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THE INHSC winners’ final, a race for horses that were maidens at the start of the season and which came with a total prizefund of some €5,000, occupied centre stage at Sunday’s Muskerry Foxhounds meeting at Dromahane.
On an afternoon that saw some 63 horses participate on the six-race card, it was a shame that there were just five runners from an original entry of 16 in the featured contest.
This will have mattered little to handler Liam Kenny as his seven-year-old Gray Rock (1/1 - 7/4 favourite) returned to the number one slot, earning connections a very nice €4,475 in the process.
Absent since finishing third at Castlelands in early March, Gray Rock was bounced out in front and gave a largely assured round of fencing.
Battle on his plate
The victorious French-bred seemed to have a battle on his plate when the previous Sunday’s Dromahane maiden victor Barton Snow surged past after the penultimate of the 15 obstacles.
Barton Snow though edged right-handed on the outer just before the last, losing some momentum when negotiating the obstacle.
Gray Rock was much faster here and he touched down in front, then storming clear to account for Barton Snow by six and a half lengths. The pair returned 12 lengths clear of the only other finisher Headscratcher in third.
In the absence of handler Kenny, whose wife Noeleen owns the now three-time winning son of Rail Link, representative Darragh Brennan remarked: “Gray Rock is a big, raw horse that’s improving the whole time. It was always the plan to give him a break after he finished third in Castlelands and to then come here for this race. He could go for a hunter chase.”
Gray Rock’s rider Luke Murphy, also on the mark at Moira the previous afternoon, went on to record a double by partnering a first career winner for Harry Kelly aboard Bootfullofbags (6/1 - 8/1) in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.
The seven-year-old Bootfullofbags, who pulled up on her only two previous outings earlier this season, made smooth progress after four out and she disputed the running from the third last.
The winning daughter of Scorpion was clearly in command approaching the last and she then scorched clear to account for The Kids Choice by four lengths.
“We’ve been waiting all year for nice ground and today is the first day that we got it. She could now go for a winners’ race,” said Kelly of Bootfullofbags, representing Edel Fitzgerald from Rathcoole outside Fethard.
Impressed
The Donnchadh Doyle-trained debutante Jayapura (2/1 - 9/4 joint-favourite) impressed by coming home as she pleased with Brian Lawless in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Shescormysmare set out with the intention of making all and she was closely tracked by Jayapura, who received the office on the run to two out.
It was all relatively plain sailing thereafter, as the daughter of Great Pretender stormed clear to beat fellow first-timer Chosen Bae by an increasing 11 lengths in the familiar Monbeg Syndicate silks.
“She’s one that we came across in France as a yearling,” disclosed handler Doyle of Jayapura, a sister to four jumps winners and whose dam is a half-sister to French Grade 2 -placed chaser Lord Carmont. “She was always showing plenty and got a lovely tow in the race here. She’ll now go to a sale.”
SEAN Staples teamed up with John Paul Brennan to collect the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard Ivegotdapower (6/1 - 8/1).
Having finished third on two previous occasions, Ivegotdapower put his experience to good use by leading or disputing the running virtually throughout and he gamely fought off the closing Zmiindi to oblige by a short-head.
Burru meanwhile hinted that his turn is imminent by returning a further three length back in third spot.
“He’s a horse that I’ve always thought a lot of and he should win a bumper,” opined Brennan of the Imperial Monarch-sired Ivegotdapower who sports the colours of his neighbour Connie Rooney from Ballyduff outside Camolin. “We might run him in the winners’ race at Stradbally and he could then go the sales in Doncaster.”
Third winner
The aforementioned Staples’ younger brother Eoin Staples partnered a third career winner by landing the four-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard Colin Bowe’s newcomer Chosen Judge (4/1 - 6/1).
The Rule Of Law-sired Chosen Judge went to the head of affairs after three out and he seemed set to record a comfortable success approaching the last.
Runner-up Foxy Walk came out of the pack to go second after this final fence and he made up quite considerable ground on the flat to get within two lengths of Chosen Judge at the line with All One Word securing the minor honours, a further six lengths adrift.
Chosen Judge is owned by Tom Meagher whose Kedrah House Stud also bred the mid-April foal, a half-brother to two track winners including Archie Watson’s useful bumper winning mare Chosen Hero with the pair being out of a half-sister to Burton Port.
Eoin Staples incidentally rides out for Bowe in addition to Rob James and Paul Pierce.
Glory makes up for previous error
THE Riceal Dunne-trained Gift And Glory (6/1 - 8/1) atoned for unseating two out when holding placed prospects at this same venue a fortnight earlier by capturing the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden under Johnny Barry.
Gift And Glory, who was equipped with cheekpieces, moved through to challenge from three out and he secured the faster jump at the final fence en-route to drawing clear inside the final 100 yards to dismiss Leeneys Cross by one and a half lengths.
The Stylebawn Syndicate-owned Gift And Glory is one of just a handful of horses that Mrs Dunne tends to from her Kilmacanogue base with Katie Lawless riding out daily at the Wicklow yard.
Horse to Follow
Foxy Walk (C. Doyle): Having finished sixth on his debut at Castlelands almost two months earlier, this own-brother to Gordon Elliot’s dual bumper scorer Firefox stayed on really well to finish second in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. He fits the profile of a smart track recruit.
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