SAM Curling appears to have plenty of talent at his disposal this term and the Skehanagh Stables operator continued his excellent season by sending out the admirably consistent Templebredin to win the novice riders’ open.
Templebredin, who finished third in the two miles, seven-furlong maiden hunter chase at Fairyhouse just 12 days earlier, was always positioned on the pace as he disputed the running with Tongie for much of the race.
The six-year-old edged ahead before the third last of the 14 obstacles. The runner-up Warriors Tale moved through to briefly hit the front at the last, but the Co Tipperary raider was in no mood to be denied with Evan Dwan and he asserted on the flat to dispose of Alan O’Sullivan’s mount by one and a half lengths.
Macs Legend kept on to secure the minor honours on the line, a further eight lengths adrift.
Templebredin was most meritoriously bringing his tally to five in points for owner Mary Teresa O’Brien and he should now prove well capable of making his mark in the hunter chase sphere while 23-year-old Cashel native Dwan, who was posting a second success of the season following on from his victory aboard Quantum Realm at Dromahane last month, now works full-time with Curling.
Terence O’Brien is experiencing a fine run at present and the Carrigtwohill-based handler sent out Paddy The Horse to capture the five- and six-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Darragh Allen.
Paddy The Horse definitely possessed the best credentials in the 14-runner field considering that he chased home subsequent Fairyhouse bumper runner-up Split The Bucket on his previous start at Curraghmore on October 31st.
The winner, a five-year-old owned and bred by Gerard Hickey from Mount Uniacke, was always positioned towards the head of affairs and he had just edged past Young Fitzy when Mick Goff’s charge fell two out.
With this penultimate obstacle also claiming the pursuing Soloman Lane, the winner, a son of Imperial Monarch, was then left clear to beat newcomer Tropical Fame by 12 lengths.
“We’ve always thought a fair bit of him, but it has just taken him a while to come to hand,” explained O’Brien of Paddy The Horse, a close relation to Denman.
“We thought that he had improved a fair bit from Curraghmore and he will probably now be sold.”
JAMES Hannon, fresh from his initial hurdles success at Thurles just three days earlier, continued his good campaign by teaming up with Harry Kelly to collect the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden with newcomer Miss Tempo.
The Milan-sired Miss Tempo, having taken the eye in the preliminaries, went in pursuit of Dinah Washington after three out and she took the measure of Johnny Berry’s charge inside the final 50 yards to oblige by a widening two lengths. The pair returned six lengths clear of the third-placed Glancing Glory.
Handler Kelly’s younger brother Jimmy indicated that Miss Tempo, owned by Anne Marie Clarke from Clonmel and homebred by her husband Alan Clarke, is now likely to be sold.
Dinah Washington’s rider Jack Hendrick duly went one better aboard the Cormac Doyle-trained debutant Connies Choice in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Connies Choice arrived from mid-division to pick up the running after the second last, a fence where Gekkota came to grief when holding every chance, and he then asserted on the flat to dismiss fellow first-timer Blue Stello by two and a half lengths.
Handler Doyle’s representative Jim O’Neill from Ballindaggin, who actually bought the son of Westerner and the Grade 3 chase-placed mare Ask Me Sister for €20,000 as a yearling at the 2017 Tattersalls Ireland February Sale, disclosed that the Monbeg Farm Racing Partnership-owned bay had been pleasing connections in his work at home.
DARYL Deacon’s Call It Time benefited from a well-judged waiting ride from Moira McElligott to claim victory in the winner-of-one contest.
The eight-year-old Call It Time arrived from off the pace to pick off I Havent A Clue and Troy Walsh on the flat to score by an increasing two and a half lengths.
Call It Time, a maiden victor at Tattersalls in December 2019, is likely to contest the maiden hunter chase at Limerick over Christmas. The Clonroche-based handler was understandably thrilled with the success for his father Willie Deacon, who attained top-flight success as a trainer with Garamycin in the early 1990s.
Deacon’s elder brother Tom, who sadly passed away last year, bred Call It Time, while the younger Deacon was best man at fellow trainer Willie Murphy’s wedding to Call It Time’s rider Moira McElligott in July 2018.
Eighteen-year-old Brian Dunleavy, who hails just six miles away in the parish of Dungourney, was credited with a third career success aboard his father Liam Dunleavy’s Kind Witness in the concluding five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
The Denis Ahern-trained mare, who was only beaten a little over 12 lengths into fourth by Aloneamongmillions in a Dromahane open a fortnight earlier, assumed command on the inner before two out. The daughter of Witness Box was clearly containing newcomer Glen Empress when Shane O’Brien’s charge, who was some four lengths back in second spot, departed at the last. The runner-up berth went to ex-British track performer More Overdraught, 16 lengths separating her from the winner.
Horse to follow
Gekkota (R. Hickey): This son of the previous Sunday’s Turtulla maiden winner Grand Jury’s sire Tiger Groom, was lying a close third and holding every chance when falling two out on his debut. He should easily make amends in due course.