Rising Star Slevin catches the eye w

THE IMPRESSIVE recent run of J.J. Slevin, a rising young jump riding star from Kiltrea, Caim, continued last week and a sparkling double at Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening put him over the 50-winner mark and saw his claim cut from five pounds to three. He had his third winner of the week at Wexford on Friday night.

In the Ballinrobe opener he scored on Spin a Yarn ((7/4f) for his first cousin, Joseph O’Brien, holding off Davy Russell on Gordon Elliott’s Skeaping in a driving finish despite some ‘iffy’ hurdling early on. He had an easier success in the third on Hello Sweetie (5/2f) for trainer P. Collins from Bessbrook, Co.Down.

Seán Flanagan was out for a week nursing a rib injury which has meant a few nice Noel Meade rides for Jonathan Moore (Adamstown).

He was on a well-fancied pair on Tuesday night’s card but had to be content with second in both races.

Major Destination (3/1) was well beaten by the fancied Westland Row (5/2; Davy Russell for Elliott), but the defeat of Darkest Flyer (4/7) by 20/1 shot, Beneficial, was a bit of a shocker.

Moore seemed to be travelling well on a horse he had won on at Limerick four days earlier until the horse jinked and became unbalanced at the last bend; Mark Bolger took the chance to head for home and grabbed a winning lead.

I was at Ballinrobe both evenings and I have to say it was a great experience. It is a beautiful track, with the western stone walls very much in evidence, and the facilities are very impressive. They had huge crowds both days and fully-sponsored cards. It must be the best supported track in the country and it won the title ‘Irish racecourse of the year’ in 2012.

I moved on to Limerick on Thursday, another fine custom-built venue, but the crowds were sparse on a blustery, damp evening.

Seán Flanagan (Palace East) had his comeback ride in the Mares’ Beginners’ Chase after an injury break, and fellow Wexfordman, trainer Colin Bowe from Kiltealy, provided him with an impressive ‘armchair’ winner in Sharlanda (2/1).

He won by an eased down 16 lengths from Davy Russell on Jessica Harrington’s Flaviana (15/8f). Bowe was delighted: ‘She was deadly there. W handle the (unexpec we only have her a y Ol’ Man River and o to race so we might a black-type race no

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The local stewards