IT was a day of highs and lows for Kanturk trainer Michael Winters at his local track last Sunday. While his Granny Biddy is on a roll at present, her stable-companion Churchtown Glen attracted the attention of the stewards in the four-year-old maiden hurdle, resulting in a €6,000 fine for the trainer and a 90-day ban for the horse, the minimum penalty under the revised Rule 212.

At the subsequent enquiry into the running and riding of Churchtown Glen, the trainer stated that he has been a difficult ride on his two previous outings, but has improved significantly since his last run.

However, after viewing a recording of the race and considering the evidence, the stewards found both Winters and his jockey Barry John Foley, who reported that his mount hung badly left and jumped left, had breached Rule 212A (i) by not allowing Churchtown Glen to run on his merits. Foley was additionally suspended for 21 days and ordered to forfeit his riding fee.

Winters, who intends to appeal their findings, then got back to doing what he does best, getting the best out of his horses. The progressive Granny Biddy is a prime example and, in taking the J.P. McManus Handicap Hurdle in decisive fashion, she showed herself to be still one step ahead of the handicapper.

Owned by Mayo native Tom McNulty, who is currently in Arizona, the six-year-old began her winning run off a mark of 87 at Tramore and, four wins later, she has climbed 37lbs in the ratings and is not finished yet.

Taking it up under Donie McInerney at the third from home, the 6/4 favourite sealed the issue with a bold jump at the final obstacle to defeat Montys Meadow by one and three-quarter lengths. Said her handler: “I thought she was better today than she was the last day and she thrives on heavy ground.

“Donie is getting a great tune out of her, but there are plenty of other lads who did the job on her as well. She might go to Cork for the next meeting and then she’ll go chasing next year.”

Terence O’Brien shared the training honours when producing Articulum fit and well after a 19-month absence for his engagement in the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle. Partnered by David Splaine, the seven-year-old went to the front at the third last and strolled home 35 lengths clear of the long-time leader Itsonlyrocknroll.

Carrigtwohill-based O’Brien has care of the 4/1 chance for the three-way partnership of Martin McDonagh, Paul Murphy and Mike Nixon, all of whom live in London. He related: “This horse won a point-to-point and two bumpers, but the autumn after he ran in the Champion bumper at Punchestown, he got a touch of a suspensory problem.

“The owners have been so patient and they never put any pressure on me. I had this race as his target for the last six weeks and would have been happy to finish in the first three. He seemed to put daylight between himself and some decent horses and I think he’ll come on from the run.”

The trainer concluded: “I’ve never had a horse do that before and, maybe, we’ll look at a novice hurdle after that. It opens up all kinds of possibilities for him and he could go for the Grade 1 novice at Navan and Christmas after that.”

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O’Brien sent out Justin Carthy’s Us And Them, with J.J. Slevin in the saddle, to make a successful jumping debut in the www.racinghomeforeaster.com 4-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle when causing a 10/1 upset in winning by three-length from the dead-heating pair of Cask Mate and market leader Manamite.

The jockey reported: “I was surprised that he didn’t win a bumper, because we always thought the world of him. He jumped like a buck and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for him.”

The Wexford-born rider doubled up aboard the 9/4 favourite Conna Cross, from the Jimmy Mangan yard, in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, but was hard at work in second behind Mount Brandon from two out.

His perseverance paid off when Conna Cross responded to gain the upper hand after the final flight for a half-length win over his rival. Mangan said: “I’m delighted for his owners (Hanford’s Chemist Limited) who are from Wales. He has a high enough mark over fences, so he may stick to hurdles – we’ll see. I thought the two-mile trip was a bit short for him, but the ground made up for it.

“It’s very demanding out there and they didn’t hang around. He was pushing him early, but he is what he is and hopefully I can get another one out of him.”

Wilcosdiana, trained just a couple of miles from the course by Eugene O’Sullivan, became the fourth local winner when springing a 7/1 surprise in the Mallow Hunters Chase. Ridden by the trainer’s daughter Maxine and owned by Tony Wilson from Aghabullogue, who sadly lost his father last week, the seven-year-old made every yard and survived major blunders at the final two fences to romp home 11 lengths in front of Knockraha Boss.

“She’s a lovely mare who was second here in a maiden at Easter,” said O’Sullivan. “She was weak and backward then and is still a big, raw mare with a lot of talent. She was lucky at the last, but we’ll put that down to inexperience and today was the plan.”

Trainer/jockey Denis Hogan delivered in the INH Stallion Owners EBF Beginners Chase with last month’s Wexford casualty Youcantcallherthat who carried the colours of the Lostwelton Syndicate from Monivea in Co Galway to a fluent 23-length success over the even-money favourite Monbeg Chit Chat. The latter was reported to have lost his off fore shoe and sustained an overreach.

Hogan said of the 12/1 winner, whose owners originally wanted to name her Aquaphobia until one of their mothers intervened: “I stopped them selling her after they got an offer and told them I would win a race or two for them.

“It’s very hard to see how she fell in Wexford because she’s a brilliant jumper, but she was probably blinded by the sun and took her eye off the fence. She might go to Limerick at Christmas.”

Gordon Elliott’s winning spree continued when the easy-to-back market leader Doctor Phoenix shaded it by a head from De Benno under Jack Kennedy in the corkracecourse.ie Handicap Chase. Davy Condon, one of the trainer’s two assistants, remarked: “Jack said he was a little bit idle, but he had plenty left in the tank and it was a good performance to win at that weight.”

Doctor Phoenix was a first jumping success for Elliott for the Nick Bradley Racing Club from England, the former owners of Beckford, for the trainer and Condon added: “He used to run in cheekpieces in England and they’re something that can be put back on.”