An excellent crowd attended the Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point meeting on Ollie and Olga Carroll’s lands at Ballydurn last Sunday. On an afternoon that witnessed a marathon eight race card, the left-handed track met with universal approval and most significantly of all, the ground was in pristine condition.
The vast majority of local interest centred on the confined maiden, an event that attracted the smallest field of the afternoon in eight runners. What it lacked in quantity, the event made up for in quality as the general consensus was that this was a most-competitive race and victory ultimately went to Jill Fleming’s 5/1 shot Valsfirth, a five-year-old newcomer by Flemensfirth.
Patiently ridden by Shane Byrne, Valsfirth was lying in fourth spot as leaders Accordian Breeze and Off The Shelf set off on the final circuit. The Sean Aherne-trained newcomer Son Of Erin moved through to dispute with Accordian Breeze with four fences remaining. Son Of Erin had moved into a two-length advantage when none too clever at the penultimate of the 15 obstacles.
Valsfirth was making smooth progress the whole time and he readily moved through to lead after this second last fence. Although Son Of Erin staged a determined rally on the flat, he was still three lengths adrift at the line whilst Fiddlers View kept on to secure the minor honours, a further distance adrift. Accordian Breeze faded badly in the closing stages to finished three lengths further adrift in fourth spot.
Valsfirth is jointly owned by Jill’s brother Patrick Fleming with the sibling’s father Tommy. Valsfirth is trained by Jill from Georgestown Stud, her place of work outside the village of Kill.
The Patrick Cody-trained Jimandgary vindicated the promise of two recent third-placed efforts by winning the second division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Jimandgary assumed command from two out to eclipse the staying-on Fresh Idea. Jimandgary is owned by All-Ireland winning Kilkenny hurler John Tennyson, a cousin to the winning handler.
Jimandgary’s rider Brian O’Connell went on to complete a two-timer courtesy of Philip Fenton’s Carolina Lady in the first part of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Michael Fogarty, who only partnered his first winner aboard Peggy Maddock at Roscommon the previous weekend, was also in double form.
The 18-year-old kicked off aboard the Sean Doyle-trained Jolly Boys Outing in the first section of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. In all probability, Goresbridge national hunt breeze up graduate Jolly Boys Outing will now be left off to grass.
Fogarty completed his two-timer by giving Oscarwood, trained by the in-form Denis Ahern for his cousin Aoife Hickey, an exemplary waiting ride to collect the third split of the six and seven-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Adrian Maguire’s newcomer Slim Jim proved a most decisive winner of the second heat of this same concluding contest in the hands of John Ryan. Slim Jim, representing Tom Davis of Moriartys’ bar in Mallow, posted a pillar to post success when disposing of Pauline Gore-Cogan’s Oh Houdini by eight lengths.
Mikey O’Connor brought his seasonal tally to 43 by joining forces with Michael Winters to collect the winners of one with the hugely-impressive Moon Prince.
Confidently ridden, Moon Prince eased past Dreamy Sweeney on the approach to the final fence to oblige by six lengths. “This horse should be even better on good ground and he’ll go for a bumper now”, reported Winters of Moon Prince, jointly owned by Richard Stack and Tom Ruddle from Co Limerick.
Trainer Pat Doyle continued his fine strike-rate with newcomers by saddling Gigginstown House Stud’s French-bred Sorceror to make a victorious career debut with Kevin Power in the first instalment of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The familiar Gigginstown colours were also carried to victory by Philip Rothwell’s Point Proven who sluiced home under Benny Walsh in the first division of the older horses’ maiden.
Harry Kelly’s Oscar Lass showed all the correct qualities to oblige in the second part of the mares’ maiden. Oscar Lass went to the head of affairs with Pa King with three fences remaining to dispose of Rita’s Flutter.
Johnny Cummins, former head-lad to ‘Mouse’ Morris, was credited with his initial training success when Tequilla Bob made every yard of the running in the second heat of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Tequilla Bob, owned by a three-way partnership comprising Hugh O’Connor, Michael Knightley and Peter Collier, stayed on resolutely to see off Stress in the hands of Roger Quinlan.
Donal Coffey’s Printing Copper sluiced home in the third section of the mares’ maiden.
Having shown a modicum of ability on her previous two starts despite pulling up both times, Printing Copper led or disputed under Paul Cashman virtually throughout. She gamely forged clear from two out to account for Anoseforgold.
RESULTS from Ballydurn
Going: Good
Tattersalls Ireland 4-Y-O Maiden (1st Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) Gigginstown House Stud’s Sorceror (FR) b g (Sleeping Car – Speakers Corner) 11-7 Mr K E Power
2) A & G Flynn’s The Ferbane Man 11-7 Mr R P Quinlan
3) W Bastes’ Big Rock Candy 11-7 Mr B O Walsh
11 ran. 3L, 5L, 7L.
Tattersalls Ireland 4-Y-O Maiden (2nd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) H O’Connor’s Tequilla Bob ch g (Bob’s Return – Tequilla Sunrise) 11-7 Mr R P Quinlan
2) W Bates’ Stress 11-7 Mr B O Walsh
3) E Hickey’s Flatley 11-7 Mr D Murphy
10 ran. 6L, Dist, Dist.
S. E. Construction (Kent) Ltd 5-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (1st Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) M Hatton’s Jolly Boys Outing b g (Glacial Storm – St Carol) Mr M Fogarty
2) M Sheehy’s Best Of Bocelli 12-0 Mr M M O’Connor
3) Mrs M Twohig’s Family Fantasie 12-0 Mr P A King
14 ran. 6L, 1L, 1L.
S. E. Construction (Kent) Ltd 5-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (2nd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) J Tennyson’s Jimandgary b g (Beneficial – Mrs Daniels) 12-0 Mr B T O’Connell
2) J Sheahan’s Fresh Idea 12-0 Mr M M O’Connor
3) J P O’Shea’s Cats In The Cradle (GB) 12-0 Mr R P Quinlan
14 ran. 5L, 4L, 4L.
Gain Horse Feeds Winners Of One of €1,500. 3 Miles
1) R Stack’s Moon Prince ch g (Moonax – Spanish Ryham) 6-12-0 Mr M J O’Connor
2) E Condon’s Dreamy Sweeney 6-12-0 Mr P Cashman
3) W F Treacy’s Fethard Bleu 6-12-0 Mr B T O’Connell
12 ran. 6L, 12L, 8L.
Billy Burke, Fishmerchant; Jim Harney, Publican; O’Shea’s Hotel, Tramore Confined Hunt Maiden of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) P & T Fleming’s Valsfirth ch g (Flemensfirth – Surfer Katie) 5-12-0 Mr S C Byrne
2) D Walsh’s Son Of Erin 5-12-0 Mr G M Mangan
3) Mrs B Queally’s Fiddlers View 8-12-0 Mr D L Queally
8 ran. 3L, Dist, 2L.
M. M. Halley & Sons Solicitors, Waterford 5 & 6-Y-O Mares’ Maiden (1st Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) L Kinsella’s Carolina Lady b m (Beneficial – Nanny Banks) 5-12-0 Mr B T O’Connell
2) B Cotter’s No End To Her 5-12-0 Mr B O Walsh
3) M Russell’s Bunion’s Wife 5-12-0 Mr P A King
15 ran. 6L, 4L, 4L.
M. M. Halley & Sons Solicitors, Waterford 5 & 6-Y-O Mares’ Maiden (2nd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) P Carroll’s Oscar Lass b m (Oscar – Mac’s Pride) 5-12-0 Mr P A King
2) P Drinan’s Rita’s Flutter 5-12-0 Mr S J Allen
3) Ms A Muller’s Oddwiller Manyana 6-12-0 Mr M J O’Connor
16 ran. 8L, 5L, Dist.
M. M. Halley & Sons Solicitors, Waterford 5 & 6-Y-O Mares’ Maiden (3rd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) D Coffey’s Printing Copper ch m (Blueprint – Copper Supreme) 5-12-0 Mr P Cashman
2) Mrs D Burke’s Anoseforgold 5-12-0 Mr D Murphy
3) D Brennan’s Light Comedy (GB) 5-12-0 Mr S C Byrne
14 ran. 10L, 4L. Only 3 Horses Finished.
Kilbarry Lodge Stud 6 & 7-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (1st Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) Gigginstown House Stud’s Point Proven ch g (Old Vic – Any Old Music) 6-12-0 Mr B O Walsh
2) J Ryan’s Native Taipan 6-12-0 Mr S C Byrne
3) J O’Dwyer’s Ballyprince 6-12-0 Mr D Murphy
15 ran. 10L, 10L, 5L.
Kilbarry Lodge Stud 6 & 7-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (2nd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) T Davis’ Slim Jim br g (Presenting – Orient Nickel) 6-12-0 Mr J A Ryan
2) Ms P Gore-Cogan’s Oh Houdini 6-12-0 Mr J B Joyce
3) Ms M Mullins’ Love The Truth 6-12-0 Mr P Cashman
15 ran. 8L, 2L, 6L.
Kilbarry Lodge Stud 6 & 7-Y-O Geldings’ Maiden (3rd Div) of €1,000. 3 Miles
1) Miss A Hickey’s Oscarwood b g (Oscar – Moiranessa) 6-12-0 Mr M P Fogarty
2) M Aherne’s John Fenton 6-12-0 Mr J W Hannon
3) Bewleys Hotels’ Destinationbewleys 7-12-0 Mr B T O’Connell
13 ran. 2L, 3L, 6L.