SIXTEEN months after being acquired for €65,000 at the 2024 edition of the Derby Sale, Pitch And Toss (2/1 - 5/2 joint-favourite) returned to the Tattersalls complex for his competitive debut, which he breezed through in eye-catching fashion.

With Cormac Doyle’s regular rider, Jack Hendrick, sidelined for the duration of the autumn term through injury, the Wexford handler turned to Rob James for the mount aboard the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership-owned son of Harzand, and the pair enjoyed a trouble-free passage in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Striking the front three-out, the half-brother of Philip Dempsey’s listed scorer Hillsdale only had to be kept up to his work to account for fellow newcomer Landsborough by four lengths.

“I expected a performance like that,” Doyle said of his first winner with James since 2019. “He is a lovely horse. We let him out last year; but he was a gorgeous big horse, and his homework was very good.”

Landsborough’s connections did not leave the Meath venue empty-handed, as Johnny Fogarty had earlier collected the four-year-old mares’ maiden with fellow first-timer Our Peggy (8/1).

Seventeen-year-old Alex O’Keeffe set out his intentions from the drop of the flag, as the fifth-year student at St Peter’s College soon sent his mount into a sizeable advantage.

That was a lead she did not relinquish, as she went on to defeat the French-bred Vrheligonne snugly.

First win

The 10-length success was a first in the saddle for the winning rider, a cousin of Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Sean O’Keeffe, and the son of Finian’s Oscar’s joint-breeder Martin O’Keeffe.

“She is a nice filly, and she has a good pedigree,” Mikey Fogarty said of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned daughter of Soldier Of Fortune. “She got into a lovely rhythm, and I would imagine she will be sold now. We are delighted for Alex.”

There was further success on the card for Wexford raiders when Colin Bowe sent out Radiator Springs (6/4 favourite) to land the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Confidence

Fresh from riding his third double of the month at Peppards Castle 24 hours earlier, Barry O’Neill was full of confidence aboard the recent Loughrea runner-up, with the reigning champion content to bide his time aboard the own-sister of Donald McCain’s nine-time track winner A Different Kind.

The Doyen-sired five-year-old took a share of the lead approaching the penultimate fence, and only had to be shaken up on the run-in to account for Raise Your Wings by two and a half lengths.

“She is improving all the time,” Bowe said of the bay who carried the silks of Milestone Bloodstock.

“Barry said she won snugish. She is a lovely filly, and we might go again if she is not sold.”

A STRONG northern contingent was on hand to witness Paddy Turley introduce the eye-catching grey Trial By Jury (3/1 - 4/5 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The €50,000 Goffs Arkle sale purchase was clearly held in high regard ahead of his debut, as the Jukebox Jury gelding was not short of supporters in the betting ring, and he duly delivered upon that market confidence with a foot-perfect performance.

Declan Lavery’s mount was particularly assured over his obstacles, taking lengths out of his rivals once the tempo began to increase, and that aided him in his two and a half-length defeat of Mr Finch.

“We always thought a lot of him, so we would have been disappointed if he had not done something like that today,” reported Lavery following his third success of the season, all of whom have been for the Downpatrick handler.

Favourites win

Caroline McCaldin’s Fort Bastiani (3/1 - 2/1 favourite) was one of five favourites to oblige on a tough afternoon for bookmakers when he opened his account for the Dromara handler in the unplaced maiden.

Orán McGill’s mount had to dig deep to repel the challenge of the race-fit Sonyourastar, but the Wilson Dennison-owned five-year-old was not for passing as he triumphed by three quarters of a length, following a protracted battle up the home straight.

“He did that very nicely,” McCaldin reported. “He jumped well and stayed on well. Hopefully, we will sell him now; that’s the plan.”

THE upwardly mobile Magic Saddler (evens - 6/4 favourite) galloped his rivals into submission in the open for novice riders.

Pat Doyle’s seven-year-old had only been denied by the narrowest of margins in a competitive heat at Castletown-Geoghegan on the opening weekend of the season, but the British-bred son of Clovis Du Berlais put that right in dominant fashion.

Once kicking on off the home bend, the Patrick Brogan-owned bay was soon in a league of his own, as he eased clear of Now Where Or When.

Second win

His 12-length victory was a second of the weekend in the division for Emily Costello, after the Clare native had been successful aboard Kings Jet at Peppards Castle 24 hours earlier.

“He is a right open horse,” reported Jack Doyle, son of the leading handler. “He is not the quickest in the world, but he jumps and travels, and he gallops all day long.

“It’s nice for the owners to be here today, they are getting a great bit of fun out of him. He is still a maiden on the track, so we will probably look at a maiden hunter chase somewhere along the line, but we will stick with opens and see what comes up.”

Mr Finch (C. Maxwell): Another son of Harzand to catch the eye at this fixture, John Brady’s homebred would have finished closer to the much-touted Trial By Jury, but for blundering at the final fence.