PAT Doyle is developing a habit of farming early spring four-year-old maidens, as he won his second such race of 2019, when Slip Road (5/2 - 2/1) provided him with back-to-back victories in the Oldstown opener with a narrow success.

Carrying the colours of Doyle’s wife Mary, the son of Shantou, who had cost €95,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale last June, overcame some indifferent jumping to narrowly defeat Bold Assassin by a short-head, forcing his handler Warren Ewing to settle for second with both of his four-year-old runners of the weekend.

Unlike Asterion Forlonge, Doyle’s 2018 winner of the race who subsequently realised £290,000 at the Cheltenham sales, the Evan Dwan-ridden grey is now likely set to make the switch to the track with winning handler’s daughter Shannie stating: “He is a very nice horse that has been doing everything well at home. He will be aimed at a four-year-old bumper now, maybe in Limerick.”

Former jockey Eddie Power had led up Doyle’s four-year-old winner, and he later returned to the winner’s enclosure as a successful handler in his own right, when his Perpignan (5/4 - 2/1) provided Dwan with the concluding leg of a first career double in the winner of two contest.

Showing no ill-effects for the quick turnaround which saw the seven-year-old turned out seven days after his Bellharbour success, the Robin Des Champs gelding, who had previously won his maiden for Paddy Twomey, stamped his authority on the race when overhauling the strong-travelling Getaman after the second-last.

Carrying the colours of the winning handler, Perpignan ultimately returned 12 lengths clear from the autumn Portrush maiden winner.

“He won easily last week, and the time of the race was kind of slow so he didn’t do a tap. He came out of the race very well and went out in the field the next morning bucking and squealing so I said I may run him again. I might try a hunter chase with him now,” reported the victorious three-horse handler.

Northern raiders had been forced to settle for second in the day’s opening two races, but Patrick Turley made amends when he sent out Tareeshar (3 - 9/2) to claim the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, a race which produced a thrilling finish with three horses flashing past the post almost as one.

The verdict went the way of the Declan Lavery-ridden Morozov gelding, a horse that his owner Paddy Madine had bought for €6,500 as a yearling at the Tattersalls Ireland February Sale, with a winning margin of just a head separating him from the newcomer Goodoldtimes.

“At home he is not a horse that would set the world alight, but anytime you bring him away to the track, he is like a completely different horse,” remarked the Downpatrick-based handler who was also quick to praise his winning rider.

“He was left in front at the third and that is not where Deckie (Lavery) wanted to be. He is some underrated rider because he just eased the pace up and ran the race to suit. He is a rider that doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.”

CLOSE FINISHES

That was one of two close finishes that Jamie Codd came out the wrong side of on the afternoon, but some compensation did follow, as Mytermoryours (2 - 5/2) ensured that the two-time champion did not leave the Dublin venue empty handed with victory in the older geldings’ maiden.

The son of Shantou, a stallion who sired a double on the card, had finished fourth in the same older maiden at Dungarvan last month that his handler Denis Murphy won a year earlier with La Cavsa Nostra.

Like that Flemensfirth gelding who went on to double his tally at this corresponding fixture 12 months ago, Mytermsoryours will now be campaigned in winners’ company, after defeating Bronco Bill by three lengths.

“He was a lovely four-year-old that now belongs to Denis’ daughter Bernice, and he will be kept in the yard and we are going to have a horse that will go in winners’ races. Jamie (Codd) said that he will have no problem in those races,” reported Murphy’s representative Tom Cloke.

Some Are Lucky (2 - 7/4 joint-favourite) became the fifth horse to move onto the three-winner mark when he stayed on strongly to claim the open lightweight in the hands of Corinthian rider Gerry Spain.

The Tipperary pharmacist has struck up a successful partnership with the Sam Curling-owned and trained eight-year-old, with this one-and-a-half-length defeat of All Hell Let Loose following autumn successes at The Pigeons and Ballinaboola.

“I think he is a real stayer and Sam (Curling) said it would suit him here so I took his word and he was right. He had him spot on for today,” remarked the winning rider. “We might look for a hunter chase somewhere along the line for him.”

The most decisive victory of the afternoon came courtesy of the locally trained Lady Breffini (4/1), who certainly made an emphatic debut when getting the better of her stablemate Trickey Trix by 14 lengths to win the mares’ maiden.

The Paddy Sheridan-owned daughter of Yeats stamped her authority on the race from the second-last and passed the post with rider Noel McParlan motionless in the saddle.

“We thought she was a nice mare, but we hadn’t been able to get her on grass because the winter has been so dry. She might go for a winners’ race and then probably a bumper, but she will come on a tonne for that,” said Colm Hand representing winning handler Dermot McLoughlin who was racing at Punchestown.

Horse to Follow

GOODOLDTIMES (D Murphy): The close relation of Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander got a dream run up the inside and only just failed in a close finish alongside proven and more experienced rivals.

Disappointment

THERE was great disappointment for the 18 riders that were due to participate in the two members and subscribers races which were due to be run after racing. The nine riders in the first one, which was due to take place over a lap of the course with fences included, had taken part in a schooling morning a week before the race in preparation. However, owing to advice received from a number of authorities, the races were cancelled as a precaution over the equine influenza situation.

Strong crowd

THE strong local crowd that turned out nonetheless on a cold but dry day, were well provided for with the hunt laying on two marquees for patrons to shelter in beside the betting ring, one of which was solely for their local farmers and members.

The adjacent catering units offered a varied menu not all that typical of a standard point-to-point fixture, with pulled pork and angus striploin steak noted as just two of the options available.