Neil O’Donnell

ALL roads led west to Jack Murphy’s farm outside Aghabullogue last Sunday for the 27th annual renewal of the Muskerry Foxhounds meeting at Dromatimore.

The Michael Winters-trained For Carmel lit up the fixture for many by posting a scintillating debut performance in the Dairygold five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

On an afternoon that saw all six favourites getting beaten, the impressive For Carmel (7/2) led from the second fence and the half-brother to his handler’s former top-class mare For Bill jumped boldly thereafter at the head of affairs as initially Court Painter and then Gardiners Hill gave chase.

At the penultimate of the 16 obstacles, Gardiners Hill, Jonniesofa and Full Cry all still held some prospects. While none too clever here, the recent Dromahane runner-up Jonniesofa soon moved second as Full Cry and Gardiners Hill gave best.

The eventual winner powered clear in the style of a seriously-talented sort on the run to the final fence to dismiss Jonniesofa by six lengths. Full Cry, an eyecatching fourth on his debut at Cregg in early-December, returned a further two and a half lengths adrift of the winning son of Mr Dinos.

There was little disguising Winters’ delight post-race. He said: “For Carmel is a cracking big horse that’s over 17hh and he’s only three-quarters fit. His owner Donie Sheahan isn’t here today, he’s 85 and was in hospital a little while ago. This fellow is a horse that Donie should hopefully get a lot of sport out of.”

For Carmel’s rider Ciaran Fennessy went on to partner two winners, the north Corkonian also capturing the TNS Plastics winners of two aboard the Louis Archdeacon-trained Winged Express (8/1).

Front-running tactics similarly proved here, although Fennessy had to work much harder on this occasion and he had to really roust his mount along from three out as the odds-on Island Master travelled well in second spot.

Island Master had no more to give on the lengthy descent to the turn-in before the final fence as the veteran Leading The Life secured a dream passage through on the inner with Brian Linehan to challenge Winged Express. Last season’s Tallow maiden victor however is nothing but tough and he responded generously for pressure to beat Leading The Life by a half-length in what was the closest finish of the afternoon, the pair returning 10 lengths clear of the third-placed Island Master.

Archdeacon, who was sending out his first winner of the campaign, reported that his wife Michelle and Roisin Sherrard’s Winged Express will be kept pointing for the foreseeable future.

Preists Leap’s former dual Thyestes Chase winning handler Thomas O’Leary struck with Glasslyn Road in the closing Dan Donovan & Co Ltd six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Glasslyn Road (8/1) was bounced straight out in front by Stephen O’Donovan, who was recording his first points success since reverting to being an amateur following 17 wins as a conditional jockey in Britain. The Dunmanway native was able to get a timely breather into Glasslyn Road on the downhill stretch after two out. While runner-up Vanguard closed to within a couple of lengths after the home turn, the six-year-old still stretched clear to oblige by four lengths with a similar margin back to the third-placed Whostalkinnow.

Glasslyn Road is owned by the Glasslyn Four Syndicate which comprises O’Leary’s uncles Paddy and Den Lehane (another uncle Seamus Lehane bred by the gelding) plus Martin Lane and Miriam Murphy.

Vanguard’s own-brother Oscar Delta was sent off favourite with first-time partner Barry O’Neill in the five-runner Brookfield Leisure Centre open, but he was beginning to labour on the run to two out as long-time leader Lanespark still held the call from Drawn N Drank.

The Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Drawn N Drank (2/1) overtook Lanespark on the run to the final fence, drawing clear on the run-in to eclipse the pace-setter by three lengths with a six-length break back to Oscar Delta in third spot.

Drawn N Drank, a former two-time track winner for Enda Bolger, was providing 23-year-old Turlough O’Connor with a fifth career success. Owner Irene Walsh, married to O’Connor’s uncle Fergus O’Connor, is likely to be in the plate for Drawn N Drank’s next start in the Nenagh ladies open on January 25th.

The Liam Burke-trained Easter In Paris, who was fitted with a hood, stepped up from her most recent second-placed effort at Tattersalls Farm last month by landing the opening Dave Dennehy & Family five and six-year-old mares’ maiden with Derek O’Connor.

Easter In Paris (9/4) and Rose Power took the 10 runners along until the former edged ahead from six out. Callmarlan, travelling well, took up the running with four fences remaining as the former champion rider was able to get a breather into Mary Tynan-Phelan’s winning homebred.

Easter In Paris stormed back to the front on the inner after two out and she was always travelling marginally better than Callmarlan thereafter with two lengths the ultimate winning margin. A hunter chase later in the season is now on the agenda for the winner.

Owner/trainer Michael Walsh’s Miss Cliche ran out a comprehensive winner of the W & M Kiely Ltd six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden in the hands of Colin Motherway, having his only mount of the day.

Miss Cliche (6/1) always took the eye in running and she edged past the frontrunning Classic Palace on the outer after two out. It was all plain sailing approaching the final fence as last season’s Bandon runner-up forged clear to slam the admirably-consistent Classic Palace, a third runner-up of the day for handler Colin Bowe (Callmarlan and Jonniesofa being the others), by six lengths.

Miss Cliche was purchased by connections as a four-year-old and she was providing Killeagh-based farmer Walsh, now assisted by son Colman, with his first winner since Tourig Lady won three chases and a Kildorrery maiden point back in 1989.