THERE were some outstanding performances at Dawstown’s May bank holiday fixture, staged by the Muskerry Foxhounds at Birch Hill outside Grenagh.

The Pierce Power-trained newcomer Slade Steel indicated that a bright track career lies in wait by showing a powerful turn of foot to win the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden under Sean Staples.

Slade Steel (4/1) eased ever closer from the fourth last as favourite Jemura still held sway up front.

The winning son of Telescope readily quickened to the front after two out and he forged clear on the flat to beat fellow debutant Sea Invasion by two lengths.

“Everything has been effortless with him and ‘Puppy’ (Power) was delighted with him when he rode him in a piece of work on the Curragh a few weeks ago,” said handler Power of Slade Steel, owned by the Hook Head Syndicate, a six-strong group from the south Co Wexford peninsula comprising members of his own extended family.

Strong Defender

Colin Bowe was likewise all smiles following the authoritative debut success of his Royal Defender (4/1 – 7/2) in the first division of this same contest.

The Soldier Of Fortune-sired Royal Defender always took the eye in running as Ioupy Collonges tried to make all.

The eventual winner, owned by Milestone Bloodstock Ltd, eased past Ioupy Collonges after the third last of the 14 obstacles and he then stormed clear for Barry O’Neill between the final two fences to dismiss the pacesetter by 10 lengths in the style of a very smart prospect.

“He is a fine, scopey horse that should make a nice chaser and I have been very lucky with the sire,” remarked Bowe of the winner, who is out of an own-sister to Grade 2 hurdles winner Kings Palace.

Golden advantage

Susie Doyle consolidated her advantage in the ladies’ championship by landing the winners-of-two aboard the Louise Lyons-trained Golden Bald, who was posting a third straight success of the season.

Golden Bald gave those that sent him to post as the favourite some anxious moments as he made a couple of jumping errors before being headed over the third-last by Barnaleen.

The market leader, representing his handler’s partner Nicky Teehan, is nothing but tough though and he stormed back to the fore in the closing stages to deny the promising five-year-old Barnaleen by a half-length.

Doyle and Lawless in double-winning form

DONNCHADH Doyle and Brian Lawless combined to record a double, the duo completing their brace courtesy of Castlelands runner-up Heros De Moutiers (5/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

In a race that saw two fences bypassed, Heros De Moutiers edged into a narrow advantage over the second last and it was one that the winning son of Creacadoir maintained to account for Concetto by a half-length.

Dr Lockdown, on his return from a mid-season break, hinted that his turn is imminent by returning a further one length adrift in third in a race that saw a little over three lengths cover the first five home.

“He had a couple of grand runs and he appreciated the better ground today, the ground was a bit soft for him in Castlelands,” said Doyle of the Monbeg Syndicate-owned Heros De Moutiers, a son of Creachadoir.

Thermusa triumphs

The Kayf Tara-sired newcomer Thermusa (5/1), similarly sporting the familiar Monbeg Syndicate silks, initiated the Doyle/Lawless brace in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

Thermusa, a €20,000 foal acquisition whose dam is an own-sister to the Grade 1-placed hurdler Our Ben, had her task lessened by the penultimate fence exit of the leader Baiser Inedit.

Thermusa, who was three lengths adrift of Baiser Inedit at the time, was then left in pole position and she swept clear in the closing stages to dispose of Brian Barry’s mount True Or False by four lengths. The likelihood is that Thermusa will be seen in new colours when running again.

CHRIS O’Donovan is experiencing a stellar campaign and he filled in for the currently sidelined Andy Burke Ott aboard recent Stradbally runner-up Inchidaly Copper (3/1) in the older geldings’ maiden.

Inchidaly Copper led from the fourth last and he still held a slight advantage over the pursuing Lead The Field when the market leader came to grief two out.

Inchidaly Copper, owned by Owen O’Flynn from Banteer, was in no mood to be denied on the flat as he asserted to beat Gunteur by three and a half lengths.

Inchidaly Copper is trained by Burke Ott’s father Alex Ott and it’s possible that the chesnut could now revert to hurdling duty.

Digging’s debut

Robert Tyner rarely leaves this right-handed venue without a winner and he kept his many supporters happy by sending out the towering Keep On Digging (4/5) to record a scintillating debut success in the five-year-old and upwards adjacent hunts maiden, much to the dismay of the 11 bookmakers present.

The five-year-old Keep On Digging, bred by Tyner’s wife Mary and representing her sister Catherine O’Driscoll from Bandon, was sent through by Derek O’Connor to dispute the lead on the inner with Trojan Five after a mile.

The eventual winner was foot-perfect throughout and another good jump at the second last saw him surge clear to account for Trojan Five by a widening six lengths. The Notnowcato-sired Keep On Digging is a horse that should develop into a smart performer.

Horse to Follow

Concetto (D.P. Murphy): A giant-sized son of Kapgrade, he vindicated the promise of his third-placed debut effort behind subsequent Grade 2 Aintree bumper winner Lookaway in November when beaten just a half-length into second in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Compensation should prove a mere formality.

NEWS

A PRESENTATION was made to Mary Hickey as she retires from taking the entries for the Cork and Waterford meetings, a role that she and her late husband Jim commenced in 1976.

Bernard Smullen was also recognised when retiring after many years of service to point-to-points.