THERE was a cracking atmosphere at Sunday’s Ballynoe meeting and Terence Leonard will forever treasure fond memories of the fixture as he was credited with his first double as a handler when sending out Koyote to spring a surprise under Mikey O’Connor in the featured Gain Mares’ Final.

This year’s renewal, which came complete with a generous bonus of €3,000 from Gain to the winning owner, attracted nine runners and the Ballycahane winner Koyote (6/1 - 8/1) led until overtaken by Queshi Bridge after the fourth last of the 14 obstacles.

The previous weekend’s Ballyarthur scorer Queshi Bridge still held a one-length advantage when falling at the final fence. Koyote, owned and bred by Deirdre Connolly, was left in front and the eight-year-old came home with two and a half lengths to spare over Fiery Brown with Carrig Wells more than acquitting herself by finishing a further head adrift in third.

“It has always been a dream of mine to win this race as I buy all of my feed from Gain and she will now run in the mares’ hunters chase at Cork on Easter Monday,” said five-horse handler Leonard of the Vinnie Roe-sired Koyote.

The race is close to winning rider O’Connor’s heart as this was his fourth time to win it; he took the 2007 renewal aboard Shelleyjo, he was successful on Tell Me Rose in 2010 and he partnered his own mare Make It Better to victory in 2011.

Leonard opened his account for the afternoon by sending out the homebred Country Kitten (4/1 - 6/1), again partnered Mikey O’Connor, to win the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

The previous Sunday’s Belclare third Country Kitten always travelled well and she went to the front with four fences remaining.

The seven-year-old was clearly in command from two out and she defeated Rule Of June by three and a half lengths. Leonard paid particular tribute to Derek O’Connor who had advised him to enter Country Kitten for Ballynoe after partnering her at Belclare.

The Recital-sired Country Kitten is now likely to run in the mares’ pointers bumper at Cork over Easter.

Form choice Grey D’Alco obliges

DARRAGH Allen recorded an initial career three-timer, opening his account aboard Terence O’Brien’s clear form-choice Grey D’Alco (3/1 – 5/2 favourite) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, much to the chagrin of the 13 bookmakers present.

Grey D’Alco, having gone down fighting when chasing home Corbetts Cross on his previous outing at Kildorrery, got into a lovely rhythm and he moved through to dispute with five fences remaining.

The French-bred then edged ahead at the fourth-last and he was clearly too strong for his rivals from two out.

Grey D’Alco crossed the line with 18 lengths to spare over Joy Of Life, who admittedly made an extremely serious fourth-last fence blunder.

“His form is rock solid and he’s improving the whole time. If he’s not sold, he will go for a bumper,” said owner/trainer O’Brien of Grey D’Alco, who finished second to Daily Present on his debut in a Tipperary maiden last April.

Man cruises

It was also O’Brien who supplied the 27-year-old with the final leg of his three-timer aboard Ik’s Man (4/1 – 9/4 favourite) in the older geldings’ maiden.

Ik’s Man shaped better than well on his only previous start despite pulling up in an ultra-competitive Boulta maiden in December 2020 and it wasn’t altogether surprising that the Carrigtwohill raider was very popular in the market.

The son of Walk In The Park never gave his supporters any cause for concern as he was always in cruise control. He picked up the running five out and appeared to be holding Can’t Beat History, who was a length adrift, when Jonathan Sweeney’s charge exited at the penultimate fence.

It’s Man then coasted home eight lengths clear of Dragon Rock and the winning 2019 Derby Sale graduate will now run in a bumper.

Remarkable Macs Legend again

DARRAGH Allen earlier made his initial ride aboard Macs Legend (6/4 - 2/1) a victorious one by steering Gerry Kelleher’s admirable veteran to a hard-fought success in the open, a race that the son of Blueprint also won back in 2019.

The 14-year-old moved through to go toe-to-toe with Clounts Glory from three out and there was nothing to separate the pair until the eventual winner took the measure of Michael Winters’ teak-tough mare as the line approached to score by a short head in what was the closest finish of the afternoon.

Macs Legend has won nine points plus three hunter chases in the colours of Shane Prenderville, whose father John Prenderville rides out the gelding every day. It’s likely that Macs Legend will contest the Jack Tyner Memorial Hunters Chase at Cork on Easter Monday.

Colin Motherway appears to have a smart prospect on his hands in Encanto Bruno (5/2 - 7/2) who made a winning debut in the four-year-old maiden. The Mahler-sired Encanto Bruno was restrained by James Hannon setting out on the final circuit and he crept ever closer from after three out.

Cato Capone still held a fractional advantage when making a serious blunder at the last with Encanto Bruno then making his way to the fore on the flat to see off Sean Doyle’s charge by two lengths.

“This is a horse that we’ve always liked and James gave him a smashing ride,” said Motherway of his wife Linda’s Encanto Bruno, a €20,000 Tattersalls Ireland August Sale graduate, a half-brother to the five-time winner Wintered Well.

Horse To Follow

Cato Capone (S.T. Doyle): This newcomer by Notnowcato, whose dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 chase winner Alcapone, still held the call when erring at the last in the four-year-old maiden. He was only beaten two lengths into second and a profitable track career is probable.