WITH no sign of a resumption date for point-to-points, the chance to showcase some young talent at Punchestown last Monday was warmly welcomed.

Leading handler Colin Bowe was unsurprisingly well represented on an eight-race bumper card and teamed up with Barry O’Neill to bag two winners.

Ernest Gray showed a nice attitude to battle back and claim the four-year-old contest over two miles and one furlong for Milestone Bloodstock Limited.

The Walk In The Park gelding was always to the fore but was headed inside the final furlong by How Will I Know. The 5/2 joint-favourite found plenty to rally close home and record a neck win.

“My lads wouldn’t be used to bumpers. Barry said he had loads of horse but he just wasn’t sharp enough to go forward. He should improve a good bit from that,” commented Bowe afterwards.

Brace

It was another son of Walk In The Park who completed the brace for the Wexford champion handler when Last Quarter took the two-and-a-half-mile contest for four-year-olds.

Similar to his stable-mate he was to the fore before getting headed entering in the straight.

Pay The Pilot had scooted a couple of lengths clear turning for home but was chased down by Last Quarter who asserted late on for a length-and-a-half win for owners J R Brennan and Milestone Bloodstock Limited.

“Barry said he just got caught a bit flat-footed but stayed on well,” reported Bowe, who also confirmed both his winners would now be sales bound.

COOLMORE sire Walk In The Park had also been on the mark in the opener when Limerick Lace ran out an impressive winner of the four-year-old fillies’ contest.

Derek O’Connor took the mount on J.P. McManus’ charge and she powered clear inside the final furlong to record a comprehensive nine-and-a-half-length win.

The 3/1 shot, trained by Gavin Cromwell, impressed O’Connor who said: “She has a lot of class and will be a nice mare going forward.”

Note Grand Jury

Henry de Bromhead looks to have another exciting addition to his powerful team after Grand Jury posted an impressive performance on his debut for the yard in the five-year-old contest over two miles, one furlong.

The Tiger Groom gelding was making his first outing in the colours of Robcour having won a point-to-point at Turtulla in November.

Patrick Mullins took the mount on the 5/4 favourite and asked him to go and win his race over a furlong out.

The handsome gelding pulled away in the closing stages to record a four-and-three-quarter-length win over Fameaftertheglory.

“He’s a beautiful horse. When I gave him a squeeze he made up five lengths in a couple of strides, got there too soon and was a bit lairy. I’d imagine once he goes over fences he’ll be something else,” was the winning rider’s assessment.

ANOTHER powerful point-to-point pair struck in the two-and-a-half-mile contest for five-year-olds when Jet Of Magic ran out an impressive winner under Jamie Codd for owner/handler Denis Murphy.

The Jet Away gelding came to lead a furlong and a half out and the 100/30 joint-favourite powered clear in the closing stages to record a four-length win.

“He’ll be a nice horse going forward because he is so big and backward,” said the Wexford handler.

Double

Codd went on to record a double when 5/6 shot Wall Of Fame took the concluding race for six and seven-year-olds for A. K. Whelan. The Denise Foster-trained gelding brought track form into the race having been placed in a Thurles maiden hurdle. He had to work to get the job done, leading a furlong out to beat Isle Of Oir by two lengths.

Easy for Words

Another who showed the benefit of previous experience was the Martin Brassil-trained Choice Of Words in the mares’ contest over two miles, one furlong for Jane Dwyer.

The daughter of Yeats had been second at Gowran Park on her previous outing and Pat Taaffe gave the 6/5 favourite a confident ride, sending her on before the straight for a 13-length success.

Vault in the money

LIAM Kenny put it well after the victory of Green Vault in the two-and-a-half-mile contest for five-year-olds when saying: “It’s great to have the likes of these opportunities. I said beforehand that if you can finish in the first two or three you’d have a chance of selling them but if they’re standing at home you’ve no hope.”

His son James did the steering on the Shirocco gelding as he came from last to first to record a one-and-three-quarter-length victory over Midnight It Is for G. Kinch.