O’Neill hails Christie after Bold Enough win

BARRY O’NEILL was full of praise for the training prowess of his long-standing supporter David Chr istie af te r the Fermanagh handler successfully unleashed yet another newcomer when Bold Enough won the CAB Group open by two and a half lengths

The eight-year-old had beaten just one rival on his fin al st ar t for He nr y de Br om head at Ga lw ay in October, but he could be set for a profitable spell in this sphere after comfortably accounting for last year ’s Morebattle Hu rd le ru nner-u p Sa in t

Star performance

Jhentong Enki couldn’t have won any easier on debut

D’Oroux on his stable debut.

“It’s another great find from David [Christie]. He’s rejuvenated from his track form and he’s done it very well,” O’Neill said. “I’d say we will go down the hunter-chase route I’ll ride him and David will pick where he goes. He’s a genius.”

The reigning champion rider had opened the day’s action in impressive fashion when Colin

Bowe’s Jhentong Enki justified ma rk et su pp o rt in the Dennison Commercials fouryear-old maiden.

O’Neill scarcely had to move a muscle on the €48,000 Buck’s Boum gelding to beat Cormac Farrell’s Where’s My Jet by six lengths

“He is a very sharp horse and he has won very impressively,” Bowe said. “He looks the full package and he will make his mark on the track.”

Tom Dreaper was the third different handler to supply O’Neill with a winner on the card when they combined to

Avondhu At Knockanard Sunday

take the Shortcross mares’ winners-of-two with Lar’s Lass

The seven-year-old had beaten the subsequent double wi nne r Gr ay Ro ck when op enin g her acco un t at Lingstown in November, and the switch to mares’-only company saw her beat Elusive Mae by two and a half lengths

O’Neill’s friend and chief rival Rob James will have gained extra satisfaction from the success of Check The Score in the Tattersalls NH five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Not only did he ride the son of Mahler to a nine-length defeat of Jamie Sloan’s Kilkee Royal, but he also trained him having bought the bay in partnership with Eamonn Doyle for €45,000 at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover Sale

The bay will now head back to the sales ring as he is set to be offered at next week’s Tattersalls Cheltenham February sale

Time Was bounced back to the form which had seen her beaten narrowly on her debut in Loughrea last year when winning the ITBA mares’ maiden as she pleased.

The Court Cave mare was a disappointing favourite on her sta ble de bu t for Br ia n Hamilton at Borris House in December having joined his Downpatr ick stable from Emmet Mullins

That proved to be just a temporary blip as the six-yearold was confidently produced by Alex Harvey to beat Time For Joy by nine lengths