THERE was some competitive fare at Sunday’s Liscarroll meeting, one that was staged under the auspices of the Duhallow Foxhounds at the historic Knockardbane circuit, and the Jonathan Fogarty-trained Whereweallbelong (5/2 - 2/1 favourite) hinted that a bright track career awaits by sauntering home on his initial outing in the four-year-old maiden.

On an afternoon that was initially blighted by heavy rainfall until the skies cleared after the third race, the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned Whereweallbelong was sent to the front from flagfall by Finian Maguire.

Whilst jumping somewhat out to his right on occasion, the son of Saint Des Saints got into a lovely rhythm at the head of affairs and his closest pursuer, Join The Kew, exited at the third-last of the 12 obstacles.

It was all relatively plain sailing thereafter as the €75,000 Derby Sale graduate stormed clear from after two out to beat Passage Guenot by an increasing 36 lengths with a further 20-length break back to the only other finisher, Claim A Note, in a race that was staged in memory of the late Mikey O’Connor.

Handler Fogarty also sent out With Nolimit to win this same race 12 months ago. The Co Wexford-based operator remarked of Whereweallbelong, a mid-May foal who is an own-brother to a listed placed hurdler in Saint Felicien from the same family as former dual Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Irving: “We loved the sire [Saint Des Saints] and his pedigree when we bought him at the Derby Sale. He’s a big, athletic horse and his homework has always been very good.”

Gripping finish

Racegoers were treated to a gripping finish in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with the Philip Fenton-trained newcomer Lumino (3/1 - 4/1) coming late and fast under Eoin O’Brien to record an unlikely success in the colours of the Steeplechasers Club which includes former Limerick hurling manager T.J. Ryan from Garryspillane.

Poplar House and Bold Script disputed the running after two out until the latter edged ahead approaching the last.

A slow jump here, however, by Bold Script permitted Poplar House to go back to the front. It was then all to play for until Lumino stormed to the fore in the shadow of the post to dismiss dead-heaters Bold Script and Poplar House by a neck with a further two lengths back to Minella Monty in fourth.

“He likes soft ground, and that’s why we came here. He will probably now go to a sale,” reported Fenton of the Cokoriko-sired Lumino.

BRIAN Lawless was the only rider to depart with two winners, and the Delgany native will have attained immense satisfaction from his initial success aboard Ballydonagh Girl (3/1 - 7/2) in the five-year-old mares’ maiden as the newcomer is trained by his father, Ger.

The patiently-ridden Ballydonagh Girl edged ever closer on the climb from three out and she effortlessly made her way into pole position well before the last to dispose of Medina Blue. The 10-length winner carries the silks of the Ballydonagh Syndicate.

“We always thought a lot of her, and we gave her time to mature. She did it nicely here today, Mark Walsh and my daughter Katie have done a lot of work with her,” said the winning handler of Ballydonagh Girl, a maternal granddaughter of Lareine d’Anjou (by Panoramic) who was placed in a listed hurdle at Auteuil.

Double up

Lawless completed his brace aboard the Matthew Flynn O’Connor-owned/trained Sir Topham Hatt (5/4 - 6/4 joint-favourite) in the winners of one.

The six-year-old Sir Topham Hatt, a Ballygogue maiden winner in late February, always travelled well in this four-runner contest, and he moved past long-time leader Primitic to dispute the running with Black Dakota on the descent to two out. The eventual winner assumed command from this penultimate obstacle and strode clear from the last to account for Black Dakota by a widening nine lengths.

“He loves this soft ground. The plan now is to leave him off and come back next season with a view to trying to get him qualified for the Cheltenham Foxhunters,” disclosed Flynn O’Connor of the six-year-old Sir Topham Hatt, a €70,000 graduate of the 2023 Goffs Arkle Sale.

WILLIAM Verling continues to gain admirers, and the 20-year-old from Castlelyons partnered a third winner of the campaign and his sixth in total aboard absent owner/trainer Paul Tobin’s Twoplustwo Equals (4/1 - 9/2) in the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

A former track performer who finished second off a mark of 90 in a two-mile seven-furlong Killarney handicap hurdle in October 2022, the nine-year-old Twoplustwo Equals finished in the frame on her three out of her four previous starts in points this season, and she set off in front here.

The winning daughter of Westerner got into a lovely rhythm and was clearly possessing too many aces for the pursuing She’ll Be Kept from two as she strode clear from two out to defeat Garrett Ahern’s charge by 32 lengths. Twoplustwo Equals could now contest the mares’ hunters chase at Cork on Easter Monday.

Five up

Jack Collins, an 18-year-old hailing from Rathcormac, rought his career tally to five by teaming up with another owner/trainer in Anthony Murphy to collect the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden aboard Golden Photo (5/1 - 7/1).

The six-year-old Golden Photo, having pulled up on his only two previous outings at Comea and Castlelands this year, disputed the running until edging into a narrow advantage from five out.

The French-bred son of Authorized was clearly in command approaching the last and he swept clear on the flat to dispense with favourite Ballintemple King by eight lengths. The unexposed Tolka Row meanwhile indicated that his turn is imminent by securing the minor honours, a further one-length adrift. Cappagh-based Murphy’s representative Conor Houlihan indicated that Golden Photo could now contest a winners’ race.

Bold Script (E. M. Doyle): A newcomer by Poet’s Word that’s a half-brother to a three-timer Grade 1 winner in Benefficient, this fellow picked up the running before the last in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden only to be overtaken after a slow jump here.

Whilst briefly leading again in the closing stages, he was duly beaten a neck by Lumino when dead-heating for second spot, and this performance suggests that he should develop into a track winner.