Eoghain Ward

POINT-to-point racing is closely linked to the National Hunt breeding sector and one such breeder, William Devereux, will have enjoyed his trip from Wexford to the Shillelagh fixture in Tinahely on Sunday, as he witnessed two horses which he bred pass the post in front.

Devereux’s colours were carried to success in the opening Weatherbys Ireland five and six-year-old mares’ maiden when Bold Sky (6/4-7/2) turned what had appeared on paper to be a competitive 11-runner contest, into a one-horse precession.

Unsuccessful in nine starts under rules for Henry de Bromhead, the Beneficial mare rarely saw another rival on what was not only her first outing between the flags, but also her first start for Willie Codd, as she ran out a 10-length winner in the hands of the handler’s brother Jamie. “She has had the benefit of a good bit of track experience and that is always going to tell around here.

“One of my longest serving owners, William Devereux, owns her. He has been with me since I started training. He had leased her out and it just didn’t work out for her in Henry’s (de Bromhead) for whatever reason,” reported the winning handler, who had selected this race for her back in November. “The plan is to go back to the track. Jamie just said to me to try and find a mares’ winners’ for her, so we will see where she goes.”

The Wexford native, who has six broodmares at his home in Wexford, then watched on as Marinero, whom he bred out of his Roscommon point winner Peggy Maddock, claimed the feature race on the card, the Slaney Foods open lightweight. Bought by Fermanagh handler David Christie out of the Goffs UK September Sale, having carried the Gigginstown House Stud colours to success in five races on the track, the nine-year-old travelled powerfully throughout.

Although idling in the hands of champion jockey Barry O’Neill once hitting the front, the bay gelding had the measure of the progressive Carrignagapple by half a length, with targets such as the Kim Muir or Foxhunters now potential options for the race winner, according to his new trainer.

“Barry (O’Neill) said that he was winning a long way out but he didn’t want to give him a hard race first time out in that ground,” reported Christie who added: “I was delighted with that, as he had a hard summer, and it has taken a long time to get him into a racehorse again. I just wanted him to have a nice experience, so to win is a bonus.” Winning owner David Maxwell was unable to attend as he was aboard his own Vivaldi Collonges in the hunter chase at Kelso, however he was represented on the day by his mother, Judy.

It was a case of déjà vu for Colin McKeever when Kapgarry (6-8/1) crossed the line in front to claim the Tattersalls Ireland five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden, as four years earlier, he had saddled the current ante-post favourite for the Randox Health Aintree Grand National, Blaklion, to land the corresponding race in similarly testing conditions.

Like that former Cheltenham Festival winner, Kapgarry was also having his fourth career outing when getting his head in front, as the French-bred Ballingarry gelding carried the Wilson Dennison colours across the line, half a length in advance of newcomer Dontbitedabait, in the hands of Harley Dunne.

The northern-based handler was very gracious in the praise he attributed to Jonathan Steele, who led up the five-year-old, for his work with the horse. “To be fair, Jonathan does nearly all the work with him. He took the horse and has made him what he is. He stays really well and we just couldn’t wait to get a good staying track for him. He is improving all the time and good be at good horse some time. He will be sold now.”

Patrick Doyle understandably took great pleasure out of the success of his Lady Mangan (7/2-9/2) in the Gmaines Hotel, Baltinglass & Gain Feeds older mares’ maiden. Unlucky to come down at the last when challenging the ex-Nicky Henderson-trained Alpha Male at Borris House before Christmas, the Beneficial mare left a below par run at Templencarriga on New Year’s Eve well behind her as she carried her handler’s colours to a three-length success over Vivalino for Conor Murphy.

The path to the track has not been easy, as Doyle, the principal of his family run Peugeot dealership in Courtown, explained: “She was more or less going to the scrap yard when I bought her as a five-year-old. She had never been caught or haltered until we got her out of the field, and when we went to get her, she was wild, and she had never been touched before then. It took me a long time to break her, it was over a month before we could even get close to her, but now she is a quiet mare.”

Doyle, who is assisted at his six-horse yard by Andrea Finnegan and his granddaughter Tara Doyle, will likely send the eight-year-old over hurdles now.

The healthy local crowd had plenty to cheer about when James Walsh guided Simon Kenny’s Johns Choice (3-5/2) to victory in the John F Kenny, Central House winner of one. The Lingstown maiden winner was dropped out by Walsh, but once sweeping through to challenge rounding the home bend, the seven-year-old proved a length and a half too good for the well-supported favourite Well Bill.

“James (Walsh) rode him very well. He knows this place and the horse well and he got it right. He is a horse who idles once he gets to the front so can’t be there too early. James has done nearly all the work with him and it’s a terrific win,” reported the winning owner and trainer, who is mulling over potentially sending the Stowaway gelding back to the track in time to run over fences.

Dublin-based jockey Nile O’Rourke has struck up a good partnership with Peter Maher, as he recorded his fourth victory between the flags for the Kildare trainer when guiding Lighting Tunes (6/4-9/4 favourite) to success in the concluding AgriMaster Farm Insurances & Casey Enterprises older geldings’ maiden.

Patiently ridden, the son of Milan, who had twice finished placed at the Wicklow venue in the autumn, was delivered to challenge in the home straight, and comfortably overcame the returning Arch Chancelor to score by five lengths in the colours of Valerie Maher.

The victory was a second for O’Rourke at the course, having previously partnered the Niall Madden-trained Clancy Strand to land an open at the track in 2013.

Golden Button Challenge

TYPICALLY the next port of call for an older maiden winner is a first step into winners’ company, but that will not be the case for Lighting Tunes, as Peter Maher’s charge is now set to make the trip to Gloucestershire next month to take part in the 2018 Golden Button Challenge. The seven-year-old will be the mount of none other than Paul Carberry for the three-mile race which takes place over 28 natural cross country obstacles.