THERE was some vintage fare at Lisronagh on Saturday and Derek O’Connor experienced a terrific afternoon at the Tipperary Foxhounds fixture, the meeting incidentally which attracted the largest number of runners so far this autumn with 59 participants, as he departed with three winners.

O’Connor recorded his middle success aboard Sam Curling’s seasonal debutant La Feline (2/1 - 9/4 favourite) in the mares’ open.

Last season’s champion mare La Feline was content to bide her time towards the rear of the field as Ayda and then Alloverafiver took the 11 runners along.

The French-bred effortlessly eased her way into contention before the fourth last of the 15 obstacles, assuming command two out.

It was all plain sailing thereafter as the seven-year-old coasted home by three and a half lengths from Fort Worth Texas.

“She’s a very classy mare and Derek [O’Connor] was delighted with her,” said Curling of La Feline, a former 116-rated hurdler that represents Corkonian John O’Leary.

“She can get lit up, especially on her first run of the season, and we will stick to points. Toni Quail and Correna Bowe do a great job riding her out at home. She will probably now run in the mares’ open at Corbeagh House.”

Final success

It was also Curling that supplied the Galwegian with his final success of the afternoon courtesy of former British track performer War Call (1/1 - 11/10 favourite) in the six-year-old and upwards maiden, a race that came complete with a €1,500 bonus from the INHS Committee to the winning owner.

War Call, who showed a modicum of ability on five starts for Dan Skelton most notably when finishing fourth to I Like To Move It in a two-mile Worcester novices’ hurdle in October 2021, was bounced out smartly at the head of affairs.

The winning French-bred gave a superb display of fencing in front and he was clearly containing recent Loughanmore runner-up Gray Rock from two out, nine and a half lengths the winning margin.

This was a victory that was tinged with sadness as War Call is leased by the DQ11 Syndicate, a group that was put together by friends and family of the late Tipperary senior hurler Dillon Quirke who died earlier this year aged just 24.

Curling remarked: “Fair play to this horse’s breeder Pat Fennessy for leasing him to the DQ11 Syndicate.

“It’s really great that he has won today and he deserved that as he had been working very well. Liam Kelly rides him out the whole time at home.”

O’Connor instigated his hat-trick aboard Denis Hogan’s debutant Mahon’s Way (7/4 - 2/1 favourite) in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, much to the dismay of the seven bookmakers present.

Advantage

Mahon’s Way, acquired for €80,000 at last year’s Derby Sale, led or disputed the running on the inner with Now So Jake until edging into a slight advantage with three fences remaining.

Runner-up Bugise Seagull was the semblance of a danger to the son of Walk In The Park on the run to two out, but the victorious bay asserted after this penultimate obstacle to defeat Tom Keating’s charge by four lengths.

“I’ve loved him since the day I saw him at the Derby Sale and Norman Williamson, whom I bought him from, recommended him highly,” said Hogan of his father Martin’s Mahon’s Way, whose dam is a half-sister to Willie Mullins’ dual Cheltenham Festival winner Champagne Fever.

“John Mahon, an Irish man based in New York, bought half of him and ideally I want to get him sold to stay in the yard,” he added.

Carrig collects in determined style

THE Loughanmore meeting on October 22nd was a most competitive one and this point was emphasised as Peter Croke’s West Of Carrig (4/1 - 5/1), who finished a creditable fifth on his return to action behind Mister Park at the Co Antrim fixture, won the five-year-old geldings’ maiden here under Brian Lawless.

West Of Carrig disputed the running with Sea Road Fill until The Guine Hunter moved through to join issue four out.

The eventual winner edged into a slight advantage after three out, a one that that he refused to surrender, and he stayed on determinedly to account for Heather Kiernan’s The Guinea Hunter by two and a half lengths.

“He was a bit keen in Loughanmore, but he still ran a nice there and he did everything right today. I’d imagine that he will now be sold,” said Croke of West Of Carrig, homebred by his Rathnew-based landlord Maurice Sheehy.

Closest

Loughanmore form once again proved decisive in the five-year-old mares’ maiden as Meet My Lorely (2/1 - 5/2) narrowly came out on top in the closest finish of the afternoon.

Runner-up Ambush Annie set sail for home after three out, but her advantage was eroded from the last as the Loughanmore third Meet My Lorely stormed past as the line approached under her owner/trainer Hugh Finegan’s 18-year-old nephew Eoghan Finegan to score by a head.

“She’s a classy mare that was fifth in a bumper on her first run at Downpatrick in May and she’ll probably go back to the track now,” said the elder Finegan of Meet My Loreley, a Morley Street and Granville Again relation that he purchased from breeder Ken Parkhill as a three-year-old.

ON an afternoon that saw this country’s leading female points rider Liz Lalor the subject of a special presentation, proceedings commenced with the four-year-old mares’ maiden and the Marie Harding-trained Lake Road (6/1 - 8/1) showed that a track career lies in wait by making a winning debut.

Disco Annie took the 13 runners along at a generous pace until overtaken by the Eoin O’Brien-ridden Lake Road two out with the latter then asserting to beat the pacesetter by four lengths.

Disco Annie is owned by Aidan Murray from Kilchreest and the winning daughter of Shantou is now likely to be sold.

Horse to follow

Bugise Seagull (T. Keating): A son of Mount Nelson, this fellow showed improvement from his fifth-placed debut effort at Bartlemy in May by finishing second to Mahon’s Way in the four-year-old maiden. He should easily atone in a maiden point before sampling track success.