Neil O’Donnell

AN excellent crowd travelled to the historic Kilossera circuit on Sunday for the annual Dungarvan Farmers fixture where racing was staged on the same figure of eight track that it was 12 months ago. There was some competitive fare on offer and Declan Queally certainly had an afternoon to savour at his local meeting as he left with a hat-trick. For good measure, he also trains all three of his winners.

Minella For Value completed the Queally treble by winning the Murrays Family Pharmacy open lightweight in a common canter and was supplementing his facile success at Aghabullogue two weeks earlier.

Better B Quick set off in front in this four-runner contest and he was shadowed by the winning 11-year-old from the outset with Truckin All Night whipping-in. Better B Quick came under pressure between the final two fences and Minella For Value (4/7) took up the running well before the last. Runner-up Truckin All Night still held a chance of sorts when not too fluent here as the former six-time track scorer, representing the trainer/rider’s mother Bernie, then asserted on the long run-in to contain Johnny Hurley’s mount by a comprehensive 10 lengths.

Queally, who trains just four miles away from the course in the parish of Cappagh, said: “Minella For Value will now hopefully run at Tallow in two weeks’ time and after that, we might start to consider the Cheltenham Foxhunter for him.”

Queally was earlier on the mark aboard Fenno’s Storm, representing his mother’s cousin Maurice Walsh from Stradbally, in the Al Eile Stud confined hunts maiden.

A former hurdler, Fenno’s Storm (11/10-evens) certainly brought the best form to the five-runner contest as he was only beaten one and a half lengths into second spot by Change Your Story in a noticeably more competitive race at Dromahane’s post-Christmas meeting.

The son of September Storm shadowed last season’s Kinsale runner-up Easy On Sunday virtually throughout and he went for his race on the long run between the final two fences.

The eventual winner was looking the part on the run to the final fence and, with Queally giving a celebratory wave to the crowd on the approach to the line, the strapping six-year-old ultimately returned with 10 lengths to spare over Easy On Sunday.

Fenno’s Storm, originally bought by Ciaran Fennessy as a four-year-old at the 2015 Fairyhouse August Sale, is now likely to be targeted at a winners’ race.

ANNIE WINS

The well-supported newcomer Tell Me Annie instigated the Queally three-timer in the second division of the Gain Horse Feeds six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Someone’s Opera set out with the intention of making all and she led until overtaken by Gi Jayne after the second last. Tell Me Annie (3/1-5/2) was making smooth progress the whole time and the victorious eight-year-old moved second behind Gi Jayne approaching the final fence.

The winning daughter of Shantou, owned by Eileen O’Mahony from Knockraha, led soon after landing and she stormed clear over 100 yards out to beat Gi Jayne by 10 lengths.

Queally later disclosed that Tell Me Annie was in training as a four-year-old and that she had encountered a few niggling issues. On this evidence, Tell Me Annie seems well capable of making up for lost time and she should easily conquer the winners’ grade.

The absent Donnchadh Doyle and Jimmy O’Rourke combined for a first and second race double with the Co Wexford duo opening their account courtesy of newcomer Getaway Island in the Bridgie Terries Restaurant five-year-old mares’ maiden.

WELL POSITIONED

Getaway Island (5/1) was always well positioned and she set sail for home after two out. Shimmer’s Rock was soon in pursuit but the recent Dromahane runner-up was already coming off second best when erring at the final fence.

The Monbeg Syndicate-owned bay pushed on entering the final furlong and, although eased fully 100 yards out, she still beat Shimmer’s Rock by four lengths. This was a visually impressive performance and Getaway Island, a daughter of Getaway acquired for a mere €7,000 at the 2015 Fairyhouse August Sale, is likely to be seen in new colours when running again.

The Doyle/O’Rourke brace was completed by Celtic Rising, yet another Monbeg Syndicate-owned first-timer, in the Tom Fleming, Equine Dentist five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

An embryonic chaser, Celtic Rising (5/1) tracked the front-running Gortroe Joe from halfway until he edged into pole position after the penultimate of the 14 obstacles. Knockoura soon went second and he then held a chance of sorts when the winning son of Curtain Time was far from clever at the last. Celtic Rising however, readily powered clear in literally a matter of strides when posed a few questions by O’Rourke and, despite being eased in the closing stages, he still dismissed Knockoura by four lengths.

Celtic Rising is closely related to last month’s impressive Lingstown maiden winner Minellafordollars and he also traces back to Monbeg Dude, the Welsh Grand National winner who started off running in points in the colours of handler (Donnchadh) Doyle.

Richie Deegan, having finished second in the first two races aboard Shimmer’s Rock and Knockoura, got a deserved turn by landing the second division of the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden aboard Bessy Boru.

The Colin Motherway-trained Bessy Boru (4/1-7/2), who gave ample indication of ability on her previous start seemingly set for third spot when falling at the last behind Down The Milan at Boulta in November, was the only winner to fully benefit from pace-setting tactics.

She made all the running and could be called the most likely winner on the approach to the final fence. Although runner-up Shroughmore Lass rallied briefly after the last, Bessy Boru gamely asserted to score by five lengths in the silks of owner/breeder Phil Gould, a long-standing points supporter from Ballymacoda.

The 23-year-old Michael Stenson from Co Dublin made his initial visit to this coastal venue a memorable one by recording a second career success aboard Ted Walsh’s newcomer Jammin Masters in the closing the Country Store (Conor Lannen) six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden for novice riders.

Jammin Masters (4/1), owned by Walsh’s Corkonian son-in-law Killian McCarthy, made smooth progress to pick up the running with five fences remaining. Favourite Dr Des wasn’t able to make any inroads on the winning son of Sinndar as he swept into an ever-widening advantage after two out and it was then left to Dylan Mangan’s mount Holy Terror to give chase approaching the final fence. But in vain as Jammin Masters, acquired by Walsh’s daughter Katie for €18,000 at the 2014 Goffs Land Rover Sale, maintained the tempo to account for Holy Terror by a distance.

Kiely’s corner

JOHN Kiely is synonymous with the Kilossera circuit as he is one of the landowners at the course. He is also the meeting’s president and fittingly on Sunday, he sent out the Lillingston family’s admirable dual-purpose performer Toe The Line to win the mares’ maiden hurdle at Leopardstown. On Sunday, the results of the 1961 meeting at Kilossera, which took place on the second Monday in April, were published in the racecard.

Kiely won the open heavyweight race that year on Tinnevohawn, who shouldered 13 stone to victory. In that era, five race cards were the norm and the late Francis Flood, Bill McLernon and Michael Lenihan rode the winners of the remaining four races.