THE Declan Queally-trained Rocky’s Howya lit up Sunday’s Ballindenisk fixture, staged under the auspices of the United Hunt, by posting a subliminal performance to record his eighth success of the season in the open.

Rocky’s Howya (5/4 - 6/4), who had his winning streak halted by Fr Humphrey at Dromahane on April 23rd, was marginally preferred in the betting to Its On The Line who had finished second in the Cheltenham Foxhunters almost two months earlier.

Rocky’s Howya, who also came a fine fourth in that same Prestbury Park race, was settled well off the pace in mid-division by Chris O’Donovan as Act In Time took the seven runners along.

The winning son of Ask picked up the running after the third-last of the 12 fences and could be called the most likely winner from two out as he effortlessly maintained the tempo to account for Its On The Line by four lengths. Meanwhile, Stranger Danger returned a further two and a half lengths adrift in third.

Handler Queally’s son and namesake reported of Rocky’s Howya, representing Mrs Margaret Kiely from Dungarvan: “The three-week break from Dromahane definitely helped and he will probably run at Ballingarry next weekend.”

O’Donovan consolidated his advantage in the southern regional riders’ championship by partnering a two-timer as he was earlier on the mark aboard Tom Keating’s debutant Castle Ivers (3/1 - 4/1) in the second division of the four-year-old maiden.

Castle Ivers, a son of Malinas that was purchased for €25,000 at last year’s Derby Sale, was bounced out in front and he bounded clear from before the last to beat Little Big Kev by four lengths in the style of a horse that we will be hearing a lot more about.

“He’s a horse with plenty of boot that has always gone well at home and he’ll now go to a sale,” said owner/trainer Keating of Castle Ivers, a mid-May foal that’s a half-brother to Grade 1 placed novice chaser Max Ward.

The Sam Curling-trained Western Harmony (3/1 - 4/1) meanwhile stepped forward from his seventh-placed debut effort behind the impressive Captain Bellamy at Dromahane three weeks earlier by landing the first division of this same contest.

Western Harmony, Derek O’Connor’s sole ride at the fixture, was always positioned close to the pace and he had to be called upon for an effort from two out. The winning son of Champs Elysees however swept through to lead some 50 yards out to dismiss Village Master by a widening one and a half lengths in a race that’s likely to see plenty of future winners emerge from.

“He got cannoned into at the start at Dromahane the last day and he’s a horse that we’ve always thought a lot of,” remarked Curling of the John O’Leary-owned Western Harmony, a close relation to Harry Rogers’ former Grade 2 placed chaser Irish Thistle that he acquired for €35,000 at the 2022 Derby Sale.

Bertie gets a first career hat-trick

THE afternoon however really belonged to Bertie Finn as the 19-year-old from Monageer partnered an initial career hat-trick with all three winners supplied by this season’s leading handler Colin Bowe, the pair signing off courtesy of Glens Sensation (4/1 - 5/1) in the second division of the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Glens Sensation, a Mount Nelson-sired son of former dual Grade 1 winning hurdler Glens Melody, stepped forwards from his most recent third-placed effort at Dawstown on May bank holiday Monday by leading from two out to beat the promising Oscars Brother by three lengths.

It’s possible that the towering Glens Sensation, whose owner/breeder Fiona McStay was in attendance, will now be sold.

Finn also landed the first division of this same contest aboard the Tinahely January debut third Ideal De Romay (4/1 - 5/1), much to the delight of the nine bookmakers present.

Sporting the familiar Milestone Bloodstock Ltd silks, the 2021 Derby Sale graduate Ideal De Romay atoned for pulling up on his most recent start at Dromhane last month by leading from three out to dismiss Curraghmore runner-up Lord Desart by three lengths.

Finn instigated his treble aboard Friars Island Lady (5/2 - 11/4 favourite), a most consistent sort that was placed on four previous occasions, in the second division of the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

Friars Island Lady maintained a fractional advantage from two out to thwart eye-catching newcomer Sister Marguerite by a neck in the colours of Co Roscommon-based breeder Paul Gibbons.

Blue takes the spoils for O’Connor and Gallagher

THE Eamonn Gallagher-trained Blue In The West (6/1 - 8/1) treated his rivals with sheer disdain in the confined maiden. Blue In The West, having finished a creditable third on his career debut in an adjacent hunts maiden at this same venue in December, showed the benefit of two recent runs in point-to-point bumpers at Cork and Tipperary by forging clear from before two out with Mikey O’Connor to dismiss Eric Mellerick’s mount Sense The Tension by four lengths.

“He’s a handy horse and it was always the plan after he ran in the two pointers’ bumpers to come back here for this race on nice ground,” said Gallagher of Blue In The West, an own-brother to three-time winner Supremely West, whom he trains for Bartlemy-based breeder Padraig Barry.

The 19-year-old rider Andy Burke Ott brought his father Alex Ott’s Dear Ryta (4/1 - 5/1) from off the pace to land the first division of the mares’ maiden.

Dear Ryta, having completed the course on her two previous starts this season, made smooth progress from the second-last and she took the measure of Lackaneen Mag in the closing stages to score by a length in the colours of Ballinhassig-based breeder Eamonn Grainger.

Lackaneen Mag’s rider Darragh Allen later experienced better fortune by making his initial mount aboard Richard Black’s Golden De Coeur (9/4 - 5/2) a victorious one in the winners’ of two.

Confirmed frontrunner Golden De Coeur made virtually all and, whilst fractionally headed by runner-up Bourbon N Kentucky at the last, he fought back valiantly to oblige by three quarters of a length. The Edgar Allen-owned Golden De Coeur will now be offered at Doncaster next week.

Horse to Follow

Village Master (J. M. Fogarty): A half-brother to three Grade 2 winning siblings including Bun Doran, this Mastercraftsman-sired grey improved from his fifth-placed Dawstown effort to finish second in the first division of the four-year-old maiden. He should easily win on the track.