CREPELLO - Nebo lands big pot for Tom Hogan at Fairyhouse

In a stellar training career, Nenagh trainer Tom Hogan had won Listed and Group races in many different countries but the victory of Nebo in the valuable seven-furlong handicap at Fairyhouse last Wednesday at odds of 33/1 will have given him as much pleasure, as the Kodiac gelding almost died during the winter months.

It was almost a year to the day that Nebo landed the well-endowed Premier Handicap at Cork at 50/1 and although he ran some fine races in between he failed to trouble the judge, however his most recent run at the Curragh showed that he was coming back to form and seemed to be approaching a competitive handicap mark.

Ahead from the drop of the flag, the six-year-old was there to be shot at turning for home but he responded well to the urgings of Ben Coen to see off the challenge Ken Condon's runner Ice Cold Alex by half a length.

This must rate as a good performance by Nebo as he was giving the runner-up a stone. Incidentally, it was the same Ice Cool Alex that followed Nebo home in the Premier Handicap at Cork when in receipt of 12lb from Hogan's charge for a three and a half length beating so the form worked out almost to the letter.

I had a long conversation with Tom on Sunday when he told me that Nebo suffered a bad throat infection and had to be ventilated. He spent a month at Troytown Veterinary Hospital and it's testament to Hogan's skills that he made a full recovery, never mind win such a competitive handicap. He is a horse that likes good ground and if conditions are in his favour at Galway, he will contest a seven-furlong handicap at the festival.

Not for the first time this season, Joseph O'Brien upstaged his father Aidan when he took the six furlong two-year-old fillies maiden with the highly impressive Pennine Hills at the expense of Aidan's odds-on favourite Concert Hall.

Breaking smartly for Declan McDonagh, the daughter of Kodiac, made every post a winning one to comfortably defeat Concert Hall by two and a half lengths. Make no mistake but this was an eye-catching performance by the winner. In his post-race debrief, McDonagh revealed that she is “a lovely filly” and well ready to step up to Pattern company.

Andy Slattery was the trainer in form at Kilbeggan on Friday, recording a double which was initiated by Whosgotyanow in the opening two mile and three mare’s maiden hurdle.

Owned by the well-known entertainer Ronan Tynan, the Getaway mare was having her first outing since joining Slattery from the Henry de Bromhead yard and she did not go unsupported.

Jockey Cathal Landers was taking no prisoners as he sent the five-year-old straight into the lead and she had only to be shaken up after the second last flight to draw clear for a comfortable five length victory over the Sam Curling runner Bells Benefit.

Coming from the same family as The Listener, the winner looks to be a nice prospect and, on this evidence, can make her mark in the novice hurdling division in the months ahead.

No sooner had the cheers died down than Slattery was back in the winner’s enclosure, this time Voice of hope was the provider as he showed a clean pair of heels to his pursuers in the two-mile maiden hurdle.

Always in the firing line under Cian Quirke, the son of Poet's Voice skipped clear after the final flight and was full value for his length and three-parts success over True Faith.

A €21,000 yearling purchase he failed to gain a bracket on the level, but he has shown on his two previous starts over hurdles that he may well have found his true vocation. While the trainer has nothing fancy in mind for his charge at this stage there are plenty of options open to him and it will be interesting to see how he progresses from here.

Feature race on the Kilbeggan card was the three mile and a furlong Midlands National and it produced a 20/1 winner in the shape of the Denise Foster trained The Big Lense in the hands of Jody McGarvey.

Settled in mid division, The Big Lense arrived full of running after the second last fence and was always holding the John Ryan trained Waitnsee whom he defeated by three-parts of a length.

It must be said that the latter looked desperately unlucky as his saddle slipped and great credit must go to jockey Danny Mullins for keeping the partnership intact in the closing stages.

'You Can't Keep A Good Man Down' is an age-old adage and it is certainly true in the case of John Ryan who picked himself up after the defeat of Waitnsee and turned up at Limerick the following day where he recorded a double courtesy of Grange Walk and Fairyhill Run.

The six-year-old Grange Walk set the ball rolling with a comfortable success in the two mile and three beginners’ chase. A maiden hurdle winner at Tramore back in September, he made his chasing debut at the same venue a month or so ago when he finished fourth behind the Rachael Blackmore ridden Centurion Steel.

Word from the camp suggested that he was cherry ripe to open his chasing account, and this was right on the button as he was always close to the pace before taking over after the penultimate fence and running all the way tom the line for a resounding three and a half length victory from Eagle Moon. Well regarded by Ryan, Grange Walk will now head to Galway with the two mile and two winners chase as his target.

Ryan later joined forces with Bryan Cooper to land the two mile and six 104-125 handicap chase with Fairyhill Run. Starting favourite, the six-year-old turned the race into a procession from before the straight as she went away to land the spoils by fourteen lengths from Our Friend.

A good servant to connections, Fairyhill Run was winning for the fourth time and now heads to Galway for the Blazers Chase where she will command plenty of respect.

Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead were also in double form, they opened their account Gin On Lime in the two mile and two novice chase.

Ahead from the drop of the flag the Doctor Dino mare jumped left at times, but this made little difference as had so much in hand from four fences out and hardly turned a hair as she hit the wire twelve lengths clear of Star Max.

Tune The Chello completed the brace for the trainer and jockey when she justified strong support in the two mile and six mare’s beginners chase.

Always prominent Tune The Chello took over at the fence before the straight and found plenty from there to take the money by a length from Rein Free. A decent mare over hurdles, the daughter of Ask looks like being equally as good over the larger obstacles according to Ms Blackmore.