Neil O’Donnell

DECLAN Queally is combining riding with training to terrific effect at present and the Cappagh amateur went away from Sunday’s Muskerry Foxhounds meeting at Curraheen with three winners, the undoubted highlight being his success aboard newcomer Rocky’s Treasure, who he also handles, in the Killian Lynch Auctioneers, Macroom & Millstreet five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On an afternoon that saw eight races, Rocky’s Treasure (4/1) was always close to the pace in second spot as West To Crossgales set out with the intention of making all. The eventual winner edged ahead after the penultimate of the 13 fences and put the race to bed by quickening into a three-length advantage coming to the last.

The Canny Man was destined to finish an excellent second on his debut but for making a horrendous blunder here, a one from which he did very well to stay on his feet and he faded into fourth spot. It was Michael Winters’ Jennys Day that then came through to pick up the runner-up slot, some six lengths adrift of the Westerner-sired winner.

Queally, who tends to Rocky’s Treasure for Margaret Kiely from Dungarvan, said: “I bought this horse at the Land Rover sale last year as I also rode his half-brother, Double Shuffle in points and he has since got blacktype (for Tom George). This horse will probably now go for a point-to-point bumper.”

It was Louis Archdeacon that supplied Queally’s two remaining winners with the duo initially combining to collect the Blarney Castle Estates open lightweight with the previous Sunday’s Dromahane runner-up Mountain Lough.

Representing his trainer’s wife Michelle, Mountain Lough (7/4) avenged his second-placed effort in this same race 12 months previously. The admirable veteran was always close to the pace and the result was never in doubt once he was permitted to stride on from three out.

Ordinary Man came out of the pack to go second on his return to points duty between the final two fences and he ultimately returned to the number two slot, some 12 lengths adrift. Archdeacon intimated that Mountain Lough could now line up in a 0-102 handicap chase over two and a half miles at Killarney’s forthcoming May meeting.

The Archdeacon-trained Fortune Bound brought up the west Waterford native’s hat-trick in a fiercely-competitive renewal of the Master Link six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the day with 15 starters.

Fortune Bound (4/1), having been placed no less than eight times previously including when chasing home ex-hurdler Icantsay at Dromahane the previous Sunday, always took the eye in running and he stormed into the lead after the second last.

It was all plain sailing from there as the Joe and Kathleen O’Callaghan-owned chesnut bounded clear on the flat to contain Templemichael by six lengths, with Just The Article serving notice that his turn is imminent by returning a further four lengths adrift in third spot. The seven-year-old Fortune Bound could now contest next week’s p2p.ie bumper at Tipperary.

CONTROVERSIAL

The formidable Colin Bowe/Barry O’Neill combination maintained their terrific strike-rate by recording a hat-trick, the three-timer being completed in controversial circumstances when Tranquil Music was awarded the second division of the Oriel House Hotel five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden on the disqualification of Strangsmill.

The Ian Power-trained Strangsmill made all the running with Pat Collins, the seven-year-old producing plenty when challenged by the John Devaney-owned Tranquil Magic (6/4) after the second last to oblige by six lengths. O’Neill quickly lodged an objection to Strangsmill on the grounds that she went the incorrect course by going the wrong side of a bale. The subsequent stewards enquiry found that to be the case and Tranquil Magic, runner-up on her initial start at Fairyhouse just seven days earlier, was awarded the race.

O’Neill however experienced a virtual armchair mount aboard Bowe’s Bollman Lady in the first division of this same contest, much to the dismay of the 16 bookmakers present.

Bollman Lady (5/4), who likewise finished second on her career debut at Fairyhouse on April 24th, was always merely in cruise control and she eased to the front on the wide outside before the second last. Dolly’s Dot posted a solid debut effort by giving chase from here, but it was to be in vain as Aidan Fitzgerald’s charge was beaten six lengths into second spot. Bollman Lady is shared by James Walsh and Mrs Kate White, who previously owned Bowe’s three-time track winner Kashline, and the victorious daughter of Gold Well is now more than likely bumper-bound.

Mere Detail got the afternoon off to a perfect start for Bowe and O’Neill by stepping up from her seventh-placed debut effort at Inch in late-March to land the first division of the Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Cheltenham Mati went for home at the third last, but Mere Detail (9/4) was soon in her slipstream and she forged to the front after two out. Seamus Neville’s Cheltenham Mati went down fighting as she was still just one and a half lengths adrift in second spot whilst in an all-Wexford finish, the Sean Thomas Doyle-trained Lenten Rose returned a further head adrift in third spot.

Mere Detail, who is now sales bound, sports the silks of long-standing Bowe supporter Kieran Cotter.

STYLISH DEBUT

Denis Murphy struck in his absence when The Wicket Chicken made a stylish winning debut in the second division of this same contest.

The Colm Hearne-owned and bred The Wicket Chicken (3/1) always travelled with purpose close to the pace and Rebel Yeats seemed to make the decisive move when coming from the rear of the field to lead from two out. The winning daughter of Milan was alive to the move however and she was soon in pursuit.

With Rebel Yeats losing valuable momentum when slow at the final fence, The Wicket Chicken secured a flier and she swept clear on the flat for Jimmy O’Rourke to score by four lengths. Murphy’s representative Liam Gahan indicated that The Wicket Chicken is now likely to be sold.

The Denis McCarthy-owned/trained mare Leila’s Island displayed abundant reserves of tenacity to capture the Harkin & Associates winners of one in the hands of Mikey O’Connor.

Leila’s Island (4/1) supplemented her Loughrea maiden success from last month by bravely coming a second time to lead on the run to the last, having originally been at the head of affairs until after the third last.

She clearly had the measure of Antirrhinum when Eoin O’Sullivan’s mount fell here when looking likely to occupy the runner-up spot. Leila’s Island, still just a six-year-old, was then left clear to dispose of Burrenbridge Hotel by 10 lengths in the style of a mare that’s still on the upgrade.

Perfect start

COLIN Bowe got his afternoon off to the perfect start by sending out the Kieran Cotter-owned Mere Detail to win the first division of the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

This must have felt like a ‘Groundhog Day’ type experience for the pair as Bowe also saddled the Cotter-owned Belle Empress to triumph in the first division of this same race last year.

Belle Empress was partnered by Jimmy O’Rourke and it was entirely appropriate therefore that the Wexford rider then won the second division of this year’s race aboard the Denis Murphy-trained The Wicket Chicken.