PAT Doyle and Pa King were the duo to follow at last Sunday’s Scarteen Foxhounds meeting at Comea, with the Co Tipperary pair combining for a double on the day.

The stylish debut victory of newcomer All The Feels (7/2 - 5/2) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden saw last year’s regional champion rider King move on to the 10-winner mark for the current campaign.

Sporting the silks of Pat Doyle’s wife Mary, the daughter of Shantou led having produced a fabulous leap two from home and thereafter her superiority was never in question as she eventually returned a very snug length and a half-victor from Fortune Dancer.

With handler Doyle on duty at Knockanard, his son and assistant Jack, revealed: “In the last six months or so this mare has really matured. She loved that bit of nice ground and has loads of gears. We’ve always felt she was very smart and she showed that today.”

Doyle had earlier saddled debutant C’est Ta Chance (5/2 - 3/1) to record a battling triumph under King in the opening four-year-old maiden.

Fluent leap

Sourced by his connections for €35,000 at last year’s Goffs Land Rover Sale, the Mary Doyle-owned son of Elm Park sealed the six-runner contest with a more fluent leap at the last which allowed him to prevail by a short-head and thwart the persistent home straight effort of Desert Ian.

“This horse jumps real well. Pa was very happy with him and said he kept picking up when the other horse came to him. If he’s not sold in the meantime, he’ll head on to a sale next,” outlined Jack Doyle of C’est Ta Chance whose five winning siblings include Paricolor, a nine-time scorer in the UK for David Pipe.

The Mick Goff-handled first-timer Ginger Jonny (3/1 - 5/1) denied Doyle and King a treble on the day when proving three lengths too good for their representative Hammer Dan in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Sent to the front from an early stage by an enterprising Dan Nevin, the imposing Ginger Jonny found plenty at the business end to provide his sire Mizzou with a first winner between the flags from just his second runner.

“I said I’d take the initiative and go on myself as I just felt they weren’t going a strong enough gallop for me. He’s a real straightforward sort, with a great way of going and he should be a lovely type for the track,” said Nevin of the chesnut who was bred by the Hannon family at their The Old Road Stud where Mizzou resides.

Fight still fit for battle

HAVING signed-off last term with consecutive hunter chase successes at Killarney and Listowel, Enda Bolger’s fine servant Stand Up And Fight (4/6 - 1/1 favourite) made a victorious start to his season in the open lightweight.

Áine O’Connor judged things to perfection aboard JP McManus’ Flemensfirth gelding when producing her mount with a well-timed run to collar Lough Derg Spirit shortly after the final fence and oblige by a cosy two lengths.

“It’s nice to get him back in action. Áine was very good on him there,” reported Bolger. “We’ve travelled with him for some of the bigger hunter chases in the past but I’d say we’ll most likely stick to these shores with him now and follow a similar path to last season.”

Striking

Easily the most striking winner of the day was John Gleeson’s Boss Robin (5/4 - 6/4 favourite) who blitzed his four opponents in the five-year-old and upwards confined maiden.

Aidan and Susan Archdeacon’s newcomer was in control of this race a long way from home, having led from as early as the third fence under Ray Barron and he passed the post 16 lengths ahead of Sliabh Álainn.

“I think this lad is well above-average. I’m very grateful to Aidan and Susan for sending him to me and they’re wonderful people to train for. We’ll take small steps with him now. We’ve plenty of options but we might go down the hunter chase route,” remarked Gleeson of the Mahler-sired seven-year-old.

Jessmae is just the job

JUST denied in the opener with Desert Ian, handler Declan Queally maintained his impressive strike rate this term when sending out Jessmae (6/4 - 5/4 favourite) to make a triumphant stable debut in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

Chris O’Donovan’s efforts to hot-foot it from Knockanard to take the mount were well-rewarded as the Malinas gelding, who had been placed on two occasions previously for his former trainer Desmond Kenneally, pressed into the lead again after five out and found most close home to score by four lengths from Royal Finesse.

“He jumped great for Chris. The more forceful tactics today seemed to suit him and we’ll look at a winners’ race now,” revealed Declan Queally Jr.

Horse to Follow

Down The Inner (E.M. O’Sullivan) This promising Dylan Thomas gelding only went down by half-a-length in a Ballyvodock adjacent maiden last month and he further indicated that his turn won’t be long in coming when beaten only five lengths into third in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden won by Ginger Jonny.