THERE’S just one place to be on the Wednesday of Easter week and that’s at the annual Inch meeting, staged by the Killeagh Harriers. The fixture returned following a three-year hiatus due to Covid, but on a new right-handed course at Ballyknock. The meeting was blessed with good weather and an excellent attendance.

Many present were adamant that they had witnessed an outstanding prospect in action in Donnchadh Doyle’s newcomer Love At Sea who readily put her rivals to the sword in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Goodtimecrew and Jetaway To Getaway injected further pace into the race from the fourth last of the 16 obstacles, but the winning daughter of Affinisea was alive to the move and she was on terms with Rob James from two out.

Love At Sea (2/1 - 4/1) assumed command approaching the last and she blitzed clear to beat Colin Bowe’s Goodtimecrew by a widening three lengths. Micronormous completed a clean sweep of the placings for the visiting Wexford contingent by returning a further three-quarters of a length adrift in third spot under handler Harley Dunne.

In handler Doyle’s absence, his brother Sean remarked of the Monbeg Syndicate-owned bay: “Donnchadh thought that she would run very well and she’s a filly that would be good enough for a bumper, but she will now be sold.”

Catuaba’s debut

Handler Micheal Griffin, who had the misfortune to lose dual points winner Plan B at Monksgrange last month, has a nice prospect on his hands in his wife Kay’s Catuaba (4/1 - 6/1) who made a taking winning debut in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Jet Away-sired Catuaba made the decisive move by edging into a couple of lengths advantage with Brian Dunleavy after four out. Low Mileage eroded the deficit from the last, but Catuaba was in no mood to be denied as he held on well to oblige by one and a half lengths. There was a similar break back to the third-placed Il Va De Soi.

Griffin’s brother Colm reported of Catuaba. “He’s a horse that has been working well at home and he will probably now be sold.”

Getupearly obliges

Getupearly (3/1 - 4/1), trained by Mattie Collins for his son Pat, vindicated the promise of his third-placed debut effort at Carrigarostig in mid-January by landing the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Getupearly led or disputed the running practically throughout and Chris O’Donovan’s seemed to have a battle on his plate when challenged by last season’s Tipperary bumper runner-up Zero Tolerance before the last.

The winning son of Getaway, a half-brother to Swinton Hurdle winner War Sound, a close relation to former Grade 1 Chase victor Planet Of Sound, valiantly pulled out that bit more to thwart Zero Tolerance by a neck.

Owner Collins, who partnered numerous winners at this meeting when it was staged in Inch, said: “Chris (O’Donovan) gave him a peach of a ride and I couldn’t really see him beaten coming here today. He’s for sale, but we might look at a bumper if we still have him.”

Terence Leonard is experiencing a phenomenal season as he was credited with his fifth success of the season from as many individual runners when Apple Away (3/1 - 4/1) took the second division of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

The Bandon debut runner-up led from the fifth fence and, although blundering five out, she was well in command from before the second last.

With rider Mikey O’Connor easing her from the last, the Leonard homebred still defeated the consistent Chitchat Sally by a clearcut three lengths.

The likelihood is that Apple Away will be seen in new colours when running again.

June rules

James Hannon is likewise enjoying a productive campaign. He joined forces with Liam Casey to capture the first division of the same contest aboard former handicapper Rule Of June (3/1 - 5/2 favourite), who finished second on her three most recent starts including when chasing home Apple Away’s stable-companion Country Kitten at Ballynoe last month.

On an excellent afternoon for front-runners, Rule Of June was always positioned at the head of affairs.

She gamely responded to her partner’s urgings before the last to fend of the persistent Pougne Aminta by one and a half lengths.

Trainer/breeder Casey indicated that his father Donal’s Rule Of June could revery to handicap company over the summer.

EOIN O’Brien attained a great achievement by partnering his 100th points winner aboard the Olivia Hegarty-trained grey Hipop (4/1 - 5/1) who dead-heated with Colin Motherway’s Big Gangsta (5/1 - 7/1), the mount of Brian Lawless, in the closing adjacent hunts maiden.

The previously once-raced Hipop, owned by Pat O’Shea from Lisgoold, made his way into pole position at the fifth last only to be fractionally headed by Big Gangsta from two out.

Hipop though was back in front when landing the faster over the last, but he was joined quite literally on the line by Big Gangsta who represents handler Motherway’s wife Linda.

A stewards’ enquiry was called in relation to possible interference between the two principals, but there was no alteration to the result.

Junior jets in

Keep Me Posted set out with the intention of making all in the winner-of-one, but the recent Ballycahane maiden victor didn’t aid his cause by erring two out and he was overtaken in the closing stages by Killybegs Junior (3/1 - 7/2).

The Robert Tector-trained Killybegs Junior then dismissed Keep Me Posted by a neck with the meeting’s leading rider Jack Hendrick.

It’s possible that Killybegs Junior, owned by George Murphy, will now run at Monksgrange on April 24th.

Horse to Follow

Goodtimecred (C. Bowe): This daughter of Walk In The Park was always on the pace on her debut. Ultimately beaten three lengths into second, the eye-filling bay should easily atone before sampling track success.