Susan Scott
JAMESSAINTPATRICK (5/1) provided the in-form handler, Peter Flood with his sixth success this season in the Goffs UK Aintree Sale maiden race for five-year-old geldings. Fourth at Oldtown on his debut in February, the son of Stowaway, made good progress behind the leaders from the third last fence and took up the lead before the final obstacle where he ran on well to the line in the hands of Anthony Fox to win by four lengths from Gun Merchant.
Owned by Noel Fox who is the winning rider’s father, Jamessaintpatrick cost a mere €5,500 at the 2016 Goffs Land Rover Sale. Winning handler Peter Flood, stated: “He came on a lot from his run at Oldtown and did it well today. I’m delighted for the Fox family who own him. Anthony is a big help to me in the yard. Things have been going well this season and I will hopefully have about another four or five still to run this spring.”
TERRIFIC SEASON
Pierce Power has enjoyed a terrific season having saddled his first Cheltenham festival runner with Burning Ambition who finished eighth in this year’s St James’s Palace Foxhunters’ Chase and looks to have another potentially classy individual on his hands with Treasure Dillon (8/1).
The debutant, who was representing the first crop of point-to-point runners for his sire Sans Frontieres, ran out an impressive winner of the Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Ridden prominently throughout by Sean O’Keefe, Treasure Dillon made good progress on the final half-mile and took up the lead from the penultimate fence where he soon quickened clear of his rivals to win by six lengths from the Warren Ewing-trained Wayfinder.
Winning handler and owner Pierce Power commented of the €10,000 Goffs Land Rover purchase who is out of a daughter of the talented mare Black Trix: “This fella got a great start as a young horse as he came from Landscape Stud and then Castledillon Stud. He has always impressed us and improved with every bit of work. He is a game tough individual and is by a great up-and-coming sire.”
Treasure Dillon was added to the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot select session on Wednesday.
SEVENTH WIN
Jockey Liz Lalor enjoyed her seventh winner of the season on Saturday when she partnered Ask Mary (4/1) to success in the Kilmurrays Hardware and Hickey Engineering mares’ winners of one. Trained by her father, Richard, Liz made it a pillar-to-post victory on the daughter of Ask and, when challenged at the final fence by the Mick Goff-trained Senators Glory, kept on gamely to the line to win by two and a half lengths in the colours of James Killeen.
A delighted Liz commented: “She is such a game mare and is as tough as they come. If she comes out of today okay she will probably go to Dromahane in two weeks’ time for mares’ winners of two.”
This was the five-year-old’s second success this season as she also won the confined maiden at Horse and Jockey two weeks previously.
The opening race of the day, the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sales maiden race for four-year-old mares’, went the way of the Colin Bowe-trained Larquebuse (2/1 favourite).
Purchased at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for €50,000, the daughter of Saddler Maker caught the eye in running throughout under Barry O’Neill and pulled clear to lead from the penultimate fence where she quickly held a strong advantage over her rivals to go on to win by eight lengths from the Aidan Fitzgerald-trained See Forever.
Owned by the Milestone Racing Partnership, Larquebuse is out of a half-sister to the listed hurdle winner, Narcisse Du Rheu. Winning handler Colin Bowe reported: “She is a lovely mare who was just a bit big and backward but has come together well this spring. We will hopefully head to the sales with her now.”
THE BOOM IS BACK
The successful partnership of Shane O’Rourke and Vincent Devereux secured their third winner of the season when The Boom Is Back (5/1) took the Tom Malone Bloodstock & The Walsh Family maiden race for six-year-old geldings’.
Pulled up on his debut at Lingstown in November, the son of Publisher, who is owned and bred by the winning handlers father James, looked like he was going to have to settle for the runner-up spot on the turn into the home straight but stayed on strongly to the final fence where he pulled clear to lead on the run-in and register a three-length win from the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Victory Gyp.
Jockey James Hannon continued his successful season when he rode his ninth winner of the term aboard Harry Smiles (4/1) in the ITBA & Dunnes Stores maiden race for six-year-old mares.
The daughter of Kalanisi unseated her rider at the start in Belclare two weeks ago but made amends to her connections when securing a one and a half-length win in this six-runner contest. Disputing the lead throughout, the Norman Lee-trained mare was headed before the final fence but battled back well on the run-in to see off the challenge of Larry O’Carroll-ridden Winters Wish.
Winning owner and handler Norman Lee commented: “She has been a quirky mare all along but thankfully today she didn’t show any of that. James gave her a great spin and we will hopefully find a nice mares’ winners of one for her in the next few weeks.”
Weather conditions
THE Brosna Foxhounds were duly rewarded for their consistent efforts each year in staging their two-day fixture which has so often been hit by adverse weather in recent years by enjoying a sunny and pleasant renewal.
The event is now in its 16th year with the point-to- point having been reintroduced to the area by the hunt in 2002. The hunt itself was formed 19 years ago following a gap of over 80 years without fox hunting.