THE elements unfortunately conspired against Sunday’s Duhallow Foxhounds meeting at Dromahane as the fixture was plagued by heavy rainfall and driving winds, with the stewards having no option but to abandon proceedings after just two races due to the deteriorating weather conditions.

Rob James, currently lying in fourth spot behind Jamie Codd in the riders’ championship, will have excellent reason to fondly recall the meeting as he was credited with his initial success as an owner of a four-year-old, when guiding the Colin Bowe-trained newcomer Report To Base to success in the opening Goffs four-year-old maiden.

In a race that attracted just six runners, Report To Base (5/4) disputed the running with fellow first-timer Viola Eric virtually throughout and the pair pulled clear on the run to the penultimate of the 13 obstacles. The winning son of Westerner got on top after this second last fence as he pulled clear to beat Vincent Halley’s Viola Eric by two lengths, the duo returning fully 25 lengths clear of the third-placed Brave Eagle.

Report To Base, Bowe’s tenth individual four-year-old winner of the season, is a mid-March foal that was purchased for €32,000 at last year’s Derby sale. James remarked of the close relation to Arthur Moore’s former Pierse Leopardstown Chase winner Marcus Du Berlais: “This horse has always done everything very easily at home. He has a great attitude and he never left a nut anytime that he was away to school. He should hopefully develop into a good horse and he’s for sale now.”

Chris O’Donovan is riding with fantastic confidence at present and the 20-year-old from Shanballymore recorded his ninth success of the season aboard the Michael Winters-trained favourite Blazes Peg in the Tattersalls five and six-year-old mares’ maiden, much to the dismay of the five bookmakers present.

Blazes Peg (evens), who would have probably finished closer than her eventual position of third but for a serious blunder three out on her points debut at Lismore last month, was always well positioned as Turndownthevolume and What’s Not To Love cut out the initial running. The eventual winner moved closer from four out and she mastered Lady Robyn between the final two fences to score by two lengths. Recent Monksgrange third place finisher Turndownthevolume acquitted herself by securing the minor honours, a further nine lengths adrift.

Blazes Peg has immense breeding potential as she’s out of the dual black type winner Blazing Liss. Winters remarked of the Presenting-sired six-year-old that was providing Maurice Mariga with an initial success as an owner: “This mare goes on any ground, but she seems to really like this ground though. She will probably now go for a maiden hurdle and fair play to Chris (O’Donovan) as he came in to give her a school this morning.”

Torrential rain

THE Dromahane committee were extremely unfortunate on Sunday as conditions seemed to deteriorate in the hour or so in the run up to the starting time of 1.30pm. Whilst the runners went at a sensible pace in the two races that did take place, the rain was beginning to plummet down with even greater ferocity during the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden. The stewards then made the correct decision to abandon racing due to the deteriorating weather conditions and in the interests of safety to horses and riders.