SEAN Flanagan, absent since fracturing his tibia and damaging his knee at Tramore’s August Festival, rode his first winner since his return when David O’Brien’s Cusp Of Carabelli landed a ‘touch’ in the Waterford & Tramore Racecourse Supporters Club Maiden Hurdle at the same venue on Thursday’s students day.

Available at 20/1 that morning, the Fastey For Fun Syndicate’s five-year-old closed in second behind Anytime Now after three out and went to the front before the next.

Chased home by Licklighter, the 7/1 scorer was half a length to the good at the line, but market leader Monition, subsequently reported to have hung badly left, forfeited his chance with a mistake at the fourth last.

Flanagan said: “That’s only my fourth or fifth ride since I came back,” and Cusp Of Carabelli’s trainer was only too happy to have him back on the team.

He remarked of the winner: “He was a weak four-year-old and I always thought there was something in him once he got stronger. He’s had two good runs in handicaps and will make a nice chaser next year.”

CLOSE FINISH

Gordon Elliott’s Downpatrick scorer Thisonesforollie with Mark Enright in the saddle, followed up with a one-length defeat of Tintown Robin in the 80-109 handicap hurdle.

The 7/2 favourite is jointly owned by her Roscommon breeder Bertie Mannion and his brother-in-law Brendan O’Grady who were quick to thank the trainer, Simon McGonagle and all the Cullentra House team for their efforts.

Enright reflected: “She’d been off for a while (125 days) before Downpatrick and we thought she’d improve from the last day and she did. Hopefully she can keep progressing and the fact that she got her head in front again might help.”

Carrigtwohill handler Terence O’Brien saddled a welcome success through Aoibhe’s Beau who put her experience to good use when registering a narrow victory over the ‘jolly’ Crimson Chief in the two-mile maiden hurdle.

There was little to choose between the duo in the closing stages until the 7/1 winner shaded it by a head on the line under Kevin Brouder.

The six-year-old Well Chosen mare is owned and was bred in Cappoquin by Maurice O’Connor whose son James, the former Waterford hurler has an interest in Aoibhe’s Beau and was on hand.

O’Brien observed: “He trained Cappoquin to win the county final and that’s where I met him.

“The owner wanted to win a point-to-point with her, which she did last year and then sell her but I couldn’t find a customer for her. I ran her in a few bumpers in heavy ground but it didn’t suit her and then, during the summer, for whatever reason, despite showing plenty at home, she hasn’t been doing it on the track.

“Kevin said she jumped brilliantly and galloped all the way to the line but I don’t know what the owner wants to do. He’ll probably try and sell her.”

GOOD STRIKE RATE

Jimmy Finn has a good strike rate here and was on the mark in the 80-95 handicap hurdle with Lleyton who responded to pressure from Paul Townend to hold Musical Ava by one and a quarter lengths. The favourite, Arctic Sofia, was sixth.

“That was Paul’s first time sitting on him and he’s not the easiest,” commented the trainer.

“The loose horse was a hindrance (after the last) and my heart was in my mouth but he was back to two miles and the pace of the race suited him.

“Coming here, I thought the track would suit him but he’s not as good over hurdles and this morning I entered him for Navan in a one-mile, six-furlong race on the flat.”

Edward O’Grady had his second winner in as many days thanks to the convincing four-and-a-quarter-length victory of Sonowyouno for Munster National hero Luke Dempsey in an eventful Graun Hill Suite Beginners Chase.

The J.P. McManus-owned 9/2 chance, who asserted from the final obstacle to win well from market leader Cowboy Des Long, was Dempsey’s first win for the Tipperary trainer who commented: “He’s riding very well and got him jumping well. I thought it was a good opportunity for him and he’s a lovely big horse. Hopefully he’ll make into a nice staying chaser.”

There were a couple of costly fallers, too, in the rated novice chase with the odds-on favourite Moonball exiting at the fourth from home and Monatonic taking a heavy fall at the final obstacle which left the Anthony Black-trained Teqany (11/4) with the race for the taking.

Danny Mullins’ mount duly collected first time over fences by an 18-length margin from Whatsinthecorner.

The Wexford trainer has care of the grey for John Murphy and said: “He’s a lucky type of horse. The same thing happened to him in Gowran the last day but they’re there to be jumped.

“The plan was for him to have the winter off because he’s very ground dependent and he only schooled over fences last Tuesday.

I brought him here because it’s a handy track and the fences aren’t that big but Danny thought he’d jump a bigger fence at some of those bigger tracks. Once the ground stays good, he’ll run away but, once the ground goes, that’ll be it until next year.”

Shanakay, from the Willie Mullins yard, was the main fancy for the ladies’ pro/am bumper but the favourite had to be content with the fourth spot behind the Davy Fitzgerald owned and trained 6/1 shot Ballon Onabudget who came from last to first in the hands of Laura Hourigan and kicked clear before the turn-in to wrest the spoils by two and a quarter lengths.

Fitzgerald, celebrating his first success since last April, admitted: “It wasn’t a surprise – he was very free the last day and we were going to go to Wexford for an unplaced maiden if he hadn’t been in the first three today.

“Laura rides a bit of work for me and I use her father’s gallop, so I had to give her a chance.

“He’s from the family of Rathvinden and isn’t over-big but he will jump a fence. He’ll go for a maiden hurdle now.”

ACTING STEWARDS:

E. Halley, V. Connolly,

P. Coveney, A.J. Molloy,

H. Hynes.

HORSE TO FOLLOW:

MUSICAL AVA

(J. M. Burke): Off the track since last

December, she made Lleyton work hard for his success in the 80-95 handicap. Further improvement should be forthcoming.