ON THE LOOSE
DEREK O’CONNOR
‘These latest wins for the powerfu nursery came on the weekend whe best-known graduates, Envoi Allen another brilliant day’ Page 2
‘I’m
FOCUS DRIAN BROWNE
DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint
Anotherfruitfulweekend for theBowepowerhouseteam
COLINBOWEhas seta strong pace in defence of his handlers’title in the openingmonth of the season. After arichhaul the previous weekend he addedtwo morethankstoAdamasinamares’ maiden at LisronaghonSaturday and Soldier In Mayo at Damma HouseonSunday.
Theselatestwins for the powerful nurserycame on the weekend when one of its best-known graduates enjoyedanother brilliantday.Envoi Allen showed all his old ability and enthusiasm in winningthe Ladbrokes Champion ChaseatDown Royal, still goingstrongsix and ahalf years after winninga maiden at Ballinaboola
It wasEnvoi Allen’ssecond winin the race,the 16th of his 27-race rules career, and his first since landing the Ryanair the season beforelast. He’s alwaysbeenagreat advertisement for apoint-to-pointbackground. Adamas is likely to be headingto the trackafter her debutwin for owner Brian Acheson. She’sawellconnectedfilly. By Diamond Boy, sireofGrade 1winners Impaire Et Passeand L’Homme Presse, she’s out of aKing’sTheatre half-sister to J’y Vole,a Grade 1chase winner for Willie Mullins
Therewereseveral goodwinners in the four-year-old geldings’ category at the weekend. Jonathan Fogartysaddled Westerner newcomer Hank West to ahandsome eight-length successunder Barry Stone at Lisronagh. He’s ahalfbrother to IWontBackDown, a horseI rode to abumperwin for Sam CurlingatBallinrobelastyear
Soldier In Mayo’s wininthe first division of the DammaHouse maiden came four weeks aftera promisingthirdbehind his stablemateBonaparte’s Retreatat Castletown Geoghegan. Conman John, winner of the second division for trainer-rider RobJames,was also steppingupfromaplaced efforton his firststart. He made agood first impression when finishingbehind the Bowe-trainedWalks In June at Dawstown in Mayand confirmed that with a20-length defeatofyet another Bowe youngster,Daydream Nation.
CormacDoyle producedRoad Exiletomakea winningstarttohis
career at Rathcannon on Sunday. He is by Harzand outofbumperwinner
Another Cliche,a half-sisterto Joncol, winner of Leopardstown’s Hennessy Gold Cupfor Paul Nolan,who has
‘Envoi Allen hasalways been agreat advertisement fora point-to-point background’
horse who goes well forrider Eoin Mahon. Abanksrace at Lingstown is nextonthe listfor him.That should be rightuphis street considering how well he took to the Punchestown course in the spring.
Curling four-timer
SamCurling saddledfourwinners at the weekend. It’s fair to sayIdidn’t have to work hard to wintwo smallfield races for the stable At LisronaghonSaturdayIrodeLa Feline to repeat lastyear’s wininthe mares’ open. Ourtaskwas made easier when Con McSweeney’s Tinahely winner Rebel Treaty fell in the lead twoout
Thenine-year-old La Feline has beenchampion mare for three consecutive years. Sam does a great job with her and it would be some achievementifshe retains the title
On SundayI hadmysecond winof the season on Wonderwall, bought outofthe Bowenstable duringthe summer.Iliked him when he beat the experiencedErDancer at Loughrea.Hehad no trouble justifying short-pricedfavouritism in the open at DammaHouse
Wonderwall is an eight-year old by Yeatsout of ahalf-sister to the topclassRiversideTheatre.
Hisoriginal trainer wasRichard Spencer, who hadhighhopes for him after he wonabumperatAscot around this time four yearsago.He wasthird-bestofthe Britishrunners when seventhbehind SirGerhard in the2021ChampionBumper.
alsowon with severalother members of this goodfamily. Road Exile jumped well for Jack Hendrick and battled to anarrow winfromLon Chaney who washavinghis thirdrace and almost made his experience count.
LonChaney’s rider,Harry Swan, wasnot longfinding a winner.Hemade all on the Enda Bolger-trained Well Buoy to winthe fiveyear-old geldings’maiden. Well Buoy wassecond in abumperat Wexfordduringthe summer for
HarryKelly and runner-up at Loughrea on his firstpoint-to-point start.
As youwould expectofahorse trainedbyEnda,hecould see action over the banksatPunchestown next spring, when he mightend up clashingwithlastseason’sLadies’ Cuprunner-up Fountain House. The IanMcCarthy-trainedgeldingisnow twofromtwo for the season after beatingMilo Miller in the winner-oftwoatDammaHouse. FountainHouse wasa33-1 chancewhensecond at Punchestown onlyamonth after winning theconfinedmaiden at Quakerstown.He’sanimproving
Unfortunately, his hurdlingcareer never progressed afteramaidenwin. Aswitch to the Flat producedseveral places,and aswitchtothe Bowens sawhim earn moreplace money over jumps.
This time,a change of scene and a differentdiscipline hasenabledhim to gethis head in fronttwice in arow. Hisconfidence should benefit,and thereare hopes he canmakethe grade as ahunterchaser.
Toni Quail rode her firstwinner of the season on the Curling-trained LonghouseStar in amatch for the older-horses’maiden at Damma House.
Another young rider, Laura Costello,alsogot off the mark for the new campaign riding Keep Me Posted, trainedbyher uncle Tom, at Rathcannon.
HEALYRACING
La Feline makesawinningreturninthe mares’ open at Lisronagh,beating the only other finisher Iorens by twolengths
IN FOCUS
‘It’sgrand
to work with diggerstoget away from horses andtoworkwith horses to getabreak from thediggers’
Adrian Browne
on whyhis parents thoughthewas madtotakeout his rider’slicence
ITWAS abit of asurprise to ride my second winner on West Of CarrigatCurraghmore.
He gotcolic around eightweeks agoand spentfour nights at the vet’satFethard. We weren’tsureifwewere goingtolosehim or not
Thevets worked miracles to save him and thank Godwe gothim home again. He’s been good since he returned into training; he’s straightforward to train butwe really thought he’d need the runthat day. He quickened nicely for me and wonwell. It wassuper to getanother win under my belt West Of Carrigmight nowrun in an open lightweightbut the goal for him is to runinthe hunter chaseatLimerickover Christmas and then areturnto the trackislikely for him. Iboughtmyfirst racehorse at the ageof18but it didn’t really work outashewasn’t
much good.Thankfully, I’m havingbetter luck with West Of Carrig.
Agood friend of my father, JayLeahy, pickedhim outand Iboughthim in September lastyear.Heprovidedmewith my firstwin in the saddle at BallyvodockinFebruary.
That wasamagical day. It really couldn’t have worked outany better than to ride my firstwinner at alocal track. I remembertherewereabout 40 of us jammedintothe parade ring for thephoto afterwards
My father Donhas trained around ten point-to-point winnersovermanyyears.We have asmall yard in Cloneen, Carrigtwohill in County Cork. My grandfather DonalBrowne alwaysowned point-topointersand my first memoryof goingracing would have beentosee one of his calledCloneen Stormwin. Ican’t rememberwhereasI wasonly fiveyearsold and I have lovedpointingeversince Cloneen Princesswas another Iremember. My father took outhis licence around then and we’vealwayshad a couple in trainingeversince ThemoreIhelpedmyfather, the moreinterestedIbecame
NEWS AND VIEWS
My father owns asmall plant hirebusiness,Don Browne PlantHire. Thereare only three of us workingthere. I never really took to school and hadnonotion of goingto school, so naturallyIworked with my father at the planthire companyand with the horses I’mthe eldestoffourand still liveathome,whichis handy. Dadand Irideout at 5.30am everyday.Hegoesto work at 7.30am and Ifollowon after 8am when Ihavethe horses sorted for theday We finish work at around
5.30pm and getthe yard finishedupafter 6pm.Itworks well for us.The rest of the family don’t ride much but help around the yard if needed and arealwaysthereto supportmeonracedays
We have three horses in training: twopointers, West Of Carrigand five-year-old Cloneen To TheMax,and a Flat mare,SpeckledMeadow SpeckledMeadow (left with Adrian Browne)never really runs abad race.Wewere delightedwithher winat Leopardstown in April.
It wasour firsttrack winner at home.Ifyou’d have askedus twoyearsago,would we ever have atrack winner on the Flat, we’d have saidnoway! Shewas boughttogohurdling and after ridingher oneday we realised she’danawfullot morespeed in her than the point-to-pointerssowe decidedtohavea go on the Flat with her.
We putina walker in the yard lastyear, whichisabig bonusand saves us abit of time in the mornings.Wealso putintwo all-weather
paddocks,which is good for the horsestoget outinfor a roll. It keeps them happier and healthier.Weare always trying to do somethingdifferentto improve.
We mainly usethe gallops of ourgood neighbour Terence O’Brien butalsohavemy grandfather’s bigfieldsat home,which aregood for fresheningupa horseordoing some quicker work
My parents thoughtI was madwhen Iwantedtotakeout my rider’slicence and my father triedhis best to talk me outofit. Ireckonyou’reonly young once and it’s something Ialwayswantedtodo. As you getolderit’sharder to stay fitand stay sound so I want to ride when I’myoung. My mother wasn’tverykeen, butshe came around aftermy first few rides.
I’dliketocontinue working theway Iam. It’s grand to work with the diggerstoget away from the horsesand it’s greattoworkwiththe horses to get abreak from the diggers.It’sanicemixture between the two In the futureI’d consider takingout my trainer’s licence and expand. I’mlearningevery dayatthis game.I’venever ridden anywhereorgot experience from anywherebut home.I’velearnedeverythingI knowfrommyfather
ADRIAN BROWNE WAS TALKING TO DEBBIE McCRELLIS
La Felinebackonhappy huntingground
LA FELINE createdhistory last season whenbecomingthe firsthorse to be crowned championpoint-to-point mare in three successiveyears and the nine-year-old made a winningreturn to action at LisronaghonSaturday.
Th ep enulti mat e-fe nce departure of herchief rival Rebel Treaty simplifiedthe task facingthe John O’Leary-owned returningchampionasshe was able to record atwo-length success in thehands of Derek O’Connor
Theformer championrider often brings outthe best in her, havingbeenaboardfor all but one of her 11 victories in the pointingsphere,withthe Wicklowrider Brian Lawless havingguidedthe daughter of Martaline to victoryinamares’ open at CorbeaghHouse in December2022.
Saturday’ssuccess wasalso the thirdtime she hadwon that particular mares’ open at the Tipperaryvenue anditstarted asuccessful weekend for her handler SamCurlingand owner John O’Leary.
Thepairwerealsoamong the winners in the open at DammaHouse 24 hours later with Wonderwall as he joined Winged Leader and PrioryPark in becomingjustthe third horsethis season to wintwo open races
This latest victory supplementedhis impressive debutin the sphereatLoughrea last month,withthe hunter chase at theCheltenham Festival nextMarch already on the agenda for the eight-year-old. In all, Curling’sSkehanagh stables were responsible for four weekend winners, with Dont Tell Shirleyand LonghouseStar
victorious at Rathcannonand DammaHouse
Early days but Bowe arrowing in on title
Reigningchampion handler Colin Bowe hasswept all beforehim acrossthe opening fiveweekendsofthe season, with winnersatLisronaghand DammaHouse bringingthe Ki lte al yo pe rato rt on ew heights
Histallyfor the campaign already stands at 13 as he attempts to winhis 14th title and 11th in succession.
Fewofthosesuccesseswill have given him as much satisfact ion, ho we ve r, as his former pointerEnvoi Allen returningtothe winner ’s enclosure.
It will be sixyearsinFebruary since the Muhtathir gelding made awinning debutfor
Bowe’s Milestone stables team, runningout the ten-length winner of afour-year-old maiden at Ballinaboola
In thefollowing yearsthe ten-year-old hasbecome one of the sport’sbiggest names, winning11straightraces under ru les for Go rd on El liott, includingfiveGrade 1s
Sincejoining hiscurrent trainerHenrydeBromhead in 2021and stepping outofopen companyhis fortuneshave been mixed butlastSaturday’s hard-foughtvictory in the Ladbrokes ChampionChase at Do wn Roya lb ro ugh th is record to nineGrade 1wins.
Thetwo-dayDownRoyal fixture certainly whetted the appetitefor the season to come wi th mor er ec en t graduates of the point-topointfields Donnchadh Doyle’s Belclare
winner RomeoCoolio had finishedsecond in last season’s Grade 1ChampionBumperat the Cheltenham Festival in his firstseason with Elliott, and he enjoyedthe perfecthurdling debutwith an 18-length rout of amaiden at theDownvenue Doyle’s younger brother Co rm ac ha di nt ro duced ClassicalCreek to make a winningdebut at Tattersalls in April, and that four-yearold ma de an imme dia te impression on his initial outinginbumpers having alsomadehis waytoElliott’s Cullentrayard.
Anticipation high for Rocky’sHowya return
The2023 champion point-topointhorseRocky’s Howyais beingreadiedfor an imminent return to action.
Declan Queally’schargehas
not beenseenincompetitive action since lowering the colo urs of th at se as on’s champion hunter chaser ItsOn TheLine in aBallindenisk open in May2023. It wasthe culmination of a championship-winningseason he st ar ted as am ai de n, winning his older maiden at BallycrystalinOctober2022, beforeenjoyingarapid rise through the ranks,ashewon eightraces in that campaign. Therewas also ahugely creditable effortatthe Cheltenham Festivalwhenhewas beaten only four lengths in fourth Havingsuffered asetback that ruledhim outoflast season, anticipationwillbe high to see if he canreturn to that sameformand again make his presence felt within the open division.
West Of Carrig provided Adrian Browne with hisfirst winnerinFebruary at Ballyvodock, hislocaltrack
LIMERICK BRUFF AT RATHCANNON SUNDAY
BANKS supremo Enda Bolger last won the Punchestown festival Ladies Cup in 2019 but he ha s se t his si gh ts on regaining the prize in 2025 with Well Buoy, who will be aimed at the cross-country race in the spr ing af ter op enin g his account here.
Expectations were high before his stable debut at Loughrea last month after being placed in a Wexford bumper in the summer and, ha vin g ag ain fill ed th e runner-up spot at the Galway venue, he made it third-time lucky in the Clarkes Bar fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden.
Harr y Swan guided the gelding by Well Chosen to a two-length defeat of Revolut Ned and there could be few more fitting winners than Bolger at the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Bruff races, with the committee crediting him with being a continued source of advice.
“He came on nicely from his first run for us in Loughrea and as he’s new to us we’re learning about him the whole time,” Bolger said.
“He was well bought by Aubrey McMahon and I’m
Star performance
Road Exile is the latest son of Harzand to impress in the point-to-point fields with this debut success
delighted for his owner Mr Loads, who is based in the UK but is here today. The horse’s long-term aim is the Ladies Cup but he will need to run in at least another point-to-point before then.”
Revolut Ned’s handler Willie Murphy and jockey Pa King had to again settle for second in the Beechinor Group and Evergreen Bloodstock winnersof-three as his Grageen trailed in two lengths adrift of Keep Me Posted
The Shirocco gelding had not been pointing since winning at Oldcastle in April 2023 but the seven-year-old made a victorio us re tu rn under La ura Costello, niece of the winning handler Tom Costello
“He had a mighty season a couple of years ago but things just never clicked for him last season for whatever reason,” the handler said.
“Laura gets on well with him She was good and positive on
him today and it suited him as he’s a very genuine horse who jumps really well.”
Ennis native Jack O’Grady was another Clare rider to visit the winner’s enclosure with his one-and-a-half-length victory on Dont Tell Shirley in the Rea Dooley Group five-year-oldand-upwards mares’ maiden. It was the 25-year-old’s first ride of the season.
The Mark Byrne-owned fiveyear-old contributed to an across-the-card treble for handler Sam Curling, supplementing the Damma House do uble by the Ti pp erar y handler
The Skehanagh stables team had to settle for second in the Maurice Power Solicitors novice riders’ open, however, when Priory Park confirmed his defeat of Jay Bee Why at Umma House a fortnight ago.
The eight-year-old managed to cut in half the margin of defeat that Edward O’Grady’s Dylan Thomas gelding had inflicted at the Westmeath venue as Duncormick rider Eoin Staples recorded his third success of the season with the three-length victory.
“Eoin is a good young rider
TIPPERARY AT LISRONAGH SATURDAY
Bolger has eyes on regaining Ladies Cup with Well Buoy Champion mare La Feline strikes eleven
LA FELINE, champion mare for the last three seasons, began the defence of her title with an 11th pointing victory.
It was the third time in succession she had started her season by winning this mares’ open under Derek O’Connor, this year’s race sponsored by Acorn Lodge, and was the first leg of a weekend four-timer for handler Sam Curling.
But her task was simplified ag ainst tw o ri va ls whe n longtime leader Rebel Treaty fell two out while still travelling well. It left O’Connor to ease La Feline past Iorens to win by two lengths
“It’s great to have her back and we won’t overrace her this season,” Curling said of the John O’Leary-owned nineyear-old. “She really knows how to win and she’ll probably be covered in the spring.”
Star performance
Hank West powered clear in the home straight for an eight-length winning debut
The champion mares’ title is based on highest rating, not winners, and last season La Feline received her best rating when splitting highly rated geldings Lifetime Ambition and Samcro at Bellharbour in February.
Jonathan Fogarty has his string in top form and his Hank West recorded a clear-cut success in the Sladdagh Farms fo ur-y ear-old ge ldin gs ’ maiden.
In a race run at a frenetic pace, Hank West had just moved through to dispute the running with Linden Lane
who has got on very well with him twice now, so I should think we will stick to these open races for novice riders before possibly trying him in a hunter chase down the line,” O’Grady said.
There was a family success to the O’Flynn’s Centra Bruff and Paul Leonard Construction
older geldings’ maiden, as John Barry was sporting the colours of his wife Jessica Riordan on Aill Dubh, a horse trained by his mother-in-law Jeanette Riordan.
Rated 82 over hurdles when with Michael Flannery, the seven-year-old had offered plenty of promise when third
on his initial outing for current connections at Umma House a fortnight earlier, and he duly stepped forward to outbattle The Last Minute by a short head, one of three seconds in the afternoon for King.
“This is a horse I rode a few times for Michael Flannery last season and I liked him,” Barry
when the latter departed at the fifth-last of 15 obstacles
Cl og ha n Ca st le ca me through to lead from four out, bu t the wi nnin g so n of Westerner made the decisive move for Barry Stone by edging ahead on the ru n to the second-last.
Hank West was gone beyond recall approaching the final fence and returned with eight lengths to spare over seasonal debutant Champagne Fortune.
“He’s a nice horse who we were very happy with coming here,” Fogarty’s brother Mikey said of the Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned Hank West, a mid- May foal who is a maternal grandson of French Grade 2 winning filly Avanti Polonia.
“He has a fair bit of pace and I really like the way he finished. He’ll now be sold.”
Ow ner -tr aine r Sha ne Roche’s Highway Skyline was an unlucky loser of the Maher Auctioneers and the INHSC older maiden.
Absent since May 2023, Highway Skyline stormed clear under Stone after two out and was ten lengths clear when falling at the last.
Keeptheoldmanout, who started favourite, took full advantage Last season’s dual runner-up was left clear under James Murphy to beat Primitic by two lengths in the colours of Sean Dolan, from Craughwell. Reigning champions Colin Bo we an d Ba rr y O’ Ne ill continued their outstanding campaign by teaming up to land the Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale four-year-old mares’ ma ide n wi th de bu tan t Adamas
The €55,000 2023 Derby sale
acquisition led from two out and coasted clear to beat Shanagolden Girl by five lengths carrying the familiar pink, white and black silks of Br ian Acheson, ow ner of horses on the track such as Gerri Colombe, Teahupoo, Irish Point and Bob Olinger under the Robcour banner
“She’s a very smart filly and Barry said she grabbed a hold of him at the second-last,” Bowe said. “She’ll probably now go to one of her owner’s track trainers.”
The winner, by Diamond Boy, is out of a dual-winning dam who is a half-sister to Willie Mullins’ Grade 1 chasing mare J’y Vole
He ro In Th e Sky , who finished fourth at this meeting 12 months ago, put her recent hurdling experience to good use by making most of the
running under handler Alex Ott’s son Luke Burke Ott in the Gain Equine Nutrition fiveyear-old mares’ maiden. Re pr es en tin g Th om as Herlihy, from Rosscarbery, she asserted after the second-last to beat Kilrush Lady by six lengths
Pierce Power, whose uncle Captain Con Power died at the weekend, struck with Sainthilaire in the Hotel Minella and Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Sainthilaire, a runner-up at Stradbally in May, had to be pushed along briefly after four out, but the son of No Risk At All surged past pacesetting City Slippers for Jack Hendrick before the final fence to see off Recommended, partnered by O’Neill for Bowe, by four lengths
said. “Michael recommended him to me over the summer so I’m very thankful to him.”
Twenty-four hours after his Tattersalls winner Classical Creek made an impressive rules debut at Down Royal for Gordon Elliott, Cormac Doyle was back among the winners when sending out Road Exile
for a debut success in the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden. Out of a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Joncol, the Harzand gelding belied his inexperience with an assured round of jumping under Jack Hendrick to beat the previously placed Lon Chaney by a head.
Speedy Conman John cruises home for James
ROB JAMES showed he has mastered the dual role of rider and handler as the reigning joint-champion in the saddle unleashed another exciting prospect
It came on his own Conman John who thrashed his rivals in a division of the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale four-year-old geldings’ maiden.
An excellent third on his only previous start at Dawstown last season, the son of Malinas was bounced out smartly at the head of affairs before being joined by newcomer Starmount from the fourth fence.
There was little to separate the pair until the winner edged in to a co upl e of le ng ths advantage after the third-last.
Starmount was only two and a half lengths adrift when falling two out, leaving Conman John to pull clear with a potent turn of foot to beat last month’s Portrush runner-up Daydream Nation by 20 lengths
“He’s a very nice horse who was just a bit weak when he ran in Dawstown,” James said. “The summer’s grass has done him the power of good and he has a very good cruising speed.”
Owned by the Matchmaker
Star performance
Conman John looked a class act as he inflicted an impressive 20-length defeat on his rivals
Syndicate, Conman John is out of a half-sister to A Rated from the same family as Planet Of Sound and cost €31,000 at the Goffs Arkle sale.
Col in Bo w e and Ba rr y O’Neill, who combined with Daydream Nation, continued their stellar season, landing the first division with last month’s Castletown-Geoghegan debut third Soldier In Mayo
Representing Alberta Capital Ltd, Soldier In Mayo moved closer to longtime leader Kool Kid on the outer two out and joined the pacesetter at the last Faster away from the fence, the winning son of Soldier Of Fortune kept the rallying Kool Kid at bay by a neck in the day’s closest finish
He will now be offered at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale on November 15.
Sam Curling, responsible for an across-the-card three-timer on Sunday, saddled the opening leg of a double at this fixture
with odds-on Wonderwall in the Blaklader Workwear open
The eight-year-old dual British track winner, who finished seventh behind Sir Gerhard in the 2021 Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival bumper, supplemented last month’s easy point debut success at Loughrea by leading under Derek O’Connor two out to beat long-time leader Francois by ten lengths
“That’s brilliant, he’s now qualified for the Cheltenham Foxhunters,” Curling said of Jo hn O’ Le ar y’s £33 ,00 0 purchase at this summer’s Goffs UK sale at Doncaster
“We’ll give him a break and maybe bring him back to run at Bellharbour in February or he’ll go straight to Cheltenham.”
Cu rl in g the n se nt ou t Longhouse Star to win the Mount Juliet Estate six-yearold-and-upwards geldings’ maiden, a race that attracted just two runners
Former track performer Longhouse Star jumped impeccably for Toni Quail and the seven-year-old, representing John Duggan, asserted from two out to beat Bective Bridge by four lengths
Ian McCarthy’s Fountain House justified market support in the Ballylinch Stud winnersof-two under Eoin Mahon.
Successful in a Loughrea winners’ race last month, Fountain House made his way to the front two out and last season’s Ladies Cup runner-up then fought off Milo Miller to win by half a length
Fountain House, owned by his handler’s wife Nicki, is likely to be aimed at cross-country races again this season.
The Pat Doyle-trained Dixie Mafia atoned for some bad luck last term by asserting from the second-last with talented 5lb claimer David Doyle to win by 25 lengths in the Goffs Coral Go ld Cu p fi ve -y ear-o ld geldings’ maiden. Cleariestown-based ownertrainer Shane Roche saddled his first winner when the hom eb re d Le ad ing Endeavour, a half-sister to Great Endeavour who landed the 2011 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, returned under Barry Stone with 20 lengths to spare over Nanny Betty in the Alexander Rafter Solicitors five-year-old-andupwards mares’ maiden.
Newcomer Road Exile (far side) fights off Lon Chaney to land the four-year-old geldings’ maiden
Fountain House (yellow and blue) edges out Milo Miller by half a length to land the winners-of-two under Eoin Mahon
Colin Bowe and Barry O’Neill continue their fine form by combining to land the four-year-old mares’ maiden with debutant Adamas
Another first crop winner for the World Champion!
“Watamu has run out an emphatic winner, powering further and further clear!” RTV
The Pat Murphy trained 3-year-old powered 8½-lengths clear of her rivals to win on debut for owner/breeder Paul Jacobs in the 2m½f Bumper at Stratford.
Crystal Ocean x Teesdale from Little Lodge Farm won the Richard Aston Colts’ Class at the British NH Breeders Showcase at Doncaster on Thursday
World Champion Racehorse by SEA THE STARS.