Magnussen helps Barry to his first treble in five years

JOHNNY BARRY moved into fifth place in this season’s riders’ table on 11 winners after a treble here added to a success a day earlier at Tyrella to take his career total to 180.

It was the first treble since Tralee in May 2018 for the 33-year-old rider from Conna, County Cork, and two of his winners, Bridget Mary and Busty Boy, were supplied by in-form Maike Magnussen.

The handler will have had immense satisfaction from the debut success of Bridget Mary in the Tattersalls NH Con Healy Memorial five-year-old-andupwards mares’ maiden as the daughter of Sholokhov was bred by the late Imelda Harney from Templemore.

Bridget Mary’s dam, Leanne, won five races for Harney and her late husband Billy and Magnussen operates out of the Harneys’ yard in Templemore where Billy Harney trained Monanore and Boreen Belle

Bridget Mary came from behind to dispute the running with Right Tempo from two out and there was little to separate the pair until the Tipperary raider shaded the verdict on the line by a short head.

Bridget Mary is owned by the six-member Adelmi Syndicate, which includes Linda and Rachael Harney, daughters of Billy and Imelda Magnussen brought up her first double, increasing her seasonal tally to six, when Busty Boy showed a clean pair of heels to his rivals in the Jerry Mc Ca rt hy Ca rri gtw ohill Shopping & Business Centre

Star performance

Ismael beat proven rivals in style to mark himself out as an exciting prospect

Spratts Bar winnersof-two.

Busty Boy, posting a third success of the season, took command two out to beat Sir Rock by three lengths with a further half length back to longtime leader Ta Se Rua.

“He’s coming on the whole time. We have a few options wi th him no w and I’ m delighted he has won again,” Magnussen said of Busty Boy, whose breeder, Thomas Maher from Holycross, was on hand to join in the celebrations Barry completed his hat-trick in the Hurley’s Supervalu Midelton mares’ open on Getawayrooney for Kinsale-based handler Jason O’Reilly.

A three-time winner in 2020, had his first ride in points nine months ago and, after being narrowly denied at Rathcannon earlier in the season when riding for O’Connor’s brother Paurick, the multiple champion rider supplied his employee with his first success as the Westerner gelding came 30 lengths clear of Hemicycle “I’m delighted to get the monkey off my back,” Nugent said. “I’m very grateful to Derek and Carol for putting their faith in me I can’t thank them enough Most of my family are here to enjoy it.”

Donal Barry’s Indian Louis backed up his Aghabullogue maiden success when proving two and a half lengths too good for five rivals in the FMN Studio Mungret winner-of-one

Much of the focus before the off revolved around the widemargin Tinahely winner Rockandrose. However, he was unable to provide Christie with a double, finishing third to Indian Louis, who got the better of a battle with Nice To Meet Nice To Meet’s rider/handler

Mikey O’Connor also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the INHS Committee, High Design & Pat O’Connell mares’ maiden when No Pains No Gains proved no match for Ma season Winged Leader and Barry O’Neill lead in the open from Er Dancer the Corbeagh House third was always positioned near the lead with Glenbeg Empress, and made the best of her way home from three out to beat Fromheretoeternity by one and a half lengths in the colours of owner-breeder Michael O’Neill from Reenascreena.

“She would have hated the ground in Corbeagh House, but I knew coming here she was the mare to beat if she was back to the level she was at two years ago,” O’Reilly said. “We could go for the mares’ hunter chase at Cork over Easter.”

Th e new comer Is ma el continued Declan Queally’s purple patch by destroying the opposition in the O’Connell Group five-year-old geldings’ maiden, taking him to joint top of the trainers’ table on 12 winners with Gordon Elliott.

Ismael was bounced out by Chr is O’ Do no va n in the 15-runner contest, the biggest field of the afternoon, before edging ahead from the fifth

The winning son of Coastal Path, a €38,000 acquisition at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover sale, increased the tempo from five out and held all the aces from the second-last as he strode clear of Syracus Du Houx

Although blundering at the final fence it didn’t make the slightest difference as Ismael returned 12 lengths clear of Syracus Du Houx with a similar margin back to Park The Giant.

Queally, whose wife Bernie owns Ismael, was represented by his son Declan, who said: “He’s a beautiful horse who’s a real good jumper and his work has always been impressive.”

Ismael traces back to Grade 2 winning hurdler Moulin Riche in whom Joe Walsh, from Comeragh, outside Lemybrien, holds an interest.

Focus Point stepped forward from his second at Borris House in December by running his rivals ragged from the front to provide handler Timmy Hyde’s 19-year-old grandson Dan Hyde with a first points winner in the Norman Walsh Solicitors & Guilders Bar older maiden.

The sweet-jumping Focus Point, in the silks of Hyde’s wife Trish, was well in command when his closest pursuer Seattle Seahawk, who was 15 lengths adrift at the time, fell two out and he returned with 40 lengths to spare over The Big Breac.

There was yet another family success in the Brown Island Stables, William O’Br ien Memorial adjacent maiden for novice riders when ex-track mare Roped In, who was second four times under rules, mastered Down The Inner on the flat to oblige by half a length under handler-breeder Donie Murphy’s son James