THE final Dromahane meeting of the season took place on Sunday and the Ellen Doyle-trained Master Splinter lit up the Muskerry Foxhounds fixture by giving an assured round of fencing to win the second division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden in the hands of Brian Dunleavy.

The gambled-on Master Splinter (3/1 – 7/4), absent since finishing fifth behind Zaidi at Moig South in late November, was bounced out in front and he never saw another horse.

The winning son of Shirocco seemed set to win convincingly as he held a six-length advantage approaching the final fence.

However, runner-up Real Rewards made serious inroads on the flat to get to within a neck of the winning bay at the line.

“The soft ground at Moig South took a bit out of him, but we knew that we had a nice horse coming here and he will now be sold,” said Doyle’s brother James of the Baltimore Stables Syndicate-owned €25,000 Derby Sale acquisition.

Aidan Fitzgerald’s Whataboutyeh (2/1 - 3/1 joint-favourite) vindicated the promise of his two recent third-placed efforts at Ballyragget and Tattersalls by landing the first division of this same contest under Troy Walsh.

Whataboutyeh was always positioned close to the pace as newcomer Hailnharty tried to make all.

The eventual winner, owned by Laura Graffin, moved through pick up the running after the penultimate of the 14 obstacles and he then bravely kept first-timer Had To Be Hugo at bay to score by a neck.

“I thought that he would win the previous two days he ran,” reported handler Fitzgerald of the Notnowcato-sired Whataboutyeh, a half-brother to listed winning hurdler Chicago Time.

“I thought that Dromahane would suit him as he’s as tough as old boots. He will be a lovely horse in the autumn and Troy gave him a very good ride.”

Smooth Operator

James Murphy excelled by landing the winner-of-one aboard his father Donie Murphy’s five-year-old Serious Operator (4/1 - 6/1).

The Ballyvodock confined hunt maiden winner made smooth progress into the race from four out and hit the front with three fences remaining.

The son of Malinas was always travelling marginally better than runner-up Ik’s Man thereafter, with one and a half lengths separating the pair at the line.

“They went a good pace early on which suited him,” said handler Murphy of his wife Geraldine’s Serious Operator.

“I was giving him every chance coming here and he’s good enough for a bumper, but he will now go to the sales in Doncaster later this month.”

Erin and McFly thrill in dead-heat drama

THE four-year-old auction maiden produced a thrilling finish which resulted in the judge awarding a dead-heat between Donnchadh Doyle’s Pride Of Erin (4/1 - 5/1) and the Paul Pierce-trained Marty McFly (4/1 - 5/1).

Having pulled-up on his debut at Belclare in March, the Getaway-sired Marty McFly was sent to the front by Sean Staples on the run to the last.

The pursuing Pride Of Erin, who pulled up on his only previous start at Monksgrange in late March, blundered here. However, the Monbeg Syndicate-owned Pride Of Erin still responded generously for Brian Lawless to force a dead-heat with the Blackhall Stables Partnership-owned Marty McFly. Both horses are now set to be sold.

Banbridge-based owner and trainer Noel Hynds made his initial Dromahane visit a memorable one as he sent out newcomer Rossea (6/1 – 7/2) to justify strong market support in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Bouncing Rossea

Rossea was bounced out in front by Eoin O’Brien and she took the 10 runners along at a decent clip with runner-up Rebel Treaty emerging as her biggest danger from three out.

Indeed, Con McSweeney’s charge actually joined the front-runner on the flat, but she couldn’t quite get past as the northern challenger rose her effort to oblige by a neck with the pair returning three lengths clear of Chosen Hero in third.

“This filly always showed that she was a wee bit special and we said that we would come down here to a very good track and take on the best,” said Hynes of the Affinisea-sired Rossea, whose dam is a half-sister to former three-time Grade 1 winning hurdler Go Native.

Pougne Aminta keeps up a good gallop

THE Jonathan Fogarty-trained Pougne Aminta (4/1 - 5/1) atoned for finishing second on her previous start behind Rule Of June at Ballyknock last month by landing the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, the race that attracted the biggest field of the afternoon in 16 runners.

Pougne Aminta made her way past long-time leader La Mystere after the second-last and the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned bay then forged clear for 5lb claimer Conor Moore to defeat Talkingthetalk by eight and a half lengths.

“They went a good gallop here which suited her,” said handler Fogarty’s brother Mikey. “She’s a big galloping mare that will now go to the sales.”

James Hannon filled in for Richie Kiely, who sustained a fall earlier in the afternoon, by landing the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden aboard the Cappagh-based amateur’s brother Paul Kiely’s The Galaha Kid (4/1 - 6/1).

Having pulled up on his previous two career starts, The Galaha Kid went to the head of affairs after three out and he held a one-length advantage over Carriglux when Leonard Flynn’s charge fell at the last. The Galaha Kid, bred by handler Kiely and owned by his wife Rachel Murphy, then came home by a distance from Turnthelightsoff.

Horse to Follow

Rebel Treaty (C. McSweeney): This newcomer by Ol’ Man River, a half-sister to eight-time track winner Beautiful Ben, went out on her shield when beaten by a neck into second spot by Rossea. She should easily atone and she also fits the profile of a probable track winner next season.