Margie McLoone

THERE were doubles for Derek O’Connor and Barry O’Neill at Loughanmore on Tuesday, the latter maintaining his two-win lead in the Northern region table with six days’ racing to come.

The Wexford rider won the first two races, combining with William Codd to land the Barclay Communications four-year-old mares’ maiden on Crosslanes (5/1-7/1) who disputed much of the running on the outside of fellow Killinick representative Just One Moment.

As the latter began to weaken turning for home, Lovefromabove and Robyns Approach (5/4-7/4) both threw down their challenges but Crosslanes repelled that pair by one and a half lengths and the same.

The winning Brian Boru bay was led up by her owner Billy Devereux, a longtime friend of the trainer. “I’m delighted for Billy that the mare has won and it’s also good for the yard as my horses were sick for nearly six weeks,” said Codd who was however perplexed at the performance of his own Pursecco (6/4-2/1) who was last of the five runners throughout.

O’Neill employed similar front-running tactics in the Topping Meats adjacent hunts’ winners of two on Mister To Mister (3/1-7/2). The dark brown Posidonas gelding was taken on for most of the race by Johnnyofcourse who gave way to Butney Island after two out.

SURPRISE

That maiden looked like springing a surprise as he challenged Mister To Mister over the last but O’Neill’s mount kept finding a bit extra and was well on top at the post which he passed two lengths clear.

Mister To Mister is trained for Colin Gault by Ben Arthey who commented after the third success this season for the Posidonas gelding: “He’s three times as good as last year! If they got a good offer for the horse they would sell as they have young ones coming on at home.”

O’Connor got off the mark for the afternoon in the Country Garage winners of three. However, riding the Ian Ferguson-trained favourite Fagan (4/6-8/13), who kicked a couple of lengths clear racing around to the home straight, he had to share the honours with Noel McParlan when the longtime leader Mr Bolt rallied on the run-in to force a dead-heat.

BOTTLE OF BUBBLY

Representing the sponsor, Jonathan Birkmyre presented a bottle of bubbly to Fagan’s owner Ronnie Bartlett, who was paying a rare visit to Ireland this year, and to Niall McCarthy, owner of the Sean McParlan-trained Mr Bolt (2/1-7/2).

Owning to a delay, McParlan had to leave for Fairyhouse before the Whitemountain Quarries open and so forfeited the ride on Sole Witness (4/6-1/1) who was having his third outing in just over three weeks. The favourite ran second until turning out of the back straight where Royal Opera, who tried to make all the running, went on again from Chosen Dream (5/4-11/8-6/4).

The front-running ploy looked like paying dividends for the novice-ridden leader until halfway up the run-in where Chosen Dream pounced and he had stretched two and a half lengths clear passing the judge.

Graham McKeever trains the successful Well Chosen seven-year-old for Peggy Hagan who greeted Derek O’Connor with a hug. The dark bay has given his owner some enjoyment this season, winning three times and placing second and third on his other two starts.

O’Connor was on board the odds-on favourite Frost (2/1-4/6) in the seven-runner Albert Bartlett six-year-old geldings’ maiden. Disappointingly for his owner, the grey failed to win the sponsorship money back when going down by three and a half lengths to Charlie Mon (4/1-6/1) who led from halfway.

Ridden by Mark Lynch, the Presenting chesnut is trained by George Stewart for Jeremy Hill and a delighted Gareth Metcalfe who bred Charlie Mon out of his Old Vic mare Prowler.

BIGGER FIELD

The first four races only managed to attract 18 runners between them but 17 lined-up for the concluding J.A. McClelland & Sons six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Here there was a most decisive winner in the Maxine O’Sullivan-partnered Twenty Four Years (4/1-7/2) who, prominent throughout, led after the second last and impressively went clear in home straight to beat Gem And I by eight lengths.

Trained by the absent Tony Martin and reappearing after a break of 549 days, the Definite Article eight-year-old was greeted by her delighted owner/breeder Thomas Steele who said she would be his next broodmare. “She is a half-sister to Living Next Door (the winner of four track races for Martin including the Paddy Power Chase) and I still have her dam (Except Alice) who is 24 and is now retired from breeding.”

HORSE TO FOLLOW

CHARLIE MON (G. Stewart): This homebred by Presenting put up a good staying performance when winning on his second completed start having pulled up twice. He is out of Prowler (by Old Vic), a half-sister to Sir OJ (by Be My Native) and dam of two track winners including the Westerner gelding Creepy.