THE first Cork and Waterford meeting of the season took place at Kinsale on Saturday and the ‘Shark’ Hanlon-trained Mighty Stowaway lit up the South Union Foxhounds-sanctioned fixture by posting a battling success on his points debut in the open.
Mighty Stowaway (7/2), whose steeplechase rating went up to 131 after recording the second of his two successes over the larger obstacles at Punchestown this month last year, was always on the pace and he was sent through to lead by Tom Hamilton at the seventh of the 15 fences.
The son of Stowaway was then positioned at the head of affairs until Macs Legend moved through to lead before two out. However, the eight-year-old is nothing but tough and he re-assumed command at the last en-route to powering clear on the flat to contain Macs Legend by three lengths. The Tinahely runner-up Vyta Du Roc meanwhile returned a further half-length adrift in third spot.
“I thought that he was a bit short of work coming here, but he stays galloping and he will be a nice horse for the hunter chases that he’s qualified for this season, “said Hanlon of the Mrs Annette Mee-owned Mighty Stowaway.
Barry O’Neill was the meeting’s leading rider and he instigated his brace aboard the in-form Colin Bowe’s Premiumaccess (2/1 - 7/4) in the four-year-old maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the day with nine runners.
The recent Portrush third Premiumaccess had to be rousted along in third after three out, but he closed approaching the last. With runner-up Sponthus erring here when holding the advantage, Premiumaccesss then made his way to the front and duly fought off the rallying effort of Pat Doyle’s charge by a neck.
Premiumaccess, representing the Milestone Racing Partnership, is a €50,000 graduate of the 2018 Derby Sale comes from the family of the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Garrison Savannah.
The reigning champion doubled up aboard Sean Doyle’s Style It Out (9/4) in the five-year-old and upwards mare’ maiden.
Style It Out (2/1 - 9/4JF) who finished third when sent off favourite at Tinahely on October 20th, always travelled well and she led away from the penultimate obstacle. The winning daughter of Gold Well held a fractional advantage when her closest pursuer Geta Present blundered at the last and she then strode clear to beat Rosy Story by five lengths. It’s probable that the Monbeg Partnership-owned Style It Out will now be aimed at a winners’ race.
THERE was a real family success in the winners of one as Concrete King (6/1) returned to the number one slot under his Araglen-based owner/trainer Sean Allen’s younger brother Darragh.
The five-year-old Concrete King picked up the running six out and he was closely attended to from the second last by recent Tinahely victor Honest Exchange.
The son of Morozov was marginally faster in the air over the final fence and he then held on admirably as the line approached to contain Honest Exchange by a short-head. The pair returned 10 lengths clear of the third-placed Shuil Luas.
Three-horse handler Allen is now likely to aim Concrete King at the Rathcannon winners’ race in a couple of weeks’ time.
Jimmy Mangan’s Not Fou Sale (2/1), placed on three occasions last term, attained his due reward by making a triumphant return to the fray under Johnny Hurley in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Not Fou Sale, owned by Hanford’s Chemist Limited, got into a lovely rhythm at the head of affairs and made virtually all to beat promising newcomer Alaphilippe by one and a quarter lengths.
Regrettably, the closing six-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden developed into a walkover with the appropriately-named Its Only Me the only actual entry in the race. The seven-year-old mare Its Only Me was partnered by Johnny Barry and Jay Leahy’s charge could now run at this weekend’s Lisronagh fixture.
Horse to Follow
Sponthus (P M J Doyle): Having finished third on his initial outing at Tinahely last month, this French-bred didn’t aid his cause by erring at the last when holding the advantage in the four-year-old maiden. He rallied to tremendous effect on the flat to be beaten by just a neck into second spot and he should be able to attain compensation.
Busy schooling
THE bitterly cold afternoon didn’t exactly encourage racegoers to travel en masse to this fixture, but the meeting’s coffers were still swelled significantly by the considerable number of horses that were schooled after racing. The change in weather compared to this time last year is very much welcomed with regard to the state of the ground.
Le Fou on point
THE five-year-old geldings’ maiden winner Le Fou Sale is owned by handler Jimmy Mangan’s long-standing supporters in Hanford’s Chemist Limited. Trish and Peter Powell of Hanford, who also have horses in training in the UK with Johnny Farrelly and Nikki Evans, travelled over from Wales the previous evening to stay overnight in Youghal on their way to Kinsale.