THE facile success of Getzie (10/1) in the older geldings’ maiden for novice riders proved to be due rewards for his handler Claire O’Connell, with the Ashbourne-based handler enduring an eventful day in order to reach the venue.
“We nearly didn’t make it as we got a puncture on the way down and were stuck at the Maxol garage beside Goffs. We had to take him out of the box and walk him around for 40 minutes because we couldn’t get the spare tyre off the box. My husband had to come from Ashbourne with a spare tyre for us,” explained O’Connell after witnessing Paul Bannon guide the Kalanisi gelding to a 12-length success over Tattersalls Farm runner-up Icy Inferno.
The eight-year-old, who is owned by her cousin John, who works at Boardsmill Stud, was led up by the handler’s daughter Ciara, who had started the day competing in an Inter-Schools show jumping competition at Kilossery that morning.
Pa King is well on track to recording his best season to date, and the Tipperary native moved onto the 13-winner mark for the campaign with the success of Trump Lady (3/1 - 2/1) in the adjacent maiden. The daughter of Doyen had contested two competitive races at Ballindenisk and Tyrella to kickstart her career, and she became the latest winner to emerge from both races, when easily accounting for the newcomer Karlow Jo by five lengths.
“She is a good tough mare that jumps and gallops, that is what she does. John (Browne, breeder) would be local, so it is great to get a winner for him and for my mother (Aine) who is quite sick. Hopefully that will be a nice boost for her,” said winning handler Willie Murphy of the five-year-old who also carried his colours to success.
THE four-year-old maiden at the fixture has developed a notable roll of honour in recent year, with Andy Dufresne and Sporting John winning the 2018 and 2019 renewals respectively, and Gars De Sceaux (5/2 - 3/1) appears as exciting at this point of his career following his impressive success in division two.
A €40,000 purchase from the Derby Sale, the French-bred son of Saddler Maker overcame what could have been a race-ending mistake at the penultimate fence, to power six lengths clear of Magic Tricks, an own-brother to Grade 1 victor Abracadabras.
“He is a dude, he has some ability. He is still only a baby, but he is a massive big horse, somewhere between 16.3hh and 17hh. It was borderline would we be running or not, but just in the last three weeks he really stepped up and was working very well at home. That was what he had been showing at home,” said Denis Murphy of the grey that sported his own silks.
The impressive success formed the opening leg of a double for the Ballyboy Stables operator and former champion Jamie Codd, as they later combined with Breakeven (2/1) to take the winners-of-two. The eye-filling five-year-old had opened his account in a confined maiden at Ballycrystal in January, and he took a significant step forward when emphatically dismissing the favourite and previous course winner Askthebosslady by 10 lengths.
“It is great for the boys that own him, Shay Byrne and Joe Walsh, who also had the five-year-old winner at Tinahely last week (Tuscon Train). He is a big horse, about 17.1hh, who has just needed a bit of time to mature but that was a good run,” said Murphy.
That defeat of Askthebosslady was one of two second-placed finishes for Ellen Doyle-trained runners on the card, as Tag Man succumbed to a one-length defeat in the first division of the four-year-old maiden at the hands of Colin Bowe’s Amarillo Sky (6/4 - 3/1).
The winning Milestone Racing Partnership-owned son of Westerner, a €50,000 purchase from the Land Rover Sale, was reported to be bound for the upcoming Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale following his debut victory under Barry O’Neill.
The Baltimore Stables team did get on the scoreboard on the card when Hidden Commander (10/1) enjoyed better fortunes in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. The Shirocco gelding, who had not been seen since finishing 10th in a four-year-old maiden at Lingstown in November, reeled in the pace-setting Flame Bearer in the home straight before going on to win by a length under Aaron Sinnott.
THE Doyle brothers, Donnchadh and Sean, have been the men to follow in the mares’ maiden on the card in recent years, and they repeated their achievement of winning both divisions of the race in 2017 by completing a similar feat three years later.
Donnchadh Doyle had also won a division of the race last season and he continued his good fortunes in the contest by sending out Shirocco’s Dream (5/4 - 1/1 favourite) to claim division one. The Headfield Stud-bred five-year-old had come up against the subsequent £170,000 Cheveley Park Stud purchase Rose Of Arcadia, when second at Tatteraslls Farm on her debut in December, and she was determined not to settle for the runner-up spot once again by out-battling recent Punchestown runner-up Victoria’s Peak by half-a-length.
“She deserved that, she had a lovely first run in a good maiden, and that looked a right little maiden too with Colin’s one (Victoria’s Peak) also having form,” said Doyle of the Rob James-ridden daughter of Shirocco that is owned by the Monbeg Syndicate.
Elder brother Sean (pictured) combined with Killann-based owner-breeder JJ Kavanagh to claim division two with Tallow-third Emma Prada (2/1 - 7/4 favourite). The Dylan Thomas mare went one better than her half-sister Annie Mc managed in points for the same connections, having had the misfortune of coming up against Irish Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, and the 145-rated hurdler Silver Forever. Barry O’Neill kept the tactics simple aboard the five-year-old as she made all to account for the newcomer Kates Hill by three lengths.
Horse to follow
Kates Hill (Patrick Smyth): The Jeremy mare, a close relation to former Cheltenham Foxhunters winner, Tammys Hill, made good ground from the third-last on her debut and would look tough to beat on her next appearance.
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Borris Bumper divided
A TOTAL of 30 declarations for the Borris Bumpers resulted in the race being divided, bringing to 10 the number of races run on the afternoon. The first division of the race was won by Anne Widger from Clonmel as she guided the Shark Hanlon-trained Comporta to a facile 10-length victory. Division two went the way of Debbie Flavin, who rides out for Jessica Harrington, as she returned two lengths clear aboard John Redmond’s Time Of Day.