Neil O’Donnell

THE Jerry Cosgrave-trained Honeysuckle had many of the large crowd present at Sunday’s Doneraile Harriers meeting at Dromahane searching for superlatives following her stunning debut victory in the Goffs Punchestown Sale four-year-old mares’ maiden.

On an afternoon that saw the 15 bookmakers present experience the better of the exchanges with all of the favourites/joint-favourites getting beaten, Honeysuckle (7/1) was restrained by her owner Sara O’Hare’s husband Mark O’Hare towards the rear as the well-supported Ballylee took the 12 runners along at a frenetic pace.

The eventual winner gradually moved into contention after the fourth last of the 14 obstacles as the field began to thin out.

The daughter of Sulamani took command after three out and she then unleashed a blistering turn of foot to account for fellow first-timer Annie Mc by 15 lengths. Its Not Funny meanwhile secured the minor honours, a distance adrift of the two principals with the trio being the only finishers.

“She is a lazy sort at home, but we were always happy with her. When I gave her a squeeze, she took off and she will be sold now,” said winning rider O’Hare of Honeysuckle, a €9,500 graduate of last year’s Derby Sale.

Honeysuckle, who hails from a strong distaff family with her dam, First Royal, being placed in two listed hurdles in her native Germany, was quickly added to this Thursday’s Goffs sale after racing at Punchestown.

Willie O’Doherty, who has just four horses under his care at his Ballingarry base in west Limerick, struck a blow for the small-time operator by saddling Le Cheval Noir to make a taking winning debut in the Goffs Punchestown Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Le Cheval Noir (8/1) was always positioned close to the pace as Sidi Ismael and Le Lawman vied for supremacy up front.

The son of Le Fou moved through to challenge Sidi Ismael on the outer before two out. With Sidi Ismael then falling at this penultimate obstacle and impeding the closing Castle Trump, the eventual winner seemed to be travelling best with a couple of lengths advantage on the run to the final fence.

However, a slow jump here by the O’Doherty runner presented Castle Trump with an opportunity of sorts and he moved through to pick up the running after the last.

Le Cheval Noir however soon made his way back to the front with Declan Queally’s mount ultimately beating Castle Trump by one and a half lengths in the colours of Angela Breen from Newcastlewest and the winner is another that was due to go through the ring at the Goffs post-race sale at Punchestown on Thursday evening.

AFTERNOON TO SAVOUR

Seventeen-year-old Conor Costello experienced an afternoon to savour by recording a first career success aboard his father John’s Final Gift in the Hibernian Hotel & Buckley Brothers novice riders open on what was just his second mount in public.

Costello, a fifth year student at St Caimins in Shannon, positioned his mount towards the rear of the eight-runner field until edging ever closer from the third last.

The 12-year-old Final Gift (3/1), a previous dual winning scorer at Dromahane, swept into the lead at the second last and he seemed to have a battle on his hands at the final fence as Dushrembrandt came back to challenge.

Dushrembrandt however blundered here as Final Gift, representing the elder Costello’s mother Josephine, maintained a narrow advantage to the line to oblige by a half-length.

The Vincent Halley-trained Chinensis brought up the concluding leg of a double for John Barry by landing the Dairygold & OK Woodcraft winners of three.

Chinensis (4/1), absent since beating Southern Nights in a competitive four-year-old maiden at this same venue in November, was patiently-ridden and he moved closer on the outer before three out. He took up the running after this third last fence and the result was never in doubt thereafter with the winning son of Well Chosen ultimately accounting for long-time leader Big Man Clarence by three and a half lengths. On this evidence, the Sarah Keane-owned Chinensis should have little difficulty in sampling middle-distance track success.

The in-form Barry was earlier on the mark aboard PJ Colville’s Colonel Keating in The Fitzgerald Family & Grange Stud six-year-old and upwards maiden.

Colonel Keating (7/2), another with previous Dromahane experience as he finished a fine second on his debut behind Blue Morpho here last month, gave his many supporters heart palpitations by blundering at the first fence.

After that scare, the winning son of Yeats soon got into a free-flowing rhythm and he moved through to dispute the running after four out.

He duly took charge from the second last, a fence that claimed sweet-travelling newcomer Rob Royal, to beat favourite Touch Tight by eight lengths. Handler Colville indicated that his wife Grainne’s six-year-old will now be despatched to next month’s Goffs UK Spring Sale in Doncaster.

James Hannon was likewise in double form and he opened his account aboard Robert Tyner’s Full Tilt in the first division of the Tattersalls Ireland five-year-old maiden.

Full Tilt (6/1), having made a pleasing debut by coming third at Kildorrery in February only to then disappoint when finishing eighth at Ballynoe on St Patrick’s Day, edged ever closer from mid-division to hit the front before two out.

A final fence error by the winning son of Flying Legend presented Champagne Court with every chance on the flat. There was then very little to separate the pair with the judge awarding the verdict to the Brendan Keogh-owned bay by a head in what was the closest finish of the afternoon. It’s possible that Full Tilt may now be offered for sale.

Joe Ryan’s debutant Hes No Trouble completed the Hannon brace by capturing the second division of this contest.

The giant-sized Hes No Trouble (6/1), a son of Scorpion, out of an own-sister to former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Looks Like Trouble, was always positioned on the pace and he moved back to the head of affairs after four out.

He had Shanacoole Prince as his closest pursuer from three out. The latter was beaten from the last as promising newcomer Bridane High went second on the flat, three lengths the ultimate winning margin. Shanacoole Prince returned a further one-length adrift in third spot.

Handler Ryan, who sold recent Inch four-year-old maiden winner Prince Kayf at last week’s Tattersalls Ireland sale at Cheltenham, indicated that his son Josh’s Hes No Trouble will now be bound for some of the forthcoming sales.

Final ‘fairytale’

HANDLER John Costello was understandably elated following son Conor’s initial career success aboard veteran Final Gift in the novice riders’ open. Costello, who also rode as an amateur in his younger days said: “I’ve had a lot of great days in racing. But, this is the nearest thing to a fairytale as this was the last horse owned by my late father Tom, he’s owned by my mother Josephine, who is here today, and he was ridden by my son. Yes, it is a fairytale.”