RUBY WALSH made it easy for punters at Cork on Bank Holiday Monday with two winners from the same number of rides, the highlight being Coquin Mans who remains unbeaten in four runs following his bloodless victory for the Willie Mullins stable in the featured Joe Walsh Memorial Hurdle.

The three-mile event, won last year by Simenon, representing the same trainer and jockey partnership, commemorates the racecourse’s former chairman. Taking it up off the last bend, George Creighton’s French-bred gelding was cantering before two out and flew the last, being unchallenged to see off Jaime Sommers by an eased down eight lengths, with Marinero the same distance away in third.

The 9/10 favourite was completing a hat-trick of Irish wins and Walsh said: “This was a step up from Wexford where he was keen the last day and I had intended being in behind with a bit of cover, but he travelled well.

“It’s hard to put a handle on the race, with the Bowe filly (Jaime Sommers) getting a lot of weight and still being a maiden and Noble Inn (subsequently reported to be lame on his near fore and to have pulled a shoe on that leg) not ‘turning up’. You always worry when that’s the case, but Coquin Mans jumped super today.”

COMFORTABLE

The champion jockey then teamed up with in-form Peter Fahey to record a comfortable seven-length success via the Seven To Eleven Syndicate’s 7/1 shot Carlitos Bay in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 80-109 Handicap Hurdle, for which Pass The Ball proved to be a disappointing favourite.

The winner only joined his present handler from Sandra Hughes a couple of months ago and Fahey commented: “I told the owners the last day I had decided he was going over fences, but his last two bits of work had been so good and, when I saw this race, I decided to go for it, particularly when Ruby was available.

“He was a big help, because the horse had just lost his confidence and he coaxed him. It depends on the handicapper when he goes chasing, but he’s a big horse and I think he’ll be better over fences.”

Galway Plate hero Davy Russell and Gordon Elliott combined to take the Tarrant & Sons Main Skoda Dealer 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle with Qatar Racing Limited’s Brutal, who was anything but in readily accounting for Grey Waters by one and three-quarter lengths on his hurdling bow.

Still owned by Sheikh Fahad and a first jumping winner in his famed claret colours, Brutal was formerly in the care of Ger Lyons, for whom he had finished fifth in last year’s Racing Post Trophy. He began the season with a rating of 107 and Elliott said after this, his second success: “It wasn’t the strongest race in the world, but he’ll improve from it and I think he’s a nice horse going forward.

“It was a nice start for him. He jumped great, but Davy said he was still a big green and the next day he’ll know more. I owe a big thank you to Qatar Racing for sending him to me and to Ger Lyons who recommended he should go jumping.”

Carrigtwohill trainer Terence O’Brien sent out 5/2 chance Lakemilan to capture the Follow Us On Twitter Mares Maiden Hurdle and her rider David Splaine is anticipating there should be more to come from the consistent five-year-old who was chased home, five lengths adrift, by the favourite, Delayed Eloquence.

Lakemilan, who jumped to the head of affairs at the fifth last, is owned by Denis Wilson and his wife, Hilary, from just outside Bandon. Splaine remarked: “She’s a good little mare who won a bumper and ran a good race in a point-to-point. She wants nice ground and there should be plenty more in her.”

The John Kiely-trained 7/2 favourite Line Out rewarded his supporters with success in his first handicap hurdle when putting up a good performance to gain the upper hand over Beautiful Ben halfway up the run-in of the two-mile Irish Examiner Handicap Hurdle for a three-quarter-length win.

Andrew Lynch’s mount, a good-looking half-brother to the Lillingston Family’s ill-fated money-spinner Toe The Line, is a real chaser in the making and his trainer said: “He was a little bit slow at some of his hurdles, but he has a nice pedigree and we’ll probably try and find another handicap for him and see where we are. He’ll stay hurdling while he’s winning.”

TOP WEIGHT

Eric Larkin’s top-weight Slievenamon made light of her burden in the Come Racing Again Tomorrow Mares 80-95 Handicap Hurdle to trounce the field by seven and a half lengths in the hands of 3lb claimer J.J. Slevin.

Drawing clear of the opposition before the final flight, in the colours of the trainer’s wife Gabrielle, the 7/1 joint-favourite scored by seven and a half lengths from Jet Mistress, after which the Seskin, Co. Tipperary-based restricted trainer said: “She’s been operating well in good company lately, so she deserved that.

“I retired from the army in April and only have three horses in at the moment. That’s my first winner for 10 years and I’m not finished running her yet – she might go to Tramore.”

Former amateur Mikey O’Connor saddled last December’s Ballindenisk point-to-point winner Awbeg Prince to make a victorious debut in the Ticket Sales Online @ Corkracecourse.ie Flat Race.

A second success on the track for former champion novice point-to-point rider Chris O’Donovan, the 8/1 shot won by five lengths from Optical Confusion, despite doing a lot of wandering around in the latter stages.

Awbeg Prince was a late withdrawal from the last meeting here two weeks earlier and his Liscarroll handler, who has care of the six-year-old for his breeders, the Barney Syndicate from Shanballymore, explained: “He was throwing so much mucus out of his nose that day and, considering that, he could be a fair horse.

“He’s big for a Vinnie Roe and I’d say he’ll go for a winners’ bumper. He’s a nice horse to look forward to and he jumps well.”

Acting Stewards

P. McLernon, M.J. Doyle, J. McGuire, B. Murphy, M.F. O’Donoghue.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

BRUTAL (G. Elliott): A classy performer on the flat, he showed a willing attitude on his first time over hurdles and is open to further improvement.