THE Carlow Farmers held their annual meeting at Borris House and the good sized attendance were treated to some top-class action.

The afternoon kicked off with the four-year-old maiden, so often won by a high-class sort and this renewal saw a field of 11 go to post.

Newcomer Tellherthename (8/1) stole the headlines as he produced a devasting front running performance under Benny Walsh to take the spoils by five lengths from fellow debutant Joyau Allen, a full brother to Envoi Allen.

The Johnny (J.P.) Berry-trained son of Malinas, sporting the colours of his wife Shirley, led the field from flagfall and kept enough in reserve to fend off the challenge of the well-touted Joyau Allen from the second last and this pair pulled 27 lengths clear of their rivals.

The fifth foal of a three-time winning dam, he is a brother to the graded-placed Whatsnottoknow from the immediate family of Brandy Love and the family is stacked with plenty of horses to carry the Berry colours over the years.

“Lovely horse, has been all year. He will go to the sales now. It’s a family that the Berrys know well and he is a lovely horse. We are delighted,” reported the handler’s brother, Darragh.

A field of 15 lined up for the five-year-old geldings’ maiden and this ultra-competitive contest went the way of the Colm Murphy-trained Scorsese (6/1) under a fine ride from Jimmy O’Rourke.

Patiently ridden, he delivered his challenge at the last before staying on strongly to win by a length from Silver Jet and Shy Love in a tight finish.

“He had a lovely run in Lingstown in the autumn and the race worked out well. His work has been good, and he is a horse with great potential. He is a lovely horse, simple as that,” reported O’Rourke who was registering his first win of the season wearing the Relegate colours of owner Paul McKeon.

It was a family affair in the mares’ winners of two as Alex Harvey brought home Winnie Woodnutt (9/4 - 2/1) in the colours of his dad William who bred, owns, and trains the daughter of Kalanisi. Leading well before two out, it was a straight forward task as the seven-year-old came home six lengths clear of Aghmorough Bridge.

The success moved Harvey onto the three-winner mark for the season and he explained that it was as straight forward a task as it looked: “She wears a hood but is really settled now in her races since she came back from her break. She is a mare that hasn’t the biggest turn of foot but has quite a high cruising speed and I was happy enough to quicken it up with a mile to go. She put the race to bed very quickly.”

Three By Two rounds up delightful double for Murphy and Dunne

DENIS Murphy and Joey Dunne brought up an across-the-card double when Three By Two (6/1) got up on the line to force a dead heat with Fr Gilligansvoyge (5/1) in the concluding adjacent hunts maiden.

The John Carr-trained, Pat Taaffe-ridden Fr Gilligansvoyge looked sure to break his maiden tag as he led over the last but Dunne galvanised his mount on the run-in to share the spoils. After a prolonged wait for a result both connections were relieved when a dead-heat was announced.

Murphy, who had won the four-year-old at Castlelands under Dunne earlier in the afternoon, was delighted with the Michael McEvoy-owned winner and said: “My brother Peter does a lot of the work with her and I would say a mares’ winners’ will be on the cards next.”

Meanwhile John Carr has an eye on a return to the track for his Richard Farrell-owned charge. “It’s great to have a winner,” he stated. “I was standing close to the line and thought we were okay, but it was obvious that it was very close, so delighted to have a winner anyway. There is a hunter chase in Down Royal on St Patrick’s Day and that is where we will go next.”

Donnchadh Doyle unveiled a smart-looking winner of the five-year-old mares’ maiden in the shape of Rose In The Park (3/1 - 5/2) and she made light work of the 16-runner field.

Wearing the familiar Monbeg Syndicate colours and partnered by James Walsh, the Walk In The Park bay quickened clear before the last to beat Jetaway To Getaway by an easy 12 lengths.

“She is a nice mare, with a good old pedigree and she cost a few pound. She is a sister of Blow By Blow [Punchestown Champion Bumper winner] She won well and will head to the sales now,” said Doyle, having moved into third in the handlers’ championship, just four winners off the lead.

One For Dan is the one for James

SUNDAY was a red-letter day for 17-year-old James Murray from Ferns, Co. Wexford as he secured that magical first winner aboard One for Dan (5/2 favourite) with a cool and confident ride in the older maiden for novice riders.

Biding his time as Seattle Seahawk opened up a wide-margin lead, when the pacesetter began to tread water on the run to the home straight he produced the John Paul Brennan-trained gelding to record a 22-length success over Leading Legend.

“I am from Ferns and that’s my first winner. I kept sitting, I was happy they were always going to come back to me. I work for John Paul Brennan and Colm Murphy,” beamed the teenager who had finished second on owner Connie Rooney’s horse at Lingstown back in November and was seen to good effect here as he hopes to launch his career.

Horse to Follow

Shy Love (D. P. Murphy): This Malinas half-brother to Grade 1 performer Brandy Love was prominent throughout in the five-year-old maiden and took up the running a long way from home. He was only headed close home in a true-run maiden. If ridden with a little more restraint next time, the chesnut looks a certain maiden winner.