THE cross-country course at Lingstown produced another thrilling spectacle on Sunday as Vital Island (4/1 – 3/1) and Mighty Stowaway had a great tussle up the run-in. In the end, it was the former who came out on top for Tiernan Power Roche and Richard O’Keeffe.

This was a fourth win over the course and distance for Vital Island who is turning into a definite Lingstown banks specialist. The winner, carrying the colours of the winning handler, came out on top by half a length from the Barry O’Neill-ridden and Gordon Elliott-trained, Mighty Stowaway.

“I’m delighted with him. He’s class around here and just loves it. That’s his fourth win around here now. We’ll go to Punchestown now and come back here in March,” said the winning handler.

Superstylin scintillates

The most impressive winner of the day came in the four-year-old auction maiden, the second and final maiden of its kind on the autumn calendar, in the form of Superstylin (8/1 – 10/1).

The son of Califet was ridden to victory by Shane O’Rourke for local handler Thomas Byrne, who also owns the four-year-old gelding.

O’Rourke was keen to get the winner settled early before he showed an eye-catching turn of foot from the second last to win as he pleased by eight lengths from the Ian Donoghue-trained and Tiernan Power-ridden Nearly Wed.

This was a third winner of the season for O’Rourke who said: “He has always worked like that – that’s the horse that everyone knows. It was just about getting the tactics right on the day as he can run freely. He has tons of toe and once he settled over the first mile, I knew what we would have at the end. He sprinted away from them in a matter of strides, and was just idle going down to the last. If something had come with him, he would have went on again. I don’t think the ground matters to him, he’s just very flashy. Nothing ever seems to affect him.”

Doyle’s Flyer

The opening four-year-old maiden saw the biggest field of the day as 12 runners faced the starter and it was a one-two for the Ellen Doyle yard as Off To A Flyer (5/1 – 8/1) beat Hitching Jacking.

The winning son of Shirocco was ridden by John O’Neill but the pair had to be tough up the straight to fend off the persistent challenge of their Rob James-ridden stablemate. The winner won out by two lengths in the end and looks a very promising sort for the future.

“He always showed plenty at home. He jumped very well throughout the race. He has a touch of class about him. He hit the line full of running so I would say that there was plenty left in there. He loved that bit of nicer ground, he jumped and travelled off it,” said O’Neill, of the Baltimore Stables Syndicate-owned winner.

MATCH races can sometimes be non-events but that was certainly not the case in the mares’ maiden on Sunday as Rock On Cassie (1/1 – 6/4) and Whiskey River gave the strong local crowd a thrilling finish, with the former eventually coming out on top by three and a half lengths.

Game effort

The Dan Nevin-ridden daughter of Shirocco tracked Whiskey River and Rob James around before they made their move at the second last. They quickened away well up the straight but had to be game to hold off the runner-up close home.

The winner, who is trained and owned by Martin Corrigan, will probably head to the sales next.

Corrigan explained: “She finished strong there and there should be loads of improvement still in her. She’ll go to the sales now.”

Comfortable style

The only mare in the line-up in the concluding older maiden brought the best form to the contest and Wildfield Ivy (4/5 – 1/1 favourite) duly obliged in comfortable style for the champion pairing of Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe.

The daughter of Alkaadhem travelled and jumped supremely well and there only ever looked like being one winner once she hit the front as she came out on top by four lengths from the Tom Keating-trained and Eoin Shaw-ridden Three Nations.

“It was very cosy. I should have won on her first time out last year. I know she’s six going on seven but she hasn’t been out for a while. There was nothing wrong with her, she’s a good honest mare. She might pick up another one or two of them before having a nice little career on the track,” said O’Neill, of the Michael Kinsella-owned winner.

HARD Lines (6/4 – 5/2) had finished third and second on his two most recent starts at Monksgrange and Tinahely respectively, so he was a very deserving winner of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden for Jack Hendrick and Michael Bates.

The son of Sageburg took the lead after the third last and eventually ran out a length-and-a-half winner from the Declan Queally-trained and Tom Feeney-ridden Dancing Du Moulin.

The winner, who is owned by William Bates, idled up the run-in, and really seemed to enjoy the track as Hendrick explained: “He deserved that. His form turned around there, I think he was a bit sick last year. The change of stable helped too I think.

“He was third and then second so he deserved to win today. This track suited him better with the good ground and downhill finish.”

Horse To Follow

Dancing Du Moulin (D. Queally): The newcomer son of Davidoff stayed on very strongly close home in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden and he should have little difficulty in shedding his maiden tag next time out, before making into a useful staying chaser.