DROMLEIGH is in tremendous heart at present and owner/trainer Seamus Murnane’s 10-year-old lit up Sunday’s Kilworth & Araglen Harriers fixture at Knockanohill by recording a third consecutive success of the campaign in the winners’ of three.
Dromleigh (2/1 - 5/2 favourite) got into a lovely rhythm in front for David Doyle as he gave an assured round of fencing by disputing the running with Ebeneezer Scrooge until edging ahead before the fourth last of the 15 obstacles. Vodka Splash came out of the pack to go second with every chance on the inner approaching the final fence.
The son of Ocovango was then almost joined after the last, but he then crucially gained in the region of three quarters of a length advantage on the flat. That was to prove crucial as, whilst Vodka Splash then closed once more as the line loomed, Dromleigh held on to score by a diminishing neck in what was the afternoon’s closest finish.
Nibbles meanwhile kept on to purposeful effect in the closing stages to return a further 14 lengths adrift in third.
Great order
“He’s a horse that’s in great order at the moment and he’s finished with winners’ races now. He’ll have to run in opens now or else we might go back for a hunter chase with him,” reported Lough Gur-based farmer Murnane of Dromleigh, one of just two horses that he has in training.
The six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 14 runners and ex-hurdler Atlantian (4/1 - 6/1) justified the trek from handler Tony Martin’s base by recording a narrow success in the hands of Galwegian James Costello, who was posting a third career success.
The nine-year-old Atlantian, a three-time runner in handicap hurdles that came pointing after a 33-month absence this season, was left second following the departure of leader Suspect Getaway after two out and Buster Springs still fractionally held the call on the incline to the last.
The eventual winner, a former 96-rated hurdler, however made his way past Buster Spring in the closing stages to oblige by a half-length in the colours of Co Kildare owner JR Shaw.
Armchair ride
Glenville native Mark O’Flynn, a 20-year-old that works alongside Jonathan Sweeney, experienced a virtual armchair success by registering his second career success aboard the Jonathan Fitzgerald-trained Rongoright (5/2 - 3/1 joint-favourite) in the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden.
Rongoright certainly brought the best form to the table in this eight-runner contest considering that he finished second on all three most recent starts, only just losing out to Scotty Joe last time out at Ballyvodock.
The son of Conduit was always quite well positioned and he overtook Bearys Cross after four out. It was all plain sailing from the second-last as the six-year-old eased clear to dismiss I See Fog, also a runner-up at this same meeting 12 months ago, by 15 lengths.
“His form has been solid and he has just been a bit unlucky at the same time. Since Ballyvodock, the plan was always to come here, “said handler Fitzgerald of Rongoright, owned by PJ O’Donoghue from nearby Araglen.
THE newcomer Uncle Cc (3/1 - 5/2 favourite) returned to a rapturous reception following his success in the four-year-old maiden, which wasn’t at all surprising as he’s trained just three miles away from the track by Ciaran Fennessy at Glenabo outside Fermoy.
Uncle Cc, a son of Workforce out of a half-sister to listed chase winner Pumped Up Kicks, was always positioned close to the pace as Crystal De France and Join The Kew vied for supremacy up front.
The mid-June foal assumed command after two out and asserted approaching the last to defeat Cluain Meala by six lengths, the pair drawing 18 lengths clear of the third-placed Lipati.
“He’s a very laid-back horse. We were expecting a big performance and thankfully we got one, “commented the winning handler of his elder brother John Fennessy’s Uncle Cc, whom connections purchased last summer.
JAMES Murphy was the only rider to depart with two winners and the Walshtown amateur signed off by combining with Paul Cashman to collect the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden with Lady Jetfire (evens - 5/4 favourite), much to the dismay of the 11 bookmakers present.
Lady Jetfire, only just touched off by the more experienced Stepitoutmary when beaten a short-head into second spot on her Ballycahane debut two weeks earlier, was put to sleep at the rear of the eight-runner field until edging somewhat closer from three out.
The daughter of No Risk At All eased to the front approaching the last and she then came home by an unextended two and a half lengths from Julie Liath, also a runner-up on her career debut in this same race last year.
Good mare
“She’s as good a mare as I’ve had in a while and I’d love to go for a bumper with her if she’s not sold,“ reported Cashman of his mother Catherine’s Lady Jetfire, a €70,000 purchase as a foal and whose dam Jetfire (by American Post) was a listed winner on the flat in France in addition to then being placed at listed level over hurdles in Auteuil.
Murphy opened his account for the afternoon by teaming up with Marie Harding to collect the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard newcomer Spare The Voice (4/1 - 6/1).
Lovely rhythm
The Maxios-sired Spare The Voice, whose grandam is a sister to Moscow Flyer, got into a lovely rhythm and he powered to the front well before the last to thwart Delusionofgrandeur by two lengths in the colour of Aidan Murray.
Galwegian Murray purchased Spare The Voice for €28,000 as a foal and the Castlebay proprietor incidentally sold subsequent Grade 1 Hurdle winner Hiddenvalley Lake, similarly trained by Harding at the time, to Mags O’Toole on behalf of owners’ Robcour out of the point-to-point sphere back in 2021.
“He’s a good horse and he galloped well with Uncle Cc (winner of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden) in a piece of work a few weeks ago. I was confident that he would run well here and the plan now is that he will go to the sales,” said Ms Harding of Spare The Voice.
Dceilingcantholdus (Alexander Ott): This daughter of Shirocco, a half-sister to dual hurdles winner Dceilingcantholdus, made an excellent debut in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden as she led to before the last when finishing third to Lady Jetfire.
Duly beaten three and a half lengths, the five-year-old should easily win her maiden point over the coming weeks.