BILLY Lee, Joseph O’Brien and Oisin Orr, who are all enjoying tremendous runs of form, were among those to star as flat racing returned to Sligo for 2019.

A treble at the opening Curragh fixture of the year kicked off what has been a superb month for Lee and he made it nine winners in May alone when the reliable Honor Oak notched up her sixth career success in the Kilcawley Construction Handicap.

The Tom Hogan stalwart has shown signs of hitting peak form lately with a series of placed efforts and a stall one draw was ideal for this frequent pacesetter who made all for an assured length-and-a-quarter success over Bay Of Skaill.

“She’s a super mare and runs to her mark more or less the whole time which means she doesn’t get much respite from the handicapper,” said Hogan. “Her owner John Doran is the best man that anyone could ever hope to train for, and I must mention her physio Emma and Paddy at home who between them produce this mare in absolutely great nick every time.”

Oisin Orr surpassed his tally of winners for the entire 2018 season as he recorded a double which began with Eddie Lynam’s Olay Power (9/2) in the second division of the three-year-old 45-65 rated sprint handicap.

This Sabena Power-owned filly, who comes from the same family as her connections’ great sprinter Sole Power, got home by half a length from strongly supported 6/4 favourite Isle Of Shadows.

Orr then made it 16 winners for the season – just four short of his previous best tally – when The Names Jock took the extended 10-furlong handicap for three-year-olds. The John Kiely-trained and Brian Gleeson-owned 11/4 favourite only got to the front inside the distance but streaked clear to defeat the top-weight Fujimoto Flyer by four and a quarter lengths. The winner was 11lbs higher than when winning at Cork earlier in the season.

The card concluded with a nice display from Joseph O’Brien’s A Wave Of The Sea (7/2) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden over 10 and a half furlongs. This Demi O’Byrne-owned gelding came out the wrong side of a three-way photo on his debut at Dundalk recently but put that experience to good use with a resilient front-running effort under Shane Crosse which saw him fend off the 11/10 favourite Alakahan.

The last shall be first

SEVEN days after they teamed up to strike with Arctic Fire at Killarney, Denis Cullen, jockey Mark Gallagher and owners Wicklow Bloodstock were on the mark once more as The Last Marju bagged the Martin Reilly Mazda Handicap.

On his first start since taking third behind Le Richebourg in a Tipperary Grade 3 novice chase in October, The Last Marju (8/1) produced a smart effort to come from the back of a well grouped field and nail the favourite Happy Company deep inside the final furlong.

“I was hoping to have him out before now but it just didn’t happen and this race fitted in nicely ahead of a decent two-mile, three-furlong handicap chase at Listowel early next month,” stated Cullen.

“He’s won well over two and a half miles in the past and he looks like he will stay further so the Galway Plate is something I’ve thought about but we’ve a few bridges to cross before then.”

Red hot Hogan

DENIS Hogan’s prolific dual-purpose string continue in excellent heart as evidenced by Lincoln’s all-the-way success under Rory Cleary in the O’Hehir’s Bakery Claiming Race. The 11/10 favourite had upwards of 19lbs to spare over eight of his nine rivals as he recorded his first win in just under three years.

Lincoln, who was rated as high as 104 after finishing second in the Victoria Cup in 2015, is the second horse belonging to James McAuley to win this season having been picked up for a mere £800 at last October’s Goffs UK Horses In Training Sale.

First for Oliver

ANDY Oliver bagged his first success of the season as Lumsden clung on bravely in the Foleys Bar & Off Licence Sligo Median Auction Maiden over six furlongs. The front-running 20/1 shot lasted home for Leigh Roche to hold the evens favourite Cruella Dovil by a flared nostril. The Oliver-owned son of Helmet was making just the third appearance of his career.

After his narrow defeat on Cruella Dovil, Shane Foley enjoyed better fortune as the Jessica Harrington-trained and Notable Syndicate-owned Pleasurable won the first division of the 45-65 rated three-year-old six-furlong handicap. A daughter of Camelot, the 6/4 favourite won a sprint for the first time.

Suspension

Rory Cleary picked up a two-day careless riding ban after partnering Kasbah into third place in the handicap won by Honor Oak.