ALL roads led to Dromahane on Sunday for the Kanturk-Duhallow meeting, the initial fixture of the 2018/19 spring season. The Kieran Purcell-trained Banner Rebel lit up the afternoon for many by making a stunning start to his racing career in the first division of the Goffs UK January P2P Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Clondaw Dancer and Pivotal Pursuit took the 11 runners along at a cracking tempo, with the towering Banner Rebel (4/1) remaining close to the pace throughout in the hands of Declan Queally. The eventual winner made his way to the front from two-out. It was soon apparent he had too many aces for runner-up Word Has It, who finished four lengths behind the winner.
Owner/trainer Purcell, who won a Dromahane maiden with Deise Aba last term, reported of the half-brother to 10-time track winner Ballybolley that hails from the Limestone Lad family. “He’s a smashing big horse and we were nearly going to give him another month. He’s still a little bit weak and he should make a lovely chaser in time.”
O’CONNOR SETS NEW RECORD
Derek O’Connor continues to make new records and the 11-time champion posted his 1,200th Irish points success – he also has two winners between the flags in Britain to his credit – aboard Robert Tyner’s newcomer Nelly’s Money in the first division of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Nelly’s Money (3/1) was held up off the pace but she edged closer from the fourth-last. The winning daughter of Beneficial then erred into second three-out. West Vintage held pole position, but Damian Murphy’s representative had no reply when the triumphant five-year-old went past at the second last.
With O’Connor barely having to strain a sinew, the Anthony McCarthy-owned Nelly’s Money returned with three lengths to spare over the already-useful West Vintage. Tyner indicated that the hugely-exciting Nelly’s Money. She sustained a bad cut as a four-year-old but will now be prepared for a track campaign.
Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill departed with two winners, the Co Wexford pair opening their account courtesy of another debutant in Fort Worth Texas (7/2) in the Goffs UK January P2P Sale four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Atlantic Fairy set off with the intention of making all here and Pa King’s mount still led on the approach to the last. Fort Worth Texas, who was in a prominent position throughout, jumped into the lead at this final fence and she then held on to beat the rallying Atlantic Fairy by a neck in a race that’s likely to feature plenty of future winners. Fort Worth Texas represents Leo McArdle and the Co. Monaghan native previously saw his colours carried to victory by Willie Mullins’ Grade 3-winning novice hurdle mare Kate Applebys Shoes.
Bourbon Borderline (4/1), a seventh-fence Boulta faller on his career debut two weeks earlier, completed the Bowe/O’Neill brace by landing the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. He was always quite well positioned and he disputed the lead with Mighty Altogether when the latter departed three-out. The winning son of Milan was always in the driving seat thereafter and he duly coasted home 10 lengths clear of runner-up Oscarsman.
Bowe made little effort to conceal his liking for Bourbon Borderline, a €57,000 graduate of the 2017 Derby Sale, the Milestone Racing Partnership-owned brother to Kimberlite King and Brewin’upastorm will now be offered at some of the forthcoming sales.
KELLEHER SUCCESS
The Gerry Kelleher-trained Macs Legend, a dual hunter chase scorer last season, atoned for his second-placed effort behind Cloudy Morning at Ballindenisk last month by winning the novice riders open in the hands of first-time partner Michael O’Sullivan.
Macs Legend (6/4) went to the head of affairs travelling best from two out and surged clear to account for seasonal debutant B L Swagger by six lengths. Kelleher, who was also standing as a bookmaker at the fixture, indicated that the Shane Prenderville-owned Macs Legend will now be aimed at the Thurles hunters chase later this month.
Owner/trainer Liam Casey, who tends to a four-strong string in the village of Poulmucka, sent out Victory Echo (6/1) to capture the five-year-old geldings’ maiden under James Hannon.
Having occupied the runner-up spot on his previous start at Borris House last month, Victory Echo made stylish progress from four-out. The winning son of Cloudings, homebred by Casey’s sister Anne, went for home at the second last and he held on grimly as the gambled-on favourite Finisk River closed on the flat with just a head separating the pair at the line.
The Michael Sweeney success story continued as the 20-year-old from Cappoquin posted a sixth success of the season aboard the Niall Kelleher-trained Plan At The Minute (4/1) in the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Plan At The Minute, who was in contention in Deputy Oscar’s Boulta maiden on December 16th but unfortunately fell two out , made virtually all the running. The half-sister to four-time British track winner Skipping On bravely rose her effort on the flat to keep the promising Corrie Lake at bay by one and half lengths.
Plan At The Minute is the very first horse owned by 18-year-old Robbie Clancy from Six-Mile-Bridge and the teenager’s late mother Michelle (nee Holohan), who sadly passed away in 2011, attained notable success riding in points in the early 1990s.
Con McSweeney’s newcomer On The Sod (3/1 - 2/1) claimed the closing East Cork Oil five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden. The six-year-old son of Ask gave a solid jumping display at the head of affairs.
Springfield Lodge surged past the frontrunner before two out, but winning rider Eoin O’Brien guided his mount back to the fore to win by a head.
On The Sod returned to a rapturous reception, which wasn’t at all surprising as he is the very first horse to represent the six-member That Will Do Syndicate from the parishes of Bweeng and Banteer.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
ATLANTIC FAIRY (M J Byrne): This white-faced daughter of Jeremy, who’s out of a half-sister to Grade 1-placed mare Be My Leader from the same family as One Man, attempted to make all on her debut in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. She led until outjumped at the final fence and then rallied to tremendous effect on the flat, ultimately going down by a neck. She seems a smart staying type that also possesses more than adequate reserves of speed and she’s likely to develop into a useful sort over middle to longer distances on the racetrack with another season under her belt.
O’Connor milestone
DEREK O’Connor reached another notable milestone by partnering his 1,200th Irish points winner aboard Nelly’s Money in the first division of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden. It was entirely appropriate that the former champion was joined by his colleagues and Nelly’s Money’s handler Robert Tyner, for a photo in the weigh-tent to celebrate the achievement.
Owner/trainer Liam Casey had a most unusual tale to recount following the success of his charge Victory Echo with James Hannon in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Victory Echo is by Cloudings who of course stands with Hannon’s father and namesake at The Old Road Stud outside Tallow. The younger Hannon told Casey that it was he that held Victory Echo’s dam Serendipity when she was being covered by Cloudings back in 2012.