Doyle on the mark as Ballingarry races return

Ormond Hunt held their two-day 2021 point-to-point fixture on the Cahalan family-owned lands at Southpark, Ballingarry last weekend.

by Michael Duggan

The recent inclement spell left the ground in perfect condition with a large cohort of runners turning up for what was a behind-closed-doors meeting due to the on-going Covid-19 restrictions. Organizers were rewarded with two days of top-class action and much credit is due to everyone who helped out with the very efficient running of this fixture.

Saturday

Local jockey, Suzie Doyle - a daughter of Holycross trainer Pat Doyle - got on the scoresheet when steering Elusive Exclusive to victory in the concluding Liffey Mills, Mr Plant Hire & White Premier Construction winners’ of one contest.

Trained by Josephine King for owner Willie Gleeson, this son of Elusive Pimpernel dug deep in the closing stages to see off Hill Of Hope (owned and trained in Clonmel by Tom Keating) by half a length.

“It’s just brilliant,” Ms Doyle said.

“Josephine King in my dad’s sister and it’s fantastic to ride a winner for my aunty. We’ve lived beside each other all our lives and my first cousins Pa King and James King do all the work with this horse.

“Pa actually rode a winner (Dublin Calling) for dad at Punchestown this afternoon so that’s why I was riding Elusive Exclusive here. He’s very much a fun horse and I’m delighted for his owner Willie Gleeson from Killenaule. I am very friendly with his daughter, so all in all it’s a real family affair.”

Elsewhere, Wexford trainers took Saturday’s opening-day session by storm with runners from the Model County successful in five of the seven races.

Harley Dunne started the ball rolling when saddling smart newcomer Emma Blue to land the opening Goffs Ireland & T Toohey & Sons four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Tiernan Power took the reins aboard the daughter of Mahler who produced a nice turn of foot when powering home to deny Colin Bowe’s Dime Store Girl by three lengths.

Champion handler Bowe didn’t have to wait too long for compensation, however, as Lucky Light took the honours in the Bike Park Ireland Trail Solutions & Joan Burke Roscrea Pharmacy five-year-old mares’ maiden.

Sent to the front three out by jockey Bon O’Neill, a slick jump at the final fence sealed victory for the daughter of Leading Light who crossed the finish line three lengths in front of the Martin Corrigan-trained Clearly Crazy.

Four went to post in the Fairymount Farm Self Catering & Seymour Kenny four-year-old auction maiden with victory going to the Donnchadh Doyle-trained, JJ Walsh-ridden Tahmuras. Racing in the hugely successful Monbeg Syndicate colours, the Falco-sired youngster stuck to his task in dogged fashion on the run-in to deny Hardy Bloke by a length.

Galway jockey Liam Gilligan is enjoying a fine season and he visited the winner’s circle when guiding Michael Goff’s Forward Plan to victory in the Clifton Farm five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

An early casualty on debut at Necarne eight days earlier, the son of Valirann made no mistake this time round when staying on strongly in the closing stages for an impressive four-length success over runner-up Caballo Diablo.

Half-an-hour later Gilligan was back in number-one berth when scoring aboard the Sean Doyle-trained Iceburgh Bay in the second division. In front with a mile to go, this son of Sageburg impressed when staying on strongly at the business end to deny the Ben Harvey-ridden Tommy Tracey by four lengths.

The Dr John Sazenski Open lightweight was a thriller with victory going to the Ben Crawford-ridden Poli Roi. Trained in Co. Antrim by Stuart Crawford for joint-owners Raymond Scullion and Martin McGrogan, Poli Roi had to pull out all the stops on the run for home with just a short-head separating himself and game runner-up Some Are Lucky at the line.

Sunday

Fermanagh trainer David Christie reached a notable milestone when Marinero gave him his 300th points winner when victorious in the Damer Veterinary & Eamon Murphy & Sons open lightweight for Lady Riders.

Cork jockey Maxine O’Sullivan was on board the successful son of Presenting who battled bravely for a two-and-a-half-length verdict over second-placed Bonny Dazzler. “I’m delighted with that,” Christie said.

“It’s great for Maxine too as the Lady Riders’ title is fairly tight. She felt Marinero probably wasn’t at his best today, but he still did the business which is great.”

Derek O’Connor is the winning-most jockey of all time between the flags and he got in on the act with a cosy victory aboard Enda Bolger’s Drewscourt in the J & C Neville Building Materials & Denis Hogan Racing six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Owned by Limerick solicitor John Power, Drewscourt got the better of a good tussle with runner-up Cormackstown Lad to score by four lengths.

Liam Gilligan emerged as Leading Rider at the two-day fixture - he was presented with the RDC Memorial trophy by Robert Kenny of Ballingarry House - and he was seen at his best when bringing Andys Flame home in front in the opening Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale & Ballingarry House four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Trained in Wexford by Michael Goff for his wife Catriona, the son of Martaline made a winning debut when finding most on the run-in to deny the persistent challenge of runner-up Rambo T by a neck.

Galway jockey Eoin Mahon has hit a purple patch of late and he got his name on the scoresheet when steering Four Country Roads home to victory in the first-division of the John Fay Memorial seven-year-old and upwards maiden.

This ex-track performer, who is trained at Tubber on the Clare/Galway border by John Staunton for Ennis owner Sean Moran, proved a head to good for second-placed Knockiel Synge after a titanic battle.

Division two of this event went to Nineteensixteen who provided his County Westmeath jockey Tommy Geoghegan with a fitting 43rd birthday present.

A fine second at Lisronagh earlier this month, the Oscar-sired winner, who is the only horse her Mullingar owner-trainer Gemma Dewhurst has in training at present, pulled away in the closing stages to beat Woodfield Symphony by fifteen lengths. Ms Dewhurst indicated a winners’ race in the autumn will be next in line for her successful ten-year-old.

Eight faced the starter in the Duggan Veterinary Supplies winners of two where Cork raider Ballygrifincottage emerged victorious.

Eoin O’Brien took the mount on the Marie Harding-trained son of Stowaway who held off the dogged challenge of runner-up Three Loud Knocks by two lengths. Winning connections suggested a Listowel Hunters Chase may be well be on the agenda now for the six-year-old who has now won three of his four career starts.

Front-running tactics were successfully employed in the Alan King Agri & INHSC Supporting Point-to-Points mares’ maiden where Miss McGugen made all the running.

Sent to the front from flagfall by jockey JJ Walsh, this daughter of Arakan who is trained in Wicklow by her jockey’s father John Walsh never saw another rival when passing the winning post 12 lengths ahead of Ciaran Murphy’s Its The Way To Go.

A winners’ race next weekend is now under consideration for the victorious six-year-old.