Neil O’Donnell
SUNDAY’s sole fixture at Dromahane held 10 races and attracted 102 runners at the Kanturk-Duhallow meeting, which was staged in aid of the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
With currently side-lined jockey Jonathan Burke excelling in the commentary box, the James Doyle-trained Sprintingforgold lit up the afternoon for many by coming from a seemingly impossible position to capture the ITM, Castlehyde & Grange Stud ladies open.
By doing so, the Monbeg Syndicate-owned bay edged into a narrow advantage in the leading horse of the season category as he now leads Ourmanmassini by eight wins to seven.
Valco Du Touzaine set out with the intention of making all and he led Lion’s Choice setting out on the final circuit as Sprintingforgold (11/10) languished in third spot as a consequence of a couple of notable jumping errors before half-way. But it was Valco Du Touzaine that paid the price for a jumping error at the penultimate flight, coming down when looking held and leaving Lion’s Choice with a two-length lead.
James Doyle’s charge moved into top gear before the last and although he blundered again at the fence, he readily moved clear under the urgings of Liz Lalor to win by five lengths. Lalor now leads Lion’s Choice’s rider Shauna Larkin by one, five wins to four, in the ladies’ title-race.
“He’s a right tough horse and to get this win here today is more than special. We will run him again, maybe at Kinsale in two weeks’ time,” said Monageer-based handler Doyle of Sprintingforgold, who has certainly come a long way since winning his maiden at Lingstown in mid-December.
TREBLE FOR CODD
Jamie Codd is riding with terrific confidence at present and the reigning champion partnered another three winners. He will have attained immense satisfaction from his middle success aboard Fivecardstud in the Hotel Minella, Clonmel winners of two as the triumphant six-year-old is both owned and trained by his elder brother William.
Fivecardstud (3/1), having been only just touched off by the more-experienced mare Castlewhite at Dawstown almost three weeks earlier, took the eye travelling well in mid-division as Burgess View led the nine runners out for the final time. Inaminna took it up two out but was closely followed by the winner who went to the front just before the last.
There was little to separate this pair from here and Codd was all out on Fivecardstud to hold off the challenge of Inaminna by a head, with a 15-length gap back to Burgess View in third.
The Drinagh native signed off by recording a first success for Johnjoe Walsh aboard Shower Cross in the second division of the closing Killarney Oaks Hotel six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Shower Cross (7/4), having finished third on his previous two starts in points, was left in the lead at the fourth last and he seemed to have a battle on his hands when McGroarty got to his quarters after the second last.
The winning son of Portrait Gallery, who also finished a fine sixth in the geldings’ pointers bumper at Cork over Easter, is nothing but tough and he held on grimly inside the final 100 yards to beat the promising McGroarty by a length in the colours of Willie Allen from Newport in north Co Tipperary.
Codd opened his account aboard clear form-choice Knockoura in the first division of the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sales five-year-old maiden. Knockoura (7/4) had shown a good level to finish second on his three previous starts this season at Lisronagh, Dungarvan and, most recently, behind White Moon at Dawstown.
The winning son of Westerner was poised in third from the fourth last and he eventually received the office before two out before he readily quickened 18 lengths clear of runner-up Well Tom.
Owner/trainer Roisin Hickey’s husband Thomond O’Mara intimated that Knockoura, a horse that also handles soft ground well, will now be offered at the forthcoming Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham sale on June 1st. O’Mara also very generously donated Knockoura’s prizemoney to the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
Barry O’Neill still leads Codd by four - 60 wins to 56 – in this season’s title-race after he had earlier got on the scoresheet by steering the Colin Bowe-trained newcomer Reasonable Doubt to a tenacious front-running success in the second division of the Goffs UK Spring Sale four-year-old maiden.
Reasonable Doubt (3/1 – 2/1), representing the Milestone Racing Partnership, certainly didn’t aid his cause as he jumped continuously out to his right having picked up the running after a mile. Rio Quinto emerged as the biggest danger to the winning son of Robin Des Champs from two out, but Reasonable Doubt was in no mood to be denied and he held on grimly to score by a length.
There was a steward’s enquiry called in relation to possible interference between the two principals in the closing stages, but there was no alteration to the judge’s placings.
CONSOLIDATE
Rio Quinto’s rider Rob James consolidated his advantage in the southern regional rider’s championship by partnering two winners, both of whom were supplied by the in-form Donnchadh Doyle, with the duo getting off the mark courtesy of newcomer Aione in the first division of the four-year-old maiden.
The French-bred Aione (2/1 – 6/4), a €35,000 graduate of last year’s Derby Sale who’s closely related to Grade 1 juvenile hurdle winner Hollow Tree, was always on the pace. Although jumping somewhat right-handed on occasion, he stylishly drew clear between the final two obstacles to edge out Bold Bandit by two and a half lengths.
Thebigcleanup, another debutant who’s similarly owned by the Monbeg Syndicate, completed the Doyle/James double by giving a virtually faultless display of fencing to collect the second division of the five-year-old maiden.
Thebigcleanup (4/1) led or disputed the running virtually throughout and he produced a flier at the final fence afterwhich he was always getting the better of the argument with favourite Ringmoylan and held on to score by two lengths, moving handler Doyle to 25 winners for the season.
DOUBLE FOR O’CONNOR
Derek O’Connor likewise departed with a double and he firstly combined with Michael Hourigan to capture the second division of the Rathbarry Stud & Colin Bowe five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden aboard About You, bred by her handler’s nephew Billy Hourigan from Rathkeale and owned by the latter’s wife Karen.
About You (7/2), who had the benefit of a respectable ninth-placed effort behind Duhallow Gesture in the p2p.ie mares’ bumper at Tipperary earlier this month, moved closer from three out under a well-judged ride from the former champion and she took the measure of favourite Sunset Rise shortly after the last to oblige by five lengths.
The Galwegian had his second winner aboard Aengus King’s Stay In Touch, already a three-time runner-up this term, in the first division of the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.
Stay In Touch (7/4) moved second behind the sweet-travelling Mabeywhoknowsmabey from three out and he edged ahead coming to the final fence.
It was all plain sailing from here as the victorious bay drew clear to beat the staying-on Rwegoinhigh by four lengths in the silks of his Newmarket-On-Fergus-based handler’s son and daughter Barry and Natalie King.
Dinos Benefit justified the lengthy trek from owner/trainer John Walsh’s Tinahely base in Co Wicklow by capturing the first division of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
Dinos Benefit (4/1), ridden by Walsh’s son James, hit the front three out and the previous Sunday’s Bartlemy runner-up pulled out plenty for pressure in the closing stages to deny ex-track performer Silver Louna by a half-length.
She is a half-sister to Royal Benifet, whom the Walshs’ won a Borris House maiden with in December 2014, and the daughter of Mr Dinos is now likely to be sold.
Family atmosphere
THERE was a real family atmosphere at Dromahane with plenty of sideshows such as pony rides, a bouncy castle, artisan food and a dog show. Proceedings concluded with a six-furlong pony race which was divided. Brothers Andy and Luke Burke-Ott, aged 13 and 11 respectively and followers of the Duhallow pony club branch, won their respective divisions.