SAM Ewing was the star of the show at Clonmel on Thursday where the jockey steered expensive former point-to-pointer The Moon Sea’s Me (100/30) to win the Kilmore Maiden Hurdle, despite being in an unpromising position for most of the race.

By Sea Moon, The Moon Sea’s Me struggled to hold her position for much of the early stages, with Ewing being hard at work in fourth position at the third-last. However the mare stayed well, eventually led on the run-in and defeated 11/10 favourite The Folkes Tiara.

Winning trainer Gordon Elliott was absent and Ewing said: “Maybe the trip was a little bit sharp for her but she is honest and tough and jumped brilliantly the whole way around. She got there in the end.

“I had to keep filling her up, keep up the momentum and she was honest and was very good in the end. She was very clever jumping the whole way.

“Once we came down the hill on the nicer ground, she went away again and she picked up. She wants a little bit further than two miles.”

The Moon Sea’s Me was a €110,000 purchase following her Monksgrange point-to-point for Aidan Fitzgerald in April and raced for owners Dee L’Estrange, Caren Walsh and John Doyle.

Impact

Another young jockey making an impact is 22-year-old Michael O’Sullivan who steered Corkbeg (7/1) to win the ClonmelRaces.ie Handicap Hurdle (Div I) for trainer Harry Kelly.

Successful in a feature handicap hurdle at Listowel last Friday, O’Sullivan brought Corkbeg from off the pace to eventually score by a length and three-quarters from Londonofficecalling.

Kelly later said: “We thought he’d run a bit better in handicaps up to now, and I was disappointed with him the last day, but in fairness to Denis (O’Regan), he gave him a grand ride and learned in Tramore.

“We were wondering if we would stop or if we would keep going, and that’s why we were surprised about the money coming for him. He has worked well in the past and, in fairness, he was always going to be a stronger horse next year.

“He’s owned by a pure gent in Jim Reaney, who also bred him. He’s a very loyal owner and is one of these lads who takes the bad news with the good news.”

Emir shows resolution

RACING began with the win by another 7lb claiming professional jockey as Charlie O’Dwyer steered Emir De Rots (well-backed 100/30 joint favourite) to win the Slievenamon Claiming Hurdle, and was later the subject of a friendly claim from owners, the Drive On The Dream Syndicate.

Winning trainer Conor O’Dwyer wasn’t present and afterwards his son, and winning jockey, said: “I’ve ridden him a lot and I’ve always wanted to just do that on him and it is the only way to ride him. It worked out today.

“Being a claimer, he was meeting a lot of horses on lighter weights than he should although I was thinking the two mile and four might be too short for him.

“I knew he’d stay so I used up plenty (making the running) with his light weight. I didn’t want to be headed, the others kept pushing me along and he really wanted to keep his head in front.”

Where’s Bunny (5/1) registered a third career win, landing the Clonmel (Mares) Handicap Hurdle for trainer Noel Dooly and jockey Richie Condon.

The seven-year-old daughter of Arakan had been in the prize money on eight of 10 runs this year and beat Bonne Debut by three lengths.

Tramore-based Dooly said: “She has been consistent all year, I gave her a break after she ran at Wexford and freshened her up. I think the little freshen up has done her the world of good.

“Today’s two mile and four and the ground suit every day and once it’s not soft she is always happy on it. The rain will probably come and end her season.”

Overdue win

Appian Way (5/2 favourite) gained an overdue first win, at the 29th attempt, when landing the ClonmelRaces.ie Handicap Hurdle (Div II), for trainer Charles O’Brien, jockey Jack Foley and the Painestown Syndicate.

Following the race jockey Foley said: “He ran a cracker the last day in Listowel and was due to go up 2lbs so technically was well in.

“He watches everything, the horse upside me started to come in and while he half backed out, was still brave and battled away. He wears the blinkers for a reason and it was good to get the job done today.

“He is a great spin, jumps super and probably knows more of it than me.”

Cher Why Not finishes off well

THE Cian Quirke-partnered Cher Why Not caused a 25/1 upset to win the Clonmel Handicap Hurdle, providing a welcome winner for trainer Tim Doyle.

Lightly raced in recent times, the 10-year-old gelding today went clear of his rivals on the run-in, for a four-and-a-quarter-length win over Well Polly.

Doyle trains Cher Why Not for his wife Claire Doyle and later said: “The horses were wrong all summer, we’re only getting going in the last couple of weeks and ran our first horse last week, having had no runner from the end of May.

“They are all ready to roll now but time is running out for the flat ones, so they may have to run at Dundalk.”

Regarding Cher Why Not, he added: “He is a slow horse, can’t go any quicker and you just leave it to himself and he always finishes out his races. I knew he was working well at home but I was still pleasantly surprised. He might run on Monday in Tipperary.”

Lady Of The Vale won the concluding Clonmel Bumper for trainer Andy Slattery and his nephew, jockey Adam Ryan, defeating fellow 9/4 joint-favourite Leitrim Park by a length. Bred by Willie Neville and owned by his cousin Billy Neville, Lady Of The Vale was scoring at the sixth attempt.

The trainer’s brother Willie Slattery said: “She was due her turn and we probably ran her back too quick in the north the last day. We’ll talk to Andy but he might leave her off for a while now. She has been busy and deserves a bit of rest. He gave her a good ride and is a good young fella.”