ANDREW McNamara took the honours at Thurles on Thursday where the jockey completed a double courtesy of two mares; the Robert Murphy-trained Mrs Mac Veale and John Hanlon’s Diamond Dame, both in respective handicap hurdles.
Mrs Mac Veale (16/1), who was recording her fifth success in the Ballagh Mares Handicap Hurdle today, was produced by McNamara to lead before the final flight and from there stayed on well for a length and a half win over Cloudy Rock.
Trainer Murphy was absent but her owner Paddy Corkery from Cappoquin, Co. Waterford later commented: “She’s a lovely mare and will go to Clonmel next Thursday for a Mares Grade 3 Chase.”
An hour later McNamara doubled up on Diamond Dame, which justified 6/4 favouritism in the Holycross Handicap Hurdle.
The winner, which was following up her win at Clonmel the previous Thursday and was officially 3lb well-in today, needed to battle to eventually see off the challenge of Flemerelle by a head.
Following the win a delighted John ‘Shark’ Hanlon stated: “This was the plan from last week but Limerick on Sunday is now out the window. She’s a lot better on good ground and might have one or two more runs at Dundalk before being left off. She’s only rated 60 on the flat.
“Andrew said she pulled too hard today and then idled when she got to the front.”
He added: “My horses have been in super form and that’s my 18th winner since March but I’ve only eight horses for the winter.”
Remarkably another winner from that Clonmel meeting last Thursday, Embracing Change, also followed up today under his mandatory penalty but also officially 3lb well-in, in the Thurles Handicap Chase.
The Robert Tyner-trained gelding raced prominently throughout and led after the third last fence.
From there jockey David Casey, in the colours of Finbar O’Neill, father of flat jockey Dane O’Neill, kept the 5/2 favourite going for a two and a half lengths over Federici.
Tyner later said: “He travelled and jumped well and had seemed to have come out his Clonmel race well but just about got away with it.
“He could run next over three miles and five at Fairyhouse (Porterstown Handicap Chase) in three weeks.”
The other chase on the card, the opening Thurles Beginners Chase, saw the Mouse Morris-trained and J.P. McManus owned The Doorman (11/1) step up considerably on previous hurdle efforts to win well on his chase debut.
Ridden by Mark Walsh, the gelding stretched clear of his rivals in the home straight and in the end recorded an easy eight lengths win over Company Coming.
Morris said: “He was disappointing over hurdles last season but had point-to-point experience and jumped great today. It wasn’t a great race and he has to improve to go up a bit (in class).”
A sizeable gamble was landed in the concluding Toboradora Bumper when the Denis Hogan-trained Neatly Put provided his head lad and jockey John O’Meara with a first winner since 2006.
The son of Rail Link was backed early in the morning down from 25/1 and went off a well supported 5/1 chance, with O’Meara steering the gelding to a length and a quarter win over Midsommarkransen.
Hogan said afterwards: “John is now my head man and is a talented rider who should still be riding winners. He’s really good in the yard and, along with my other staff, is top class.
“This fellow has a fair engine and wasn’t ready when fourth to Martello Tower in April and then scoped wrong behind Forgotten Rules.
“He won a schooling bumper recently by eight lengths and I knew he’d a fair engine, and told the lads to have a few quid on.
“We might try a winners’ bumper now but he also jumps well and will make a proper hurdler.” The winner is owned by Liverpudlian Mick Denning.
Another ‘touch’ was landed in the Templemore (Mares) Maiden Hurdle when the Vincent Halley-trained Mandasini scored under Andrew Lynch, having been backed from 33/1 in the morning into 12/1, at the off.
The pair recorded a length win over Silver Sally and Halley said: “She showed plenty first-time out but kept coming into season.
“She got away with the ground and nice ground is ideal for her. Andrew (Lynch) said she has plenty of scope and could go chasing at some stage.
“I have mainly point-to-pointers but have a couple for the track. Her owner Irene Buenting is from Co Carlow.”
The Thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle went to the Noel Meade-trained Couleur France (11/10 favourite), in the colours of Patricia Hunt. The gelding came from off the pace to win under Paul Carberry.
“He travelled well enough the whole way and the longer trip helped. He was a bit awkward the last day and probably will be better going left-handed.” Carberry reported.