Charities the winners at Lingstown
THERE WAS a great turn-out at Lingstown on Sunday for the Killinick Harriers point-to-point which featured the famous Banks race and a special charity event that was well supported by trainers and former riders in support of Pieta House and ASK, the local mental health charity.
The Neville Hotels Open race over the Banks course was won by Vital Island, owned and trained by Richard O’Keeffe (Taghmon) and ridden by Mark Scallan (Cleariestown). He had warmed up for this with a run over the Punchestown banks recently. He had won previously at Lingstown track in March of last year under Seán O’Keeffe.
Scallan just edged out Rob James on Jim Dreaper’s Sizing Solution by a neck, with Tiernan Power-Roche in third on Michael Murphy’s (Duncormick) Better B Quick.
There were 19 runners in the charity race two miles on the flat, and it was supported by many more as well. Organised by former champion John Berry, it featured the likes of Colin Bowe, Donnchadh Doyle, Denis Murphy, Mick Goff, Warren Ewing who made the trip from Antrim, Aidan Fitzgerald, Roy Tector, etc.
Winner was J.D. Moore on a Shark Hanlon mount, from Andy Pierce (Killurin), David O’Brien (Piltown) and Denis Murphy (The Ballagh). The real winners were Pieta House and ASK and founder, Frank Staples, was full of praise for the event and thanked John Berry, Killinick Harriers and all who supported it.
On the official card, there were just four finishers from eleven runners in the opening Tattersalls four-year-old maiden. Winner was Ocean Drifter (Aizavoski), under Rob James for Donnchadh Doyle, from Jamie Codd on Get Rich Die Plyin for Denis Murphy, and Jack Hendrick (Mayglass) on Cormac Farrell’s Il Courra.
It was the turn of Seán Doyle in the Wright
Insurance and GAIN Equine Nutrition fiveyear-old mares’ maiden, his Ulterior Motives (Stowaway) getting up late by a short head under a great ride by Jamie Scallan. Pipped was long-time leader, Jack Daniels, under Rob James for Robert Tector, and third was Vincent Devereux’s Grounds for divorce.
The Keating Horse Transport five-year-old geldings’ maiden went to Denis Murphy’s Beat the bullet (Flemensfirth), which made up for some bad luck in previous outings to win well under Luke Murphy (Inch).
Second was What About Time for Jamie Scallan and Seán Doyle, just a head in front of Milanford, ridden by James Kenny for his dad Liam.
The Inish Pebble Company older horses’ maiden was won by Acceptable Risk (Beat Hollow) for Ellen Doyle’s Baltimore Stables, Coolgarrow, under Jack Foley (Bagenalstown), from Daryl Deacon’s Call It Time, and Kopolov under Harley Dunne for Conor O’Dwyer.
The Cooney Furlong Grain and Kilmore Potatoes Winner of Two went to father and daughter, Eugene and Maxine O’Sullivan from Mallow, with Super Citizen.
At the West Waterford Hunt at Boulta on Sunday, Ellen Doyle completed an across the card double when winning the four-year-old geldings’ maiden with French Light (Mutathir) under John O’Neill.
A length back was Jordan Gainford (Caim) on Colin Bowe’s Sunset West.
Doyle and O’Neill were second in the Winner of One with Crossing Lines, and Simon Cavanagh was second on Denis Murphy’s Wild Romance in the four-year-old mares’ maiden.
Champion Barry O’Neill made a great start to the weekend with a treble at Kirkistown, Co. Down, on Saturday.
O’Neill combined with Colin Bowe to take a four-year-old maiden with Askinvillar (Jeremy) by six lengths after leading all the way.
He had a double then with his regular northern ally, David Christie, winning by a head on On The Sod in a thrilling finish to the Winner of One, and taking the Open race by a more comfortably on pointing debutant, Dylrow.