Eoghain Ward

THE Irish Thoroughbred Marketing-backed ladies series is back for an extended season long run this campaign and round one of the series took centre stage at Tinahely on Sunday, with Maxine O’Sullivan, a former ladies champion, gaining the early advantage.

Teaming-up with the Pat Doyle-trained Samanntom (11/10-1/1 favourite), who had finished an eye-catching second behind subsequent winner A Decent Excuse in an ultra-competitive contest at Castletown-Geoghegan, the pair laid out their intentions from the outset.

Making all at a good gallop, the Roger O’Byrne-owned former four-time track winner only ever had to be pushed out hands and heels to hold returning veteran Aupcharlie by 14 lengths. “He ran really well. Pat (Doyle) had him spot on for today after a hard run in Castletown-Geoghegan. He has definitely improved and gave me a great feel. He was brilliant,” reported the winning rider. “I am very grateful to the owner for letting me have the ride.”

Front-running tactics were to be in vogue on Sunday, with a number of further successful performances from the front, including the impressive debut success of Castafiore Park (6/4-5/4 favourite) in the Lady Juliet mares’ maiden.

Carrying the colours of Philip Byrne, proprietor of Ireland’s oldest pub, Sean’s Bar in Athlone, the Walk In The Park mare benefitted from a confident rider from reigning champion jockey Barry O’Neill to post a sharp round of fencing before a three-length defeat of Agent Memphis.

With winning handler Paul Nolan at Wexford Park to watch the senior hurling county final, it was left to his brother James to comment: “I would have been disappointed if she had been beaten. Robert Power had ridden her in a couple of schools and he loved her but just felt that she would want the time so we decided to miss last season. She will most likely go for a mares’ maiden hurdle now because of the way she jumps.”

DREAM START

The all the way success of Shantaluze (4-9/2) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden provided handler Richard Black with a dream start from his new yard. The son of Shantou, who was bred by Henry Chamney, who owns the bay gelding in partnership with the winning trainer’s uncle Richard, had made his debut at Nenagh last January when under the care of Michael Goff.

Switching yards during the summer, the well-related individual looks to be a tough customer as he kept finding for Rob James to repel Gavin Cromwell’s Behindthelines by two lengths. “He has been working well and Mick (Goff) liked him last year, he always liked him, and the horse did it well there,” reported the winning handler. “He is for sale and is a nice genuine horse.”

James, last season’s joint-southern champion, had attempted to employ similar riding tactics in the opening Winners Enclosure Bookmakers four-year-old maiden aboard the well-backed favourite Sporting Press.

However, the three-time previously raced Flemensfirth gelding was headed after the penultimate fence by newcomer Whisperinthebreeze (5-4/1). Winning trainer Timmy Hyde has shown great faith in young novice rider Stephen Connor, and that was once again repaid, as he steered the striking-looking son of Kayf Tara to a four-length victory.

“The ground was a bit heavy for him but he was ready to go so I said we would take the chance. He would prefer much better ground. I thought a fair bit of it him coming here but you do always wonder after so much rain has fallen if you have them ready enough. The sales are on the card. They are all for sale!”

on the BRIDLE

There was no easier winner on the card than Streets Of Milan (4/5 favourite), who crossed the line in the concluding older geldings’ maiden on the bridle. A promising individual as a five-year-old, who had finished third on the corresponding card 12 months earlier, the Milan gelding was returning from 357 days on the sidelines to take part in just his fourth competitive outing.

An eight-length victory in the hands of Richie Deegan for Aidan Fitzgerald’s charge ensures the Declan O’Keeffe-owned six-year-old is now for sale. “I would have been very disappointed if he had been beaten there. We were planning on going to Moira with him, but luckily Aisling (Fitzgerald) was checking P2P.ie just before entries closed and spotted that there were only three entered in this so we got him entered here too with five minutes to spare,” reported Fitzgerald.

“He pulled muscles at Dowth Hall last season and we didn’t run him again as the ground had gone too quick for him. He is a lovely horse who is well able to win a couple of hurdle races in England. Declan (O’Keeffe, owner) has had two horses with me and both horses have won now.”

Dino’s Benefit (4-6/4 joint-favourite) unsurprisingly received a warm reception from the crowd when she returned victorious to the winner’s enclosure following the mares’ winner of one, as the locally trained five-year-old was sent off as a well-backed joint-favourite.

Always travelling smoothly in the hands of James Walsh, the daughter of Mr Dinos, soon picked-off her main market rival and long-time leader, Senators Glory, at the second-last before returning with a three-length margin in the colours of winning trainer John Walsh. The Dromahane maiden winner will return in another winners’ contest, if not sold beforehand.

Ladies series

WINNING rider Maxine O’Sullivan was full of praise for the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Ladies Series with the additional opportunities it provides lady riders throughout the season. “It is a great initiative. Most of the ladies races are usually crammed into the last few weeks of the spring, so having these extra races gets the ball rolling earlier for us all.”

Round two of the ITM series takes place at Rockfield on Sunday, November 5th.

Doyle recovering

UP-AND-COMING rider Gearoid Doyle was a welcome racegoer at Tinahely, as he continues his recovery from serious injuries suffered in a riding accident at home. The younger brother of trainers Sean and Donnchadh, had to undergo a seven-hour operation at Dublin’s Mater Hospital having suffered a fractured and crushed vertebrae.

Gearoid, who rode seven winners last season, is expecting to remain in a neck brace for a further two months.