ON an afternoon which saw racing put back by 55 minutes to await the arrival of a doctor, the reigning champion rider Barry O’Neill combined with Colin Bowe to win both divisions of the four-year-old maiden, the pair opening their account courtesy of newcomer in the first division.

Fiston Des Issards (6/1), a son of Buck’s Boum who was one of the definite paddock-picks beforehand, was always well positioned and he moved through to lead on the approach to the seventh of the 14 obstacles. The eventual winner certainly didn’t help his cause by running extremely green after five out and he was tackled by Castletown-Geoghegan runner-up Boothill on the inner from the second last.

There was then very little to separate the pair until the winning French-bred asserted early on the flat to oblige by three and a half lengths with a further six-length break back to the staying-on newcomer Upandatit in third spot.

“He’s a fine big horse that was bought from Walter Connors (Sluggara Farm) at the spring sale in Doncaster last year,” said Bowe of Milestone Racing Partnership’s £28,000 acquisition. “He should improve plenty and he will now go to the sales.”

The Bowe/O’Neill combination then struck with another newcomer in Jay Bee Why (4/1), similarly representing the Milestone Racing Partnership, in the second division.

In what was a truly-run contest, Poldark Cross and the winner’s stable companion Askinvillar took the 10 runners along until the former edged into a couple of lengths advantage from five out.

Jay Bee Why arrived to challenge runner-up Lifetime Ambition on the run to the final fence. The winning son of Yeats was the faster in the air here and he got on top on the flat to beat Donnchadh Doyle’s charge by three lengths.

The pair returned eight lengths clear of the third-placed Askinvillar, the trio incidentally all being Co Wexford-trained first-timers. Jay Bee Why, a €40,000 foal purchase out of a half-sister to Lordberniebouffant from the same family as Calgary Bay and The Grey Monk, is another that’s likely to be seen in new colours when running again.

Hat-trick

O’Neill brought up his hat-trick aboard Brian Hamilton’s The Bolder Boy (3/1) in the closing six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden, where there were just nine fences jumped.

The Bolder Boy certainly brought the best recent form to the table considering that he finished second at both Toomebridge and Portrush last month. Personal Coach set out with the express intention of making all and he led until overtaken by The Bolder Boy some 50 yards out. The winning son of Robin Des Pres dismissed the longtime leader by one length in the colours of the 10-member The Lonely Poet Syndicate.

HOLYCROSS Lito (7/4), a four-time points winner in 2017 who also finished third in a listed bumper at Navan later than same year, impressed in the mares’ open by claiming a notable scalp in last season’s joint-champion pointer Longhouse Music under a supremely confident waiting ride from her owner/trainer Sean McParlan’s son Noel.

Longhouse Music led from halfway and she was stalked by Holycross Lito from two out.

While the winning nine-year-old had to be rousted along from this penultimate obstacle, she took the measure of the odds-on shot before the final fence to score by a widening six lengths.

The elder McParlan intimated that Holycross Lito will be kept pointing for the foreseeable future but could also be campaigned in hunter chase company.

Recruit

My Story (7/4) is a classy recruit back to the pointing ranks, having finished in the frame on three out of his five British track starts for Tom George, and Sean Doyle’s seven-year-old had little difficulty in augmenting his Loughrea success from two weeks earlier in the winners of two.

Put to sleep by Rob James at the rear of the seven-runner field, My Story edged ever closer on the outer from the third last and he eased to the front clearly travelling best on the run to the final fence.

While losing some momentum here, the seven-year-old was in a totally different league to his rivals in the closing stages as he came home by an unextended two lengths from longtime leader Drimsree Lad in the familiar Monbeg Partnership silks.

MCGARRY (6/1) went one better than he did on his only previous start behind Cremant at Taylorstown last term by capturing the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, a race in which favourite Elmdale departed at the fourth fence.

The Neil McKnight-trained McGarry, who did well to survive interference by the loose horse after a mile, picked off the pacesetting autumn Crusade from the final fence to triumph by two and a half lengths under Johnny Barry. There was a 16-length break to the third-placed Just Wing It.

McGarry, one of 10 horses that Loughbrickland-based McKnight has in harness for the campaign, may now be sold or alternatively he could be prepared for a tilt at a bumper.

Surprise

Arans Choice (8/1) justified the lengthy trek from handler Benny Walsh’s Tomhaggard base in south Wexford by springing a mild surprise in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Arans Choice, who pulled up on her only previous start in a Punchestown maiden point in February 2018, moved stylishly into contention from the fourth last and she hit the front after two out.

Runner-up Ringneill stayed on determinedly in the closing stages, but Arans Choice held on admirably with another Tomhaggard native in Jamie Scallan to oblige by a length. Handler Walsh suggested that his wife Jenny’s Arans Choice will now be targeted at a winner’s race.

Horse to Follow

Upandatit (W. Ewing): A rare Ewing homebred, this newcomer by Winged Love made good late progress from off the pace to finish a creditable third to Fiston Des Issards. This embryonic chasing type is speedy, will win his maiden point and a profitable racetrack career is also likely.