Margie McLoone

SATURDAY’s second stage of the Killultagh, Old Rock & Chichester two-day meeting at Largy saw novice rider Neil Gault match Derek O’Connor’s double, all four wins coming in well-known colours.

O’Connor, who ended the fixture as the Northern Excavators leading jockey, started day two as he had day one by landing the first race on the card.

This was the Dennison Commercials maiden for four-year-old geldings where 11 of the 28 entries stood their ground.

However, in contrast to Sister Saragh, Ballycross (3/1), running in the black and white quarters of race sponsor Wilson Dennison, got a very patient ride and was held up at the rear of the field as Whipcord cut out the running until being headed by A Game Of Chance.

A group of six horses appeared to be going well three out but only three turned into the long back straight with what looked like a winning chance. These included Whipcord, who had made a bad mistake at the third last, but not Ballycross.

The latter however came from well off the pace to be a close third at the final fence behind the disputing Whipcord and newcomer Shtan On.

Getting through on the inner as they turned into the short home straight, Ballycross dug deep to get in front and then hold off the rallying Shtan On by a neck with Whipcord just a length back in third.

The Colin McKeever-trained winner may have taken four runs to lose his maiden status but the King’s Theatre bay showed great resolve on this occasion with Dennison remarking: “Our horses have turned the corner in the last 10 days.” Ballycross is a full-brother to Jacks Last Hope who has won two bumpers and a hurdle in England.

O’Connor also gave Peggy Hagan’s Chosen Dream (2/1) a well-timed ride to land the Corramore open lightweight where Royal Opera and Sole Witness took one another one from flagfall.

Heading the remaining trio throughout, Chosen Dream closed up on the leaders at the third last and headed Royal Opera going into next.

The favourite easily cruised by Sole Witness before the final fence and, with O’Connor sitting virtually motionless in the saddle in the home straight, came home a comfortable 12 lengths clear.

Chosen Dream’s trainer Graham McKeever was delighted to provide the doyenne of Irish point-to-pointing with another win and the Well Chosen gelding should oblige again before the end of the season.

As he is just a seven-year-old, the good-looking dark bay should give Peggy many more successes in the seasons ahead.

Gault’s first success came in the Stonebridge Premium Feeds five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts’ maiden where the infrequently-raced Colourful Hawk (5/1-7/1) recorded a surprise victory for Ballyclare owner/trainer Harry Smyth.

The rider did well to maintain his partnership with Colourful Hawk who was badly hampered when the disputing newcomer Big Fran fell at the third last fence.

Getting back on to the heels of the leaders at the next, the seven-year-old Hawk Wing gelding displayed some of his flat breeding to turn on the speed on the outer racing up to the last. He jumped this in front and had little trouble in passing the post four lengths clear of the locally-trained mare Thistle Lane.

“He’ll go back to the track now, maybe for the hunters’ chase at Downpatrick,” said Smyth of his winner.

Former Northern trainer Brian Lusk, who still deals in thoroughbreds though concentrating more on the sport horse market, was on hand to greet the Gault-ridden Fluffball who justified 6/4 favouritism in the concluding Shortcross Gin older geldings’ maiden for novice riders.

The Westerner gelding, who was still at the rear of the seven-runner field as they headed out into the country for the final time, gradually improved his position to go third to the long-time leader Darsindian and Ser Sandor as they faced up to the second last.

Second to a tiring Darsindian at the final fence, Fluffball was on the inner turning for home and stayed on the better to triumph by a length and a half.

Lusk has owned this winner for quite some time, having purchased the now seven-year-old as a foal at Tattersalls in November 2008. Fluffball was a first winner of the season for Newtownabbey trainer Eyssen Ross.

Back from a successful trip to Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham the previous evening, Brian Hamilton saddled the twice previously-raced One Tick (4/1-7/1) to win the Albert Bartlett five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Delivered late by Deckie Lavery, the Tikkanen bay headed Inchcolm well before the last and although the longtime leader rallied in the home straight, he could only finish third beaten one and a quarter lengths and a neck with Step Back staying on late into second.

Disappointingly, Glenavy owner Joe Tumelty wasn’t present to see his homebred land this maiden. One Tick is the second of just two recorded foals out of the old Vic mare Garvey Lough.

Second on her last five starts, the David Christie-trained Maple Mons (7/2-3/1) comfortably broke that sequence when landing the Walker Communication mares’ winners of three under Rob James.

The Great Exhibition chesnut headed the long-time leader Hillbilly Babe at the third last and turned to face up to the next chased by Kinnacally.

However, it was Without Wings who posed the greatest threat racing to the final fence but, once over, Maple Mons quickly forged clear to win by six lengths.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

SHTAN ON (S.R.B. Crawford): Everyone associated with the Larne yard appeared to be at Largy on Saturday to cheer on this newcomer in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden where he went down by just a neck to Ballycross. Out of a King’s Ride mare, he is a half-brother to two winners and is owned by former amateur Conor Strain.