WHILST there were just 37 runners at Sunday’s Waterford Foxhounds meeting on the Curraghmore Estate outside Portlaw, there were still some notable performances with newcomer Loch Ness Pineau (3/1 - 7/2) creating an extremely favourable impression by returning to the coveted number one slot under handler Mick Goff’s son Harry in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The debutant Getasecondchance was the one responsible for the generous pace in this eight-runner contest and Brian Lawless’ mount still led the field into the home straight before the penultimate of the 13 obstacles with the sweet-travelling Loch Ness Pineau in his slipstream.
The son of Magneticjim received the office from two out and he came through to pick up the running, clearly travelling best, well before the last.
There was only going to be one outcome from here as the victorious French-bred stayed on stoutly to defeat Thewaybackhome, who still had all of six rivals in front of him at the fourth last, by two lengths.
Last season’s Tallow runner-up Make Idaho Great meanwhile more than acquitted himself by returning a further three and a half lengths adrift in third.
The elder Goff remarked of his wife Catriona’s Loch Ness Pineau, a €20,000 graduate of the 2024 Tattersalls Ireland May Sale and who traces back to French Grade 3-winning hurdler Kara Diamond: “We didn’t run him in the spring as he was just a bit immature, but he has a lot of speed and should hopefully go on to be a good horse.”
Friday to Sunday
There was yet another Co Wexford-trained debut winner in the four-year-old mares’ maiden as Sean Doyle’s Girl Friday (5/4 - 6/4) landed the spoils in the hands of Jamie Scallan.
Girl Friday, a daughter of Elusive Pimpernel that’s out of a half-sister to Lucinda Russell’s Ultima Chase winner Myretown, was mostly positioned in third spot as Flowing Fast and Walkingmayotomilan vied for supremacy up front. The eventual winner gave her supporters some cause for alarm as she had to be pushed along in third after three out and Walkingmayotomilan made the decisive move by edging ahead with two fences remaining.
Girl Friday, a €16,000 foal purchase who represents the Monbeg Partnership, came with a determined run after the penultimate obstacle and she hit the front at the final fence to put two lengths between herself and last season’s Bartlemy runner-up Walkingmayotomilan.
Due reward
The Garrett Ahern-trained Queen Of The Gales (5/4 - 6/4) finished in the frame no less than five times last term and the daughter of Wings Of Eagles attained her due reward by collecting the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden under her owner Patrick Pyne’s grandson Jack Collins.
Queen Of The Gales, having finished fourth on her return at Castletown Geoghegan three weeks earlier, benefited from front-running tactics.
While challenged by runner-up Lucy Wang from two out, she readily fought off the attentions of Josh Halley’s charge (who actually finished second on her track debut in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle in December 2023) to oblige by a widening four lengths.
“She had the form to win here and the plan is that she will go for a winners’ race now. She will be a lovely mare for Jack [Collins] to get more experience on, “said Ahern of Queen Of The Gales. “
THE Stuart Crawford-trained Carnfunnock (2/1 - 100/30), a creditable sixth in last season’s Cheltenham Foxhunters, indicated that he’s set for another productive campaign by making a victorious return under Stephen Connor in a vintage renewal of the open.
Carnfunnock, a former four-time track scorer that also won two opens last term, was put to sleep at the rear of the six-runner field as Big Interest and Lisleigh Lad took each other on up front.
Big Interest led from before three out, but the remainder of the field closed right up approaching the turn into the home straight and it was Hunt Away who hit the front after the second-last.
Carnfunnock and Lifetime Ambition moved through to dispute with Marie Harding’s charge when the aforementioned five-year-old blundered at the last.
Turn of foot
The triumphant eight-year-old then showed a scorching turn of foot on the flat to beat Lifetime Ambition, also runner-up in this same contest last October, by one and a half lengths in the colours of Largy Bloodstock with a further length break back to Hunt Away in third.
Crawford reported of the eight-year-old Carnfunnock, whom he purchased for €20,000 from Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm at Part 2 of the 2020 Goffs Land Rover sale: “This horse has always had a lot of class and the lads in Largy Bloodstock bought him off his previous owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede to go pointing a year ago.
“He won two opens for us last season, but he’s a horse that’s still young and unexposed. Hopefully, we will go back to Cheltenham again for the Foxhunters this season.”
ON what was a frustrating afternoon for punters, the Sam Curling-owned and trained Beg To Differ (evens) proved to be the only winning favourite of the day in the five-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Beg To Differ, who was trained by Enda Bolger for J.P. McManus when finishing second on his career debut in a Cragmore maiden back in January, was bounced out upsides in front by Derek O’Connor with the recent Portush runner-up being marginally headed by Jetaway Sheldon after three out.
Faster away
The eventual winner, however, who was fitted with cheekpieces, was the faster away from the final fence and he asserted in the closing stages to thwart Jetaway Sheldon by a length.
Patrick Gleeson continues to gain admirers and the Limerick native teamed up with owner-trainer Willie Murphy to capture the winners of one aboard Boley Bob (3/1 - 4/1).
The Snow Sky-sired Boley Bob, whose dual points winning dam is an own-sister to the dam of Corbetts Cross, supplemented last season’s Inchydoney maiden success by setting sail for home after three out to account for fellow five-year-old El Bugsy by an authoritative five lengths. Murphy suggested that Boley Bob could now contest a bumper.
Hunt Away (Miss M. Harding): A three-time winner last season under the late Mikey O’Connor, this five-year-old made his return to action in the open.
Having hit the front after two out, the bay then blundered at the last and was duly beaten two and a half lengths into third spot. He should develop into a smart hunter chase prospect this term.