IN the most intriguing event of Monday evening, all eyes were on Clondaw Warrior as he looked to add to his runaway success at Tramore on Saturday but the red-hot favourite’s bid for a quick follow-up in the Sean Cleary Memorial Handicap was thwarted by Charlie Swan’s Grandma Dotty.

At Tramore, Clondaw Warrior scored by eight lengths and the manner of his victory earned him a 22lb future hike in the ratings.

He had just a mandatory penalty to carry here which left him with a theoretical 17lb in hand and he was returned at 2/9 with the second favourites going off at a remarkable 12/1.

However, Clondaw Warrior met the same fate as Time Of My Life who was defeated at the same price in a handicap here two years ago when bidding to add to an impressive success two days previously. The market leader led a quarter of a mile from home but inside the distance he yielded to the Fran Berry-ridden Grandma Dotty who scored by half a length.

“She likes fast ground and the ground had just gone against her at Cork last time (finished eighth),” commented Charlie Swan. “We’ll decide now whether to go for another flat handicap or a mares maiden hurdle. Fran last rode this filly when she won her maiden here two years ago and he won a couple of times on her mother (High Reef).”

Gordon Elliott’s string are in red-hot form at the moment and Clara Mc Cloud (5/2) became his fifth winner from his last nine runners - the other four finished second - in the two and a half mile conditions hurdle.

The six-year-old had work to do on ratings against the likes of Seefood and Waaheb but nothing was going better early in the straight and she looked to be in control approaching the last.

Davy Condon’s mount did veer right after the last and caused minor interference to Waaheb but, as expected, her length and three quarters victory was allowed to stand after a brief enquiry.

“She’s consistent and is just a genuine and honest mare who will hopefully do well for us when she goes mares chasing shortly,” observed Elliott, who trains the winner for the Marcie’s Racing Syndicate.

An industrious evening for Willie McCreery ended with a double which began when Kanes Pass (16/1) overcame a wide draw in a competitive seven-furlong handicap.

The reliable Have A Nice Day looked to be keeping the field at bay with over a furlong to run but a patient Leigh Roche produced Kanes Pass to pounce inside the distance.

A course and distance winner in July, Kanes Pass edged ahead late on to prevail by half a length. Following his second in a decent handicap at Dundalk the previous afternoon, the favourite Shipyard was three lengths back in third.

Of the Betty Cosgrove-owned winner McCreery remarked: “She likes it around here but I was raging when I saw the draw. They went hard in front which suited her well.”

The trainer then turned his attentions to jumping as Love The Feeling (11/1), who is owned by his wife Amanda, claimed the Abbey Hotel Roscommon 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.

In the second event of its kind to be run this season Love The Feeling produced a professional dislplay for Mark Walsh. A 12-race 56-rated flat maiden, the daughter of Intikhab asserted before the last to prevail by four and a half lengths from Cabarete, who was second in the first juvenile hurdle of the campaign.

“She’s disappointed me on the flat but the jockeys who have ridden her say she wants soft ground,” declared McCreery. “She’s schooled a few times and has really liked it which is a big help. We’ve plenty of options for her now as she will be going back on the flat later in the autumn.”

Earlier the Ger Lyons-trained Belle Et Bete followed a dominant maiden win at Down Royal with a comfortable success in the seven furlongs auction race.

The Anamoine Limited-owned daughter of Big Bad Bob was the only previous winner in the line-up and produced a display in keeping with her position as the 4/7 favourite.

Colin Keane’s mount eased to the front shortly after turning in and had plenty to spare in seeing off the promising newcomer Spiritual Man by a length and a quarter.

“It was an opportunity that we couldn’t miss and Colin felt that she had plenty up her sleeve,” reported the trainer’s brother, Shane. “I don’t think that she’ll be too busy for the rest of the season and she should fill out to be a nice three-year-old.”

The notoriously tricky angle of the finishing line at Roscommon once again caught out many observers in the Pyramid Bookmakers Fillies Handicap where last month’s Wexford maiden winner Empress Toorah (11/2) triumphed.

After a searing gallop took its toll on the pacesetters, this 10-furlong contest developed into a last furlong battle between Willowing and Empress Toorah and it appeared as though the former had the edge crossing the line.

However, the Pat Smullen-ridden Empress Toorah was on the favoured stands side and duly came out the right side of the photo-finish by a nose.

“I was sure that we were beaten,” reflected a delighted Sabrina Harty who trains the winner for Margaret Nevin and continues to enjoy an excellent season. “Earlier in the spring and summer she kept coming in and out of season but she’s found a good line of consistency now and she’s grown and gotten stronger.”

On her first outing since gaining a deserved win in a Clonmel maiden hurdle in June, the Edward O’Grady-trained Hell Cat Maggie (9/2) struck in the Murray Ambulance Service Mares Handicap Hurdle.

The Kieran Cotter-owned mare was travelling conspicuously well for Barry Geraghty turning for home and she produced an especially quick and fluent leap at the last to take charge of the race. At the line she had a length and a half to spare over Roger Roo.

“She’s very consistent and will probably go chasing but I’ll talk to the owner about whether she runs again over hurdles,” commented O’Grady. “She’s a fine big mare and I hope that she will progress well over fences.”

Riding bans: In the Sean Cleary Memorial Handicap Kevin Manning picked up a two day careless riding suspension after the stewards looked into an incident involving Ri An Romhnaigh and Pingit. He is appealing the ban.

Whip ban: Joseph O’Brien picked up a two-day whip ban for his efforts on General Marshall who finished second in the maiden won by Toscanini. He is appealing the ban.