THE Louth Foxhounds hosted their annual spring fixture at Tattersalls on Sunday, attracting strong fields across the card. The Patrick Turley stable has been in a rich vein of form of late, and that continued here as All Noise (2/1 favourite) brought up the opening leg of a double to justify favouritism for Turley and stable jockey Declan Lavery.
Returning to the site where she was purchased last July for just €6,000, she has since received a notable pedigree boost, being a half-sister to White Noise, winner of the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
She made several jumping errors at a crucial stage when the race began to develop, making the performance all the more notable. A mistake four-out cost her significant ground, dropping her beyond mid-division, but she showed real ability in the manner in which she closed on the leaders into the straight. Producing a sound jump at the last, she asserted smartly to score in good fashion from Givemeyourword.
“Everything went wrong, and it was just ability that got her through,” Lavery remarked, who had worn his own colours to success. “She proved how talented she is to get up, and she actually won snug. We really fancied her.”
Less Said the better
The four-year-old geldings’ contest attracted 18 runners, forcing a division. Less Said (3/1) landed the opening division to bring up the second leg of the Turley-Lavery double, providing first season sire Kew Gardens with his second winner.
Acquired for €6,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, he was given a patient ride in mid-division before moving to challenge from three out. He stayed on gamely into the straight to run down Bend The Rules and score by two lengths.
The success of his wife Mary’s bay gave Turley his sixth winner from just 16 runners this season, alongside five second-placed efforts.
The second division went the way of Down Jones Road (3/1) for Milestone Bloodstock Limited, a debutant son of Crystal Ocean out of the eight-time winning King’s Theatre mare Stephanie Frances.
Acquired for €45,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale, he was always prominent under Barry O’Neill and put the contest to bed with ease. Quickening from the back of the penultimate, he asserted readily to score by eight lengths from Supersonic Kid.
“We really fancied him coming here,” O’Neill commented. “He’s done everything easily at home and jumped very well. I think he’s a machine.”
THE five-year-old geldings’ maiden produced the largest field of the day with 14 runners going to post, with the Paul McAleese-trained Eazy Breezy (4/1) putting his experience to good use.
Third on debut at Farmaclaffey in February, he stepped forward here. The son of Jet Away, a homebred of John Mooney, who owns him alongside the handler, was always prominent before he quickened into the straight to show a nice turn of foot.
When challenged at the last, he proved tough and showed plenty of stamina to stay on gamely and score by a length from Idaho Road.
Winning rider Stephen Connor said: “That was a good performance, it was an honest end-to-end gallop. I only got the call to ride him last night, but he jumped excellently the whole way and won cosy in the end.”
It was a memorable day for Sara Peyroles as she landed the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden confined to novice riders aboard Dacman (10/1) in the colours of Kieran Grainger.
A towering seven-year-old son of Champs Elysees, and a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sir Gerhard, the Peter McCreery-trained Dacman tracked the leaders before he moved up to join Pacheco at the penultimate fence, only to be headed again approaching the last.
However, he stayed on strongly to regain the advantage and score convincingly by two lengths, getting off the mark on his sixth career start.
“He travelled really well and jumped perfectly,” Peyroles said. “I’m delighted, we might look at the Bishopscourt Cup in Punchestown next.”
THE open contest saw the Ross O’Sullivan-trained mare Dora D’or (5/2 favourite) continue her upward progression, gaining her first success in open company while beating the geldings.
Sent off favourite, the seven-year-old daughter of Golden Lariat recorded her fourth point-to-point success from just five starts.
Last seen winning a hunters’ chase at Down Royal on St Patrick’s Day, she was given a patient ride by Lee Shanahan before making her move from two out.
Despite being joined on the run to the last, she soon asserted her class and pulled clear to score by six lengths from Yewtree Hill.
Shanahan commented: “We expected her to run well coming here.
“It was a hot contest, and our plan was to ride her to be placed, and anything more than that would be a bonus.
“To her credit, she keeps answering every question asked of her and is improving with every run. She is a top-class mare.”
The five-year-old and upwards mares’ contest went to the Donal O’Gorman-owned Annie Mulligan (5/1), who had been knocking on the door with consistent placed form.
Trained by the winning owner’s daughter, Sue, the Crystal Ocean mare put in a professional display under James Murray, who kept things straightforward from the front.
The pair stayed on strongly to the line to deny The Current Wife by a length and a half.
Clearly not short of ability, she looks capable of adding further success.
Horse to follow
Givemeyourword (P. M. Pierce): This debutante daughter of Poets Word put in a smart showing, as she still held every chance at the final obstacle before being headed on the run-in. She looks sure to make amends for this initial defeat based on this performance.