Richard Pugh
THE inside front cover of the South Westmeath racecard on Sunday paid tribute to the late Master and Huntsman Frankie Kiernan who hunted the hounds for 11 seasons and remained as an acting steward of the point-to-point for many years. It was fitting therefore that the concluding Sean Dunning, Victualler and Frank Daly & Associates older maiden was won by the debutante Presentingprincess (5/1), who was trained by his daughter Heather, to provide her with her first success of the season.
In a race which saw the largest field of the day going to post, with 10 horses facing the starter, Aaron Murphy took the mount aboard the daughter of Presenting, who made all of the running ahead of the experienced field. Leaving the back straight, the only threat in sight for the winner was the favourite Glacial Shadow, who was produced to challenge at the last, however he came a cropper at that obstacle, leaving Presentingprincess to come home 20-lengths clear of Darsi’s Gold. Moyvore-based owner Declan Scally purchased his winner from local breeder Martin Dibbs. A delighted Kiernan commented afterwards, “Today is a very special day for us all and it means an awful lot to get the winner. I think that we might go to the adjacent winners’ race at Castletown Geoghegan with her in two weeks’ time.”
Wexford rider Rob James enjoyed a treble on the card which was initiated in the Groarke & Partners Solicitors five-year-old geldings’ maiden race aboard the Colin Bowe-trained Cockle Bay (3/1). The son of Presenting had one outing last season for Gordon Elliott in the colours of Ann Roche but now carries the Milestone Racing Partnership silks. Having been brought down at the last before Christmas at Boulta, the winner made much of the running with the eventual runner-up Bolands Mill for company. Jumping well throughout, the pair disputed the lead for the entire three-mile journey and it took the judge to split them as they flashed past the post. “He may well go for a winner’s race as his form figures did not do his ability justice and I would like to prove him further before offering him for sale”, said the winning Wexford-based handler.
The O’Roarke Brothers confined winners’ race proved to be another fiercely contested affair with all five entrants declared to run and among them were three with recent form to recommend them. Tradman, the winner of last year’s renewal, made most of the running for the Cleary family but once headed exiting the back straight, the former winner could not go with Intheghetto and the eventual winner Didarro (9/4). Owned, trained and bred by Brian Dillon, the latter, a son of Tidaro, moved clear under Rob James after the penultimate fence, but he did not have things his own way as he was forced to work hard in order to see off the challenge of Intheghetto who fell short by two lengths. The victorious eight-year-old, who was making his seasonal reappearance having won a maiden at Lisbeg last season, is set to continue in winners’ company for the season.
Rob James completed his treble when steering Sprintingforgold to victory in the Walderstown Service Station open lightweight. Having been sent off at prohibitive odds of 1/4, the progressive individual never had a moment’s worry, as once James allowed him to stretch clear after the second-last, those odds looked decidedly generous as he powered to a distant success from Railway Icon. With five wins to his name, this son of Gold Well is one winner clear of As The Crow Flies in the champion point-to-pointer category. Both horses have improved notably since winning their maidens at the beginning of the season and if they continue their winning spree they will be closely matched throughout the rest of the season in this division. A delighted winning handler James Doyle has high hopes for the Monbeg Syndicate-owned gelding. “I was more nervous watching that than I would be with a four-year-old. We will keep him point-to-pointing and see if he can continue to win a few more races. It would be great to make him champion point-to-pointer.”
Seven up for Elliott
Having saddled six winners on the track on the same afternoon, Gordon Elliott was also represented in the winner’s enclosure at the South Westmeath venue, after landing the Three Jolly Pigeons four-year-old geldings’ maiden with Valdieu (5/2) under Anthony Fox. The familiar maroon and white colours of Gigginstown House stud had to settle for the runner-up spot in the corresponding race 12 months earlier with Eviscerating, however they gained compensation in the 2017 renewal. The Jamie Codd-ridden Ataguiseamix for Denis Murphy, looked a real danger leaving the back straight but it was the son of Diamond Boy, who had fallen on his only previous outing at Borris to land proceedings with Ataguiseamix two lengths adrift. This was a second winner in this division for the Gigginstown house team who scored at Dromahane half an hour earlier. A €54,000 purchase from the Goffs Land Rover Sale, the winner is out of the French-bred winning mare Vamuna.
Maurice Phelan saddled Heather Moth (5/2) to take the Hugh J Campbell & Co Solicitors mares’ maiden race as she followed-up a number of placed outings to attain a deserved maiden success. The Declan Lavery-ridden mare always travelled comfortably throughout in the small-field contest, and once her nearest pursuer, the unlucky favourite Oscars Answer came to grief at the final fence when booked for the runners-up spot, the three-time raced bay mare was allowed to return a distance clear of Westerner Ocean. This eye-catching daughter of Presenting is out of the 12-time winning mare Lirfox, who is a half-sister to Aupcharlie, and her Portmarnock-based owner/breeder Michael Heery was on hand to welcome her back to the winner’s enclosure. “We are delighted with that. I think a good bit of her and hope to run her in a bumper next,” reported her winning handler.
Dillon’s 5th winner
SUCCESS in the hotly contest hunt winners’ race for Didarro provided the winning owner, breeder and handler Brian Dillon with his fifth winner in the race having enjoyed three successes with Tidaro Abbey and one with Many Tiers. The race is hotly contested within the region and many of Sunday’s runners can be expected to line-up again in 12 months’ time.
The South Westmeath Harriers are already looking forward to their point-to-point next year, as the 2018 event will mark their 40th year of racing at their current course in The Pigeons.