THE Latta family from Co Wexford savoured their biggest success under rules as Thisistheway took her form to a new level in the €75,000 Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final - also providing jockey John Shinnick with a key winner in his bid to be crowned champion conditional rider.

A homebred mare by Doyen with a liking for decent ground, the 9/1 shot has been a terrific servant to Yvonne, Charlie and Andrew Latta, and was supplementing previous bumper, maiden hurdle and handicap hurdle wins for the yard.

The six-year-old is clearly going the right direction and did enough to see off a spirited showing from 80/1 outsider Fleetfoot, trained by Mark Molloy. This success left Shinnick only one winner behind conditional championship leader Tiernan Power Roche.

Andrew Latta said: “It’s been a long time in the planning. The minute she came back in to go hurdling this has been the target all along. To even get here is brilliant but to actually win it is brilliant again.

“She keeps herself fit as she’s a box walker, you just have to keep her under control. She’s not a very good work mare, she leaves it all for the track. I’d say we’ll give her a break now as she’s on the go for a while. We’ll get her back in for early autumn on good ground and maybe target a couple of bigger pots or blacktype races.”

Queally cashes in

With mares finishing first and second on the same card’s Grade 1 bumper, it appears a strong year for bumper mares on these shores - and Declan Queally has another high-class one on his hands in the shape of Carrigmoornaspruce.

It felt only right that a superb season for the Co Waterford yard was wrapped up with a sweet Grade 3 strike in the Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF Mares Bumper. A late surge from the 11/2 winner was too much for Aintree Festival winner Seo Linn to handle close home, with four lengths separating the pair at the death.

An enthusiastic group of supporters surrounding the Old Fools Partnership were on hand to welcome back the smartly-bred five-year-old by Diamond Boy.

Winning rider and assistant trainer Declan Queally Jr said: “Her form was very strong. It’s nice to have got this with her after being placed in two blacktype races. We had her entered in the Grade 1 as well but I was talking to Paul Mullins [owner-breeder of Switch From Diesel] on the morning of declarations. When they said they were going for the Grade 1, we decided to go for the easier option here.

“She was keen throughout but I got a grand trip round and got a nice tow into the straight. She stayed well after being so keen - it was a good performance. You’d be hoping she could possibly go to Listowel. The boys are farmers and that would be the dream, to have a winner down there. Then it would be picking your battles with three or four runners in blacktype races and trying to do as much as we can for the pedigree.”

DAVID Pipe bridged a 10-year gap between Punchestown Festival winners when 14/1 shot Thanksforthehelp continued a sparkling start to the week for British-trained runners in the Adare Manor Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle.

One of five in the race for J.P. McManus’, the two-and-a-half-length winner over 5/1 favourite Ballysax Hank had been rated 128 at his peak, sent off 100/30 favourite from that rating when eighth in the 2023 Pertemps Final, but had dropped to a more attractive 118 this season.

The victory also meant a first Punchestown Festival winner for this season’s Troytown Chase-winning jockey Gavin Brouder.

Pipe, celebrating his first Punchestown success since Champers On Ice won a bumper under Jamie Codd at the 2015 meeting, said: “He finished third in this a couple of years ago and, on his day, he’s a decent horse. He probably could have done with the ground being a bit softer but Gavin Brouder gave him a great ride and he battled strongly, and was very brave today. It’s lovely to get a winner for J.P. - we’ll speak with the team before deciding what he does next.”

Kaid collects

A double for McManus was brought up in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle when Kaid d’Authie got his season back on track after a Cheltenham mishap in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained novice was cut to 10/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after a maiden hurdle win at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival earlier in the season but he got set alight after jumping into the back of rivals at the first in the Cotswolds and ran too keen before pulling up.

With cheekpieces on, more forward tactics employed by Mark Walsh and a slower pace to race at, he proved a different proposition as the nicely-supported 9/4 favourite, though his jumping still left something to be desired at times in this three-and-a-half-length strike over the useful Blue Mosque.

“Hopefully he’ll have more respect for his fences when he goes chasing next,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to the winning owner.

“He has little respect for hurdles anyway. He’s a fine, big horse with a long stride, and that’s half the battle from a jumping perspective. Hopefully he’ll put it all together over fences.”

Berlais is back

A stunning afternoon for the Mullins camp was rounded off when James Du Berlais made it a five-timer on the card for Closutton in the €100,000 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase - getting J.J. Slevin off the mark for the week.

Fifth in the Topham at Aintree last time, Simon Munir & Isaac Souede’s nine-year-old crept into contention quietly before picking up on the run to the last to oblige by four and a quarter lengths at 7/1.

“He’s been a little bit disappointing but J.J. gave him a beautiful ride to sneak him into the race off what looked like a very fast pace,” Mullins said after a 296/1 five-timer.

“He’s a spectacular jumper and he made use of all the attributes that he has.”