Codd and Murphy on song at new venue
THE INAUGURAL Ballinagore Harriers pointto-point was staged at Ballycrystal, Kiltealy, on Sunday and it was an impressive debut, with Jamie Codd and trainer Denis Murphy marking the occasion with a winning treble.
Codd and Murphy struck first in the BHA Construction and Ballyhuskard Winner of Two with favourite, Beatthebullet (Flemensfirth), owned by Alan Harte, four lengths clear of Ballymorris Rose under Rob James for Colin Bowe.
They doubled up in the Casey Concrete and Denis Murphy older mares’ maiden, the trainer/owner winning back some of his own sponsorship with Born in Borris (Arcadio), well clear of Maybe Its Time for James and Bowe.
They rounded it off in the Goffs Thyestes Chase & Ellen Doyle Baltimore Stables fiveyear-old plus Confined Maiden with Breakeven, the only horse in the local hunt race not sent out by the Doyle brothers of Monbeg.
The Silent Partner was second for Cormac and Jack Hendrick, with Cardboard Gangster third for Donnchadh and Rob James.
The honour of winning the first race of the new fixture fell to Tiernan Roche-Power on Too The Future (Mahler) for Michael Murphy of Duncormick in the Moses Coffey, L&M Motors, Jason Kelly Specialist Cars & Ronan Furlong Tyre World five-year-old mares’ maiden (surely a record for the longest race title?).
Second two lengths back was Delight fantastic under Shane O’Rourke for J.P. Berry, with Feuille De Lune third for Rob James and Donnchadh Doyle.
The Bees Knees won the Donnchadh Doyle five-year-old geldings’ maiden for Brian Lawless (Delgany) and Colin Motherway, from Jordan Gainford on Colin Bowe’s Tommys Oscar and Shane O’Rourke on J.P. Berry’s Walking the Walk.
Finally, the Pat and Gavin Rossiter six-yearold Geldings’ Maiden went to Lesser, ridden by 18-years-old Conor Blake from Carlow for owner-trainer Kevin O’Donnell (Kilkenny). Second was Milanford under James Kenny for his dad, Liam, with Jimmy O’Rourke third on Colm Murphy’s Glendruid.
They also raced at Killeagh in Cork and there were two Wexford winners. Barry O’Neill made the long trip pay when taking the Mares’ Winner of Two on Mt Leinster Gold (Gold Well), trained by Colin Bowe for old schoolmate, Anthony Kearns, the renowned tenor.
The Corrigans from Blackwater also scored, with Kevin riding Ocean Point (Pointilliste) to victory for older brother, Martin, in a fantastic finish to the older mares’ maiden for novice riders, two short heads separating the first three.
Next weekend they race at Tyrella, Co. Down, on Saturday, and at Dungarvan (Waterford) and Kilfeacle (Tipperary) on Sunday.