Neil O’Donnell

THE Pigeon Hill and Carrigtwohill committee’s new track at Ballyvodock met with universal approval last Sunday.

A galloping left-handed course where the field travelled in excess of two and a half circuits, the Midleton venue was ideally suited to a staying type and it’s to be hoped that it will become a permanent addition on the hunt racing calendar going forwards.

Ciaran Fennessy will certainly have excellent reason to recall his first Ballyvodock visit for he was the only rider to partner a double on the six-race card, the north Corkonian signing off aboard the consistent Talk Of The South in the Dairygold And Guilders Bar six-year-old and upwards maiden.

The Mattie Collins-trained Talk Of The South (3/1) was always positioned at the head of affairs, the son of Milan leading from halfway.

He was joined setting out on the final circuit by Iconic Image and the pair moved five lengths clear of Killeagh runner-up Windy Island from the third last of the 14 obstacles.

Iconic Image was already coming off second best when erring two out and the eventual winner asserted coming to the last, two and a half lengths separating him from Windy Island.

Iconic Image faded to return a further three and a half lengths adrift in third spot, but the first three home are all look decent prospects in their own right.

“This fellow is a nice horse and we will tip on and go for a winners race, although he could also go to a sale at some stage as well,” said the Castlemartyr-based operator Collins of Barry Mason’s homebred.

Fennessy was earlier on the mark aboard Hawkers Son, an initial training success for 28-year-old Mikey Kennedy, in the GE Healthcare confined hunt maiden.

Cloneen Choice (7/2) went to the head of affairs at half-way and he led until joined by the sweet-travelling Hawkers Son, already a three-time runner-up, on the approach to the penultimate obstacle.

The nine-year-old had just taken up the running and he seemed to travelling marginally stronger than Cloneen Choice when Don Browne’s charge fell two out while the staying-on Ballally Queen also departed here.

Hawkers Son was then left with a relatively straightforward task to beat the well-supported A Country Mile, in the colours of Christopher Murphy from Carrignavar.

Dingle native Kennedy, who previously spent four years as head lad to Eugene O’Sullivan, trains 10 horses from his present base at Ardkilly outside Sandycove.

It was also a red-letter afternoon for Stella McGrath as the 18-year-old from Innishannon attained a first career success aboard the Louis Archdeacon-trained Eala Beag in the Midleton Park Hotel And Jack Spratt’s Bar mares’ winners of two.

Eala Beag (10/1), representing her rider’s mother Jacqueline McGrath, disputed the running virtually throughout with Emilyano before edging ahead coming to three out.

A potent threat soon emerged in the form of runner-up Bothermenot. The winner however refused to yield and, with Declan Queally having to resort to the whip aboard Bothermenot approaching the final fence, Eala Beag held on grimly to score by a half-length in what was the closest finish of the afternoon. Stella McGrath currently rides out for both Archdeacon and James Dullea.

Denis Ahern greeted his first winner of the campaign when King Of Milan, one of three winners by Milan at the meeting, vindicated the promise of his fourth-placed debut effort behind Au Quart De Tour at Dromahane last term by landing the Con Healy Memorial five-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Eoin O’Brien.

With just five runners going to post, King Of Milan (4/1) disputed the running with Sean Ban until going on from half-way.

The victorious bay poached a couple of lengths advantage after three out and the pursuing Consharon Boy was already beaten in second spot when blundering at the second last.

Consharon Boy could make no meaningful impression thereafter as he returned four lengths adrift of King Of Milan, which sports the silks of handler Ahern’s uncle Connie Hickey. The winner is now on the market.

Proceedings opened with a clear-cut success for newcomer Jessber’s Dream in the Brown Island Stables five-year-old mares’ maiden.

A first runner for handler Denis Murphy since the season re-commenced at Dromahane on December 30th, Jessber’s Dream (5/1) secured a dream run through on the inner before two out with talented 5lb claimer Jimmy O’Rourke and she quickly bounded clear to dismiss King Of Milan’s stable companion Goodthynemilan by six lengths.

Jessber’s Dream could well prove up to track standard and she’s owned by Murphy’s partner Maria Byrne, having been purchased from Fermoy breeder Denis Noonan (in attendance on Sunday) as a late three-year-old.

There was yet another success for the visiting Co Wexford contingent as John Paul Brennan’s Skip A Beat Kid landed the Jerry McCarthy Carrigtwohill Shopping And Business Centre geldings’ winners of one under Pat Collins.

Glasslyn Road set off to make all here except that last month’s Aghabullogue maiden scorer was joined by Teds Island on the run to two out.

Skip A Beat Kid (6/1) was closing the whole time and he forged to the front between the final two fences, pulling out plenty to eclipse veteran Leading The Life by a length in the silks of Brennan’s wife Marie.

Glasslyn Road acquitted himself well by securing the minor honours, an additional three lengths adrift.

Skip A Beat Kid is a half-brother to his handler’s Need To Know and Brennan expects that the successful son of Kalanisi should develop into a hunter chase prospect next season.

Collins keeps the Talk

MATTIE Collins was all smiles following the success of Talk Of The South in the closing six-year-old and upwards maiden, even if son Pat partnered the third-placed Iconic Image. The elder Collins also trained his charge’s dam Smalltowntalk. By Carroll House, Smalltowntalk won a maiden point at Skibbereen in 2006 while she also obliged in a Ballinrobe handicap hurdle the following year.

Favourites flounder

WITH the ground riding quite good (officially yielding) for this time of year, it wasn’t at all surprising that there were a couple of shock results. The 12 bookmakers present certainly were not complaining as all six favourites got turned over.