THE Gerry Kelleher-trained veteran Macs Legend lit up Sunday’s Carbery Foxhounds meeting at Bandon by providing Adam Feeney with the concluding leg of an initial career double in the novice riders’ open.
The 14-year-old Macs Legend (5/2 - 3/1), having gone down fighting when finishing second at Knockanard two weeks earlier, always travelled well as Fenno’s Storm took the seven-runner field along.
The winning son of Blueprint, a three-time hunter chase victor, who was bringing his points tally to a most commendable eight, effortlessly put the race to bed by asserting on the run to the final of the 14 obstacles to dismiss last season’s Tetretema Cup and Joseph O’Reilly Memorial Hunter Chase winner Solomn Grundy by 10 lengths.
“He’s in great order and he’s like a two-year-old at home. He will run in another open in three weeks’ time,” said handler Kelleher of the Shane Prenderville-owned Macs Legend.
Incidentally, Macs Legend is ridden out every day by his owner’s father John Prenderville who was on hand to join in the post-race celebrations.
Bookies
The 22-year-old Feeney got off the mark for the afternoon aboard his boss John Murphy’s Kitsilano (1/2 - 4/5 favourite) in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden, much to the dismay of the seven bookmakers present.
Kitsilano brought the best form to the table in this four-runner contest considering that he made a hugely encouraging career debut by finishing fourth to Colonel Harry at Ballvodock in late January and was settled in third spot as Dundaniel and the mare No Pains No Gains vied for supremacy up front.
The winning five-year-old by Fame And Glory, also homebred at owner and trainer Murphy’s Highfort Stud, stylishly assumed command on the lengthy approach to the last to see off Dundaniel by 10 lengths.
“He did it fairly easy and he’s a nice horse that will probably now go for a winners race,” disclosed Murphy’s son George of Kitsilano, a close relation to Grade 1 winner Abbyssial that’s one of eight pointers that his father and he have in training this season.
PA King likewise rode two winners, both of whom were supplied by Sam Curling and the Co Tipperary-based pair signed off with former hurdler Wasdale Park (6/4 - 5/2) in the winners-of-one.
Wasdale Park was always positioned at the head of affairs with Banner Rebel until the latter gave way after two out.
The French-bred winner seemed in trouble though when overtaken by runner-up Meetingofthewaters before the last.
However, the latter forfeited his chance by blundering here as the Orla McKevitt-owned bay forged back to the front in the closing stages to score by half-length from Eugene O’Sullivan’s charge in what was the closest finish of the afternoon, with the pair being the only finishers from the five participants that set out.
“He’s a tough horse that’s brilliant to leap at the last and his jump at the last won it for him,” said King of the Motivator-sired Wasdale Park, who posted his best effort over flights by coming second in a three-mile Cork maiden hurdle last July.
Curling initiated his brace by returning to the coveted number one slot aboard Curling’s Ask Lileen (5/2 - 3/1) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
Ask Lileen, having finished third to Rock On Anna at Comea two weeks previously, made her way into pole position with six fences remaining and the maternal granddaughter of Grade 1-placed hurdler Celtic Native forged clear at the last to dispense with newcomer Apple Away by six lengths.
Ask Lileen sports the silks of Richie Downes, who purchased her as a foal. It should be noted that Pallaskenry-based Downes, himself a former trainer, also owned Summerville Boy when the subsequent Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner made a winning debut for then handler Curling in a Killarney ladies’ bumper in May 2017.
Brian Dunleavy continues to gain admirers and the 20-year-old from Dungourney teamed up with fellow Corkonian Mattie Collins to win the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard newcomer Global Focus (3/1 - 5/1).
Yet another to benefit from waiting tactics, the Milan-sired Global Focus came from well off the pace to lead on the outer before the last and the €25,000 acquisition at the 2020 Goffs Land Rover Sale then swept clear to contain the always-prominent Divine Inspiration by three and a half lengths in the colours of his handler’s wife Bridget Collins.
Global Focus is the first horse that the elder Collins and his former amateur rider son Pat have run in points this spring season and the close relation to Grade 2 chase winner Maralan will probably now be offered for sale.
Whiskey for Michael
MICHAEL O’Sullivan, who returned to action three days earlier from the fractured collarbone that he sustained in a Lingstown fall on December 5th, teamed up with locally based Bandon operator Robert Moloney to capture the six-year-old and upwards maiden aboard Whiskey For Jack (7/4 - 2/1).
Whiskey For Jack, who was equipped with cheekpieces, attained due reward for finishing in the frame on three previous occasions by picking up the running after the second last to beat Love The West by six lengths in the silks of Carrigaline-based breeder Jack Griffin.
Handler Moloney later paid tribute to Gemma Buttimer for the use of her swimming facility at Coachford which he availed of with Whiskey For Jack following the gelding’s most recent fifth-placed effort at Ballyvodock on January 30th.
Horse To Follow
Apple Away (T. Leonard): This homebred daughter of Arctic Cosmos that’s out of a half-sister to former Grade 2-placed hurdler Dr Des, posted a taking debut effort by finishing second to Ask Lileen in the mares’ maiden.
She should have little difficulty in going one better in due course.