CAVITE Beta, so impressive on his point-to-point debut at Moira last season, picked-up where he left off, by adding a fourth victory to his pointing tally when claiming the Savills open lightweight for novice riders in front of a record 6,000-plus strong crowd.

Naturally very economical over his fences, the chesnut gelding jumped for fun in the hands of Neil Bashford at the head of the field in the colours of the Beta Chance Syndicate.

Although his main market rival, Eddies Miracle, was allowed to close within striking distance, it was that exuberance in the air which gained him lengths and allowed him to pull four lengths clear by the line.

“I said it last year plenty – he is as consistent and genuine a horse as we have. He is an absolute star. Alan Potts was very good to pass him on to us for point-to-pointing and we’ll have a bit of fun with him,” reported Tom Dreaper, before adding with a wry smile: “He’ll go wherever Jamie Codd lets me run him next!”

There were joyous scenes in the winners’ enclosure following the conclusion of the Boyd Stores older geldings’ maiden, as winning owner, Hugh Mulvihill, was joined by family, friends and well-wishers to congratulate him following the success of Star Wizard in a thrilling finish.

The Wizard King gelding, whom he bred out of the Moscow Society mare, Star Of The Orient, followed-up an eye-catching reappearance at Castletown-Geoghegan on the opening day of the season to get the better of close exchanges with longtime leader, Thinkinginmysleep, by three-quarters of a length.

“I’m delighted for Hugh to get the winner today as he has his daughter here today with him and it’s brilliant. They went slow early and he could have done with a better gallop, but he’ll win plenty of races and he is improving all the time,” remarked trainer Peter Flood, who paid tribute to his winning jockey Anthony Fox who works with him at home each afternoon.

HEADLINES

The name Good Man Jim is one which could be making headlines in the future as he posted an impressive front-running performance under Shane Fitzgerald to claim the day’s opener, the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham & Ascot Sales four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A notable error at the fifth last was not sufficient to stop the grey gelding in his tracks as he effortlessly eased clear of 11 rivals to return with 14 lengths to spare over Definite Wisdom. With winning handler Michael Goff acknowledging that the Richard Frisby-owned Martaline gelding should not have run on debut at Monksgrange last season having “scoped four out of five wrong before that race,” he was lavish in his praise of this maiden success.

“He is a very good horse. He has that much speed you could put him wherever you wanted to. He went to Ballyedmund last Tuesday and he was electric so we knew we had something special coming here. He is probably one of the nicer horses I have ever had.”

It was a case of perseverance paying off for James Brennan, as Larkfield Lass, a mare whom he purchased for just €600 as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale, carried his colours to success in the ITBA & Colliers International mares’ maiden.

Unlucky to have been carried out at Tinahely one week earlier, the seven-year-old was making her 17th career outing. However, there was to be no stopping her as she had the field well strung out inside the final mile under Rob James, and ultimately was 14 lengths too good for In Arrears.

With winning handler Richard Rath absent, the winning owner commented: “I’m delighted that she is after winning her point-to-point. The plan was always to turn her into a broodmare, it is maybe a bit up in the air after this.”

PROMISE

Philip Dempsey has enjoyed a successful spell in recent times on the track and he translated that good run between the flags by saddling Double You Be, a horse which also carried his colours, to a wide-margin success in the Fleet Financial five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The victory, which saw him finish a distance clear of Stornaway, marked a return to the promise that the Yeats gelding had shown on his Punchestown debut when finishing second behind Sunday’s Galway bumper victor Gallagher’s Cross. The bay gelding, who was partnered to success by Jamie Codd, will now be offered at the upcoming Cheltenham Sales.

A tension-building photo finish brought the day to a thrilling climax for spectators as a three-way tussle to the line between Canadian Steel, De Name Evades Me and Chinatown Boy saw just two necks separate the trio in the James Gogarty Stone winner of one. The former had possessed an extra gear to quicken away from his rivals on the run from the back straight.

However, Brian Hamilton’s charge, a winner at Kirkistown in 2015, began to tread water under Declan Lavery from the home bend, ensuring he was being reeled in by the chasing pair at a rapid rate of knots.

A relieved set of connections, which included winning owner, David Aiken of F.S. Ferron Feeds, a regular race sponsor at Tyrella point-to-point, could celebrate the victory once the result was announced, with Hamilton commenting: “Three miles is probably as far as he wants. We ran him over hurdles and he had been running away okay but it just wasn’t happening for him lately. We might look for a two and a half-mile chase somewhere for him.”

Neighbours celebrate

THE neighboring Dreaper and Flanagan families have closely connected over many decades and unsurprisingly there were scenes of great celebrations for the the Beta Chance Syndicate whose colours were carried to success by Cavite Beta in the open lightweight.

“Jimmy Flanagan has been our farrier for 40 years and his father did Arkle before that, so our families are very closely tied. Nearly everyone else in the syndicate is related to their family – all the brothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends. This is as much of a fun horse as a fun horse can be.”