THE Colin Bowe-trained newcomer Grangeclare Park lit up Sunday’s Waterford Foxhounds meeting on the Curraghmore Estate outside Portlaw by annihilating the opposition under Barry O’Neill in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Grangeclare Park (evens - 11/10 favourite), a brother to two British hurdle winners and whose unraced dam is a half-sister to Christian Williams’ former Welsh Grand National winner Potters Corner, was bounced out smartly by Barry O’Neill and the embryonic chasing type was in the first two until dropping to third from five out.
The son of Walk In The Park was always merely in cruise control and he surged to the front approaching the penultimate of the 13 fences, one that saw long-time leader Tendoo falling when appearing held in second spot.
Grangeclare Park, owned and bred by Grangeclare Stud, then stormed clear and he was gone beyond recall approaching the last as he crossed the line with 18 lengths to spare over Minella Jackpot.
The winning handler couldn’t hide his admiration for Grangeclare Park. He commented: “We have him since Christmas and he’s a lovely horse, one of the real nice ones.”
Favourable impression
The Denis Murphy-owned/trained newcomer Lime On Gin (4/1 - 9/2) similarly created a favourable impression by landing the truly-run four-year-old mares’ maiden, the event that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 14 runners, under Jack Hendrick.
Lime On Gin as always positioned close to the pace and fellow debutante Halftheworldaway was all of eight lengths clear of the pursuing Lime On Gin when throwing a fabulous leap over the third-last. The daughter of Doctor Dino eroded the deficit on the long run to the second-last and she touched down in front over this penultimate obstacle.
Whilst erring at the last, the three-parts sister to Grade 3 novice chase-winning mare Gin On Lime still defeated Halftheworldaway by three and a half lengths.
Lime On Gin, a €95,000 purchase by Mags O’Toole at last year’s Goffs Arkle Sale, is now likely to continue her career on the track here in Ireland.
Promise
The Con McSweeney-trained Corbally Cross (7/4 - 6/4 favourite) vindicated the promise of his third-placed efforts at Quakerstown and Inchydoney last term by making a victorious return in the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden for novice riders, much to the chagrin of the seven bookmakers present.
A fourth career success for 22-year-old James Coffey from Midleton, Corbally Cross could be called the most likely winner from after three out as he cruised along in third spot behind Wrong Direction and D Journey Man.
Corbally Cross assumed command two out to beat As The Lad Says by two and a half lengths in the colours of Joe ‘Frog’ O’Sullivan.
Handler McSweeney remarked of the Malinas-sired Corbally Cross: “He got a bad cut to a front leg in Inchydoney last year and it took a long time to heal. He will now go for the ladies’ bumper in Killarney next month. “
motors on for Feeney
ADAM Feeney is riding with terrific confidence and he partnered two winners, the Corkonian opening his account aboard owner/trainer John Nallen’s well-regarded newcomer Minella Machine (5/4 - evens favourite) in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Bande Organisee set out with the intention of making all and still held the call after three out at which stage, the winning son of Blue Bresil still had all of five horses in front of him.
Minella Machine however, moved through to challenge Bande Organisee two out and he overtook the front-runner well before the last.
To his credit, Bande Organisee fought back though with Luke Murphy and he was just a half-length adrift of the winner when falling at the last.
The victorious €62,000 Goffs Land Rover sale graduate, a half-brother to Paul Nicholls’ recent listed winning novice hurdle mare Jubilee Alpha with the siblings’ dam being seven-time track winning mare Queen Alphabet, duly came home by 24 lengths from Feel No Fear.
Nallen, saddling a second four-year-old winner of the campaign, remarked of Minella Machine: “It was Michael Moore that encouraged me to buy him from Fiona Magee at the sales. He has always worked well at home and he’s a good jumper. He will now go to a sale.”
Feeney brought up his double aboard Liam O’Brien’s mare Lonely Dancer (6/1 - 8/1) in the winners of one.
The seven-year-old Lonely Dancer, on whom Feeney forfeited his 5lb claiming allowance aboard when winning her maiden in Liscarroll last month, made virtually all the running and she seemed to have a battle on her plate when favourite Park Blue arrived to hold every chance in second after three out.
Lonely Dancer though, is a teak-tough customer and she asserted from after two out to beat Park Blue by a widening five lengths in the silks of Laurence Murphy from Campile with a 25-length break back to Burren View in third.
Handler O’Brien, originally hailing from nearby Portlaw, indicated that Lonely Dancer could now graduate to the racetrack.
for Kenneally
MICHAEL Kenneally was another to register a double and the 29-year-old made his initial mount for Sam Curling a winning one aboard the owner/trainer’s newcomer Hilltop Duchess in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
Hilltop Duchess (3/1 - 7/2 co-favourite), a sister to four track winners including Shantreusse who obliged at Cork on Easter Monday, arrived from mid-division to pick up the running after two out. While having to be ridden, she was possessing all the aces on the approach to the last.
With the chasing Boulder Creek falling here when two and a half lengths adrift in second spot, Hilltop Duchess then returned with 14 lengths to spare over Orange Warning.
The Dungourney native instigated his brace aboard Johnny Collins’ Kent De Thaix (4/1 - 5/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Castlelands runner-up Kent De Thaix was held up at the rear of the 11-runner field until edging somewhat closer from three out.
The son of Cokoriko assumed command two out to return with a length in hand over Kealys Dubreau and the half-brother to French Grade 1 winner Jeu De Thaix may now contest a winners’ race.
Halftheworldaway (L. J. Murphy): This newcomer by Jet Away, whose dam is a half-sister to Thyestes Chase winner Longhouse Poet, led from the fourth fence until headed two out in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
While beaten three and a half lengths into second, the Goffs Arkle Sale graduate showed enough to suggest that she holds a future on the racetrack.