“DAN is the man!” declared Tom Power after Dan Nevin had guided his Quill Road to success in the older maiden at a rain-soaked Damma House on Sunday.

The ultra-consistent seven-year-old entered the race having finished in the placings on six of his 10 career starts, and following a run of three consecutive third-placed finishes, he made all the running under 21-year-old Nevin to defeat the only other finisher Skylanna Skatman by a distance.

“Dan is brilliant. I met him down in Harley’s (Dunne) last year and he is a right chap, he is underestimated. He is a cool chap, you tell him what to do and he does it, there is no messing. He is my Ruby!” said Power, who owns the grey in partnership with Annette Lawlor, and was representing trainer Philip Rothwell on the day.

It was a successful afternoon for that team, as earlier in the afternoon their Watar-sired mare Our Kathy ran a fine race in defeat to chase home Nothinbuttime in the five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

The four-length victory for the more experienced Nothinbuttime provided Jordan Hart with his first success as both a rider and handler. The 21-year-old, who also works for leading dual-purpose trainer Jessica Harrington, was recommended the five-year-old by Niall Redmond, one of his Commonstown Stables colleagues, with the daughter of Stowaway having run last season for his father John.

“I was delighted with her. I knew turning in that she was going to win, I had plenty of horse there,” said the Baltinglass-based Hart of his mother Lorraine’s mare.

“We were only talking yesterday about running her in a beginners’ chase so maybe the plan might change now.”

Up for Parol makes a quick break for it; Solomn Grundy again

MATTHEW Flynn O’Connor was out of luck at his home fixture in Ballycrystal a week earlier, however here the impressive Up For Parol put up a particularly notable performance on the clock to win the opening four-year-old maiden.

All out of luck on his debut at Loughrea three weeks earlier, when forced to pull-up when the saddle slipped, the Flemensfirth gelding really thrived in the stamina test that was created by a very strong gallop here.

As his rivals one by one cried enough, the Deborah Hobson-bred bay, who was carrying the winning handler’s colours, powered on.

Once the newcomer First Illusion exited at the penultimate fence, he was able to return 18 lengths clear of Git Maker in a time 16 seconds quicker than any other race on the card.

The victory was also a second four-year-old maiden success of the season for the Ballycrystal operator since joining forces with the reigning joint under-21 champion Brian Lawless.

Up For Parol was one of two winners on the card to have been added to the catalogue of the Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale, having been joined by Donnchadh Doyle’s aptly named Promising Milan after his encouraging debut success in the five- and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Monbeg Syndicate-owned gelding made all the running under a well-judged ride from Rob James.

He dictated the tempo from the front before powering clear of the former Turtulla third Coothill by a comfortable six lengths.

“We fancied him coming here. He had cost a few quid a while ago, but he just took a bit of time. He was ready to at the backend of last season but I was waiting for a bit of soft ground,” said Doyle after his 11th winner of the season.

Donnchadh Doyle’s brother Sean’s Solomn Grundy quickly followed up his Tattersalls success seven days earlier by comfortably accounting for the Castletown-Geoghegan runner-up Peacocks Secret by three lengths in the open.

Making all of the running under Barry Walsh, he may have edged out to this right in jumping throughout but it was not sufficient enough to prevent him from recording his second success in a week.

“I am thrilled for Barry Walsh who has been working with me for two yards.

“We will go for something similar again and then maybe we will look at Down Royal,” said Doyle of the Roger Brookhouse-owned 10-year-old.

High Stakes became the first horse of the season to record a third success.Already a winner at Ballingarry and Necarne, the six-year-old made all of the running under James Walsh in the winner-of-two contest.

Despite not posting the same foot-perfect round of jumping which had characterised his two earlier successes this term, his class saw him through to defeat another of this season’s dual winners, Er Dancer, by a comfortable four lengths.

Winning owner-handler John Walsh indicated that the Scorpion gelding would be given a break now if not sold.

Horse to follow

First Illusion (D. Doyle): This Westerner gelding was the only horse able to live with the impressive Up For Parol. While his challenge came to an end at the penultimate fence, there are most certainly races to be won with him on this evidence.