THE Joe Ryan-trained Adrimel lit up Sunday’s Kilworth and Araglen Harriers meeting at Ballyarthur outside Fermoy by recording a scintillating debut success in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. In a race that saw all four contestants being newcomers, Adrimel (3/1) disputed the running with Firak until he went on from the fifth of the 15 obstacles and the physically-imposing French-bred gave an assured round of fencing for James Hannon at the head of affairs.

With the pursuing Make Me A Believer falling three-out, it was Firak that was then left second.

However, the Tirwanako-sired Admirel was always clearly travelling the better of the pair and the €11,000 graduate of the 2018 Fairyhouse August Sale stormed clear between the final two fences to see off Firak by eight lengths in a truly-run contest on the testing underfoot conditions.

Handler Ryan, who also started off last season’s Kim Muir Chase winner Missed Approach in points as a four-year-old in 2014, remarked of his son Josh’s Adrimel: “He’s a real nice horse and will probably now go to the Goffs UK sale at Aintree next month.”

SUCCESS STORY

The Declan Queally success story continued as the absent Cappagh-based operator sent out Robaddan (2/1 - 6/4 favourite) to oblige at the first time of asking under Mikey Sweeney in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Robaddan always took the eye in second spot behind long-time leader Niftyfifty and he moved through to pick up the running at the third last. Although runner-up Ask Patiently arrived to hold every chance approaching the final fence, the winning son of Flemensfirth forged clear on the flat to score by one and a half lengths.

The pair returned two and a half lengths clear of the third-placed Niftyfifty. Robaddan, a son of four-time track winning mare Tiarella, is the very first winner that Queally has trained for Con Hickey.

Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill combined for a double with the in-form duo signing off courtesy of the mare Fort Worth Texas (5/4 favourite) in the winners of three, much to the dismay of the eight bookmakers present.

Johnnys Edge took the five runners along at a decent clip until giving way from three-out. The patiently-ridden Fort Worth Texas was now edging ever closer and she took the measure of Mytermsoryours on the run to the final fence to beat Denis Murphy’s charge by four lengths with the pair being the only finishers.

This was most meritoriously Fort Worth Texas’ third success of the campaign and the Leo McArdle-owned daughter of Gold Well will continue pointing for the immediate future.

Ballymorris Rose (7/1), who pulled up on her only previous start at Aghabullogue in early-January, initiated the Bowe/O’Neill brace in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden. Ballymorris Rose arrived from mid-division to go in pursuit of Some Bite from before two-out and the eventual winner picked up the running before the last.

She then held on grimly as Natural Wit closed to within a neck in what was the closest finish of the afternoon, the pair returning three parts of a length clear of the third-placed Some Bite.

Ballymorris Rose was attaining a valuable winning bracket as the daughter of Getaway is out of the seven-time track-winning mare Askanna (by Old Vic), whom Bowe likewise trained for breeder John Asple from Ballyhouge outside Bree.

SLENDER ADVANTAGE

The newcomer Little Token (8/1), the only racehorse currently under the care of Conna-based owner/trainer/breeder Helen O’Connor, sprung a mild surprise by capturing the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden in the hands of Shane Baragry.

The favourite, Another Judy, still held a slender advantage when falling two-out and Little Token then arrived to pick up the running travelling best on the run to the final fence. Although a shade untidy here, the winning daughter of Milan was in no mood to be denied on the flat as she stayed on strongly to contain Castlegrace Rose by a length.

There was a 12-length break back to the only other finisher, Methodtothemagic in third spot.

The white-faced Little Token, whose dam Special Token was sent out by Helen O’Connor to make a winning debut in the Tallow four-year-old maiden against the geldings’ in 2009, may now be aimed at a maiden hurdle.

The vast majority of local interest centred on the concluding five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden and Misty Adage (5/2 favourite) booked her passage for next weekend’s Gain Mares’ Final at Ballynoe by making a victorious return to the fray on what was her initial start for handler Jimmy Mangan.

Misty Adage could be called the most likely winner from some way out as she was always merely in cruise-control with Johnny Hurley.

The grey moved into pole position approaching the final fence en route to sweeping clear on the flat to account for last month’s Knockanard runner-up Fanahans Well by an increasing four lengths in the colours of breeder Michael O’Brien.

HORSES TO FOLLOW:

ANOTHER JUDY (D. Queally): This daughter of Flemensfirth, who was still lying second when unseating at the final fence behind the hugely-impressive My Whirlwind at Ballycahane a fortnight earlier, still held a fractional advantage when cruelly coming to grief two-out in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. She had jumped very well up until then and compensation should be effortlessly attained over the coming weeks.

Course changes

FULL marks to the Ballyarthur committee for moving the finish to the bottom of the course this year. It made for noticeably better viewing and the runners were also finishing in front of the crowd. A massive well done to all concerned.

Success

PADDY Moakley is one of the mainstays of this meeting, and he sent out Artic Fever to finish third in the closing five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden.

Moakley, also master of the Kilworth & Araglen Harriers, was on the mark as a breeder at last week’s Cheltenham festival as he bred the Foxhunters winner Hazel Hill. Moakley also started off Hazel Hill in points as a six-year-old and indeed the son of Milan finished second on his penultimate start for his breeder in the 2014 renewal of the adjacent hunts maiden at this same meeting, when the fixture was staged at Ballynalacken outside Kilworth.

It’s worth recalling that Moakley, who rode as an amateur in his younger days, also bred the 1989 Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Three Counties.