Seán doubles up at Knockmullen House
THERE WAS a good turn-out for the Wexford Hunt meeting held on a new course at Gordon and Mary Doyle’s Knockmullen House, New Ross, and there was a strong showing by the Wexford connections.
First blood in the Knockmullen House Stud and Wexford Hunt four-year-old maiden went to Colin Bowe’s Visionarian (Vision D’Etat), with James Kenny two lengths ahead of Franigane for Donnchadh Doyle under Brian Lawless and A Time to Shine for Seán Doyle under Jamie Scallan.
Vincent and Jimmy Devereux took the Nitrofert five-year-old geldings’ maiden with Mr. Mantilla (Publisher) under Shane O’Rourke, from James Kenny on Milanford handled by his dad, Liam, and Nashville Nipper for Kieran Roche (Adamstown) under Donal Nevin.
Seán Doyle was on the mark with The Forge Hill (Morozov) in the Gain Equine Nutrition adjacent mares’ maiden, with Jordan Gainford ten lengths clear of Shane O’Rourke on Brazen Bay for John Clifford (Inistioge).
Kevin Corrigan’s (Blackwater) third on Denis Murphy’s Ryan’s Fancy was best of the locals in the Cooney Furlong Winner of One which went to Carlow trainer William Murphy with Vinnies Nephue.
The Ballywalter Farms Open for novice riders was won by Jamie Scallan (Tomhaggard), who made it a double for Seán Doyle, whose My Story (Court Cave) got home by less than a length from Liam Kenny’s (Craanford) Undressed and Seán Staples on Michael
Murphy’s Better B Quick.
The concluding Horse and Hound Hotel six-year-old maiden was exported to Cork as Johnny Hurley won on Seamus Spillane’s Goulane Jessie, from Rob James on Aidan Howard’s Delice Du Chenet.
There were 67 runners in the seven-race card at Dromahane for the Duhallow Hunt meeting, and there were two winners from a smallish Wexford contingent - Sleepysaurus (Authorized) for Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, and Finny Maguire for Liz Doyle in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with Eklat De Rire (Saddex), getting up by a neck in a driving finish. Luke Murphy was second on Ellen Doyle’s Hand in
My Pocket in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
At Lisronagh, Tipperary, on Saturday, Rob James won Division 2 of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden on Donnchadh Doyle’s Lifetime Ambition (Kapgarde), ahead of Jamie Codd on Denis Murphy’s Pats Fancy, and Barry O’Neill on Colin Bowe’s Getmegold.
Cormac Farrell from Bunclody turned out Shallow Run (Sholokhov) to win the five-yearold mares’ maiden under Simon Cavanagh, and Ellen Doyle from the Baltimore Stables won the geldings’ version with Crossing Lines (Jeremy) under Kilkenny rider, John O’Neill.
There are just two meetings next Sunday, with the Wicklow Hunt in action at Tinahely (starting at 12.30), and Tortulla near Thurles.