ANTRIM-based Harry Smyth, who has three horses under his care and has been training for 40 years, bagged his first success of the season as Willyouwalkwithme landed the 80-102 rated Aidan Moffitt Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

A dual winner last term, the victorious seven-year-old was ridden by Denis O’Regan for the first time in just under two years and returned in great shape on his first outing since mid-June. The 8/1 shot struck the front in between the last two flights and kept on well to hold off Mary Meehan by a length and a quarter.

“He likes a long uphill finish and for a £3,000 horse he has now won three races. It’s fun, and long may it continue,” said Smyth. “I told Denis a fortnight ago to make himself available for this but I’m not always right! There was plenty of pace today which is what he needs. He might have to step into an 80-109 now which will be more difficult, but he’s improving.”

First success

Another inexpensively bought winner was Norman Lee’s Ladiam (7/2) who registered the first success of her career in the Hankook Pearse Road Tyres Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles. A runner-up on her last two outings, the Tommy & James Walsh Partnership-owned five-year-old relished the step up to this trip. Paddy O’Hanlon’s mount got on top approaching the last flight and went on to reach the line one and three-quarter lengths ahead of The Grey Monty.

“She’s a grand, tough, genuine mare and the lads picked her up from Done Deal for small money,” reported Lee. “She probably wants this trip and she should stay three miles. Even though she’s only 15.2, she’ll jump a fence too.”

Gordon Elliott made it 49 winners for the season as he took the finale with Ginnets Girl (17/2) who progressed from a debut fourth to Dark Image at Limerick last month to land the two-and-a-quarter-mile four-year-old bumper.

Amateur John Gleeson, on his first ride for the trainer, produced the daughter of Mamool with a strong challenge on the outside as the leaders neared the straight. It wasn’t long before the Joe and Danny Byrne Partnership-owned filly was showing in front and she sustained her effort in willing fashion to hold off Western Comandor by half a length.

Notable first win for Cromwell

KIEREN Buckley, who relocated to Ireland this season at the instigation of Gavin Cromwell, rode his first winner for that trainer on Hascoeur Clermont in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle over an extended three miles.

The 15/8 favourite had no difficulty dealing with a 6lbs rise in the weights for scoring at Bellewstown last month and Buckley judged things to perfection as he produced the Over The Sticks Syndicate-owned five-year-old to head the runaway leader I Don’t Get It on the approach to the last for a commanding seven-length victory over Frazel Express.

Chance ride

“I had a chance ride on My Mate Mozzie in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham for Gavin and a few days later Gavin rang me up and offered me the job to come over here,” declared Buckley. “That’s my fourth of the season and my first for Gavin so it’s a very satisfying winner and hopefully I can kick on from here.”

John McConnell, who supplied Buckley with a winner at Wexford earlier this month, took the opening mares’ maiden hurdle as Bella Bliss (13/8) progressed on a series of honourable efforts in defeat. This Claire Wylie-owned daughter of Getaway, who chased home Happy D’Ex at Downpatrick 10 days previously, cruised clear of the field before the straight to finish seven lengths ahead of the 96-rated Dinero Falso.

“She’s a big baby,” commented McConnell. “She had the ability to have won before now and was possibly unlucky on occasions. She was maybe unlucky to come up against a good one of Gordon’s the last day and I think she could be better going left-handed, so I think there’s plenty to look forward to with her.”

London buses for Leading
Me On

AFTER enduring a frustrating run of second-place finishes, the Leslie Young-trained He’s Leading Me On has been busy setting the record straight in recent days and followed up a win at Tramore last Thursday by taking the Sligo Chamber Of Commerce Handicap Hurdle over and extended two and a half miles.

The 9/4 favourite wasn’t that fluent as he came to deliver his challenge for rider Sean Flanagan at the second last but he wasted no time getting on top after that flight and then lasted home to see off the staying-on Sphagnum by a length and a quarter. The reliable five-year-old is owned by Bryan Meade and Conor Mohan.

“Ryan Treacy (jockey) knows him inside out,” remarked Flanagan. “Unfortunately he’s out injured at the moment but he explained him down to a tee. A couple of his friends own this horse, so I’m delighted for them all.

“I was flat out early on but I was trying to keep him as comfortable as I could without letting the leaders get away from me. Going down the back the final time, I felt they had probably gone a little bit too hard and he’s come home really well.”

Tom Gibney and Darragh O’Keeffe combined for their fourth winner this season as Story Rory (5/1) picked up the Francie ‘Banger’ Burns Handicap Hurdle.

The veteran Snugsborough Benny looked to be in charge coming to the last flight but he went out to his right there and was treading water on the run in which enabled the Alberta Capital-owned Story Rory to pounce in the closing stages and prevail by a length and a half. The winner was adding this race to a victory at Ballinrobe in late May.

“He’s a lovely straightforward horse and hasn’t put a foot wrong since we got him, bar the first day when I ran him without a tongue tie. He travelled and jumped and, as usual, Darragh gave him a peach of a ride.”