn’s homebred asserted entering the straight to score impressively by 12 lengths.
Gleeson reported: “I’m delighted with that. She’s a nice mare. She had a good run the first day in Wexford. Henry thought she came forward from it and she did. She did it nicely.”
Hurry gets up
De Bromhead had to settle for runner-up honours in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle, as his favourite Tutu Twist finished a length and a quarter behind Not In A Hurry (11/4).
Trained by Aidan Howard for J.P. McManus, Simon Torrens’ mount led at the last and quickened up well to win on his second start, having finished third at the track last month.
The owner’s racing manager, Frank Berry, said: “He had a nice run here the last day in a similar sort of race. I’d say the bit of ease in the ground was a help to him. He got a grand ride from Simon and he did it well. He’ll tip away now in handicaps.”
CHEMDAWG made all under Phillip Enright to win the Midland Breeders Mares Handicap Hurdle for Oliver McKiernan, in the colours of the trainer’s Keep The Faith Bloodstock Ltd. Sent off 5/1 favourite, the daughter of Australia stayed on strongly to score by half a length from Larkins Lane.
“I thought they went a fair gallop early on. To keep at it then was fair going,” McKiernan said.
“I’d say the little bit of softness in the ground helps her now. She had a few little short runs there lately and I’d say it was the ground that caught her a bit.
“She likes this place too, I think, a bit like myself. She’s paying her way. If they were all doing what she’s doing, we’d be happy. ”
Following a stewards’ enquiry, Conor Clarke received a two-day suspension for using his whip with excessive frequency.
Clean as a whistle
The same connections doubled up when the patiently-ridden Warmer Days Ahead (11/1) kept on best to win the Clarke’s Bar Mullingar Handicap Hurdle by a length and a half.
“He’d say we’ll race nowhere else, only Kilbeggan!” McKiernan said. “This horse bled before and I was concerned. Thank God, it’s totally different and his nose is clean as a whistle. I think he’ll be a far better horse when he jumps a fence.
“I think I said to the wife before I left, ‘you could have a fiver on him maybe each-way for the craic. He could finish last or finish in the first five or six’. I’m not sure what she done.”
Bargain buy
Andy Slattery’s fine form continued when Call My Name (13/2) won the concluding Jim Ryan Racecourse Services (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race. Mick and Cathy Walsh’s €6,000 buy finished third on debut last month and made virtually all of the running under Adam Ryan this time, staying on strongly to post a seven-and-a-half-length success from 2/1 favourite Myluckymaker.
Assistant trainer Willie Slattery said: “He clipped heels in the dip in Tramore. Other than that, he’d have been a close second. I’d say Mick backed him all the way up, I’d say he had a nice few quid on him. I’d say the horse is probably for sale, but I’d like to go for a maiden hurdle.”
Mr J. Flood later received a two-day suspension for failing to weigh in after finishing fifth aboard Rememberwhat.