THE first meeting of the season in the Cork and Waterford region took place in the form of the Waterford Foxhounds fixture at Curraghmore last Sunday and, on an afternoon that saw underfoot conditions with a definite cut, veteran Samanntom provided handler Pat Doyle with a double by recording a battling success with the Suirview Stables operator’s 22-year-old daughter Susie in the open.

The 13-year-old Samanntom (9/4), victorious on his preferred good ground at Umma House the previous Sunday, mostly tracked the front-running Warriors Tale until Thekingofconnemara moved into that position from three out. With Warriors Tale giving best from the penultimate of the 13 obstacles, the race soon concerned Samanntom and Thekingofconnemara.