Doyle brothers were out in force POINT-TO-POINT
THE WEATHER reduced the programme to two meetings on Sunday and the Carlow Farmers’ fixture at Borris was the main Wexford focus.
It was a good day for the Doyle brothers from Ballindaggin, with Seán and Donnchadh training winners, one of them ridden by their younger brother, Gearóid.
Pierce Power from The Hook followed up the previous week’s win in Limerick with Burning Ambition in the opening four-year-old maiden with Saint Freule (Saint Des Saints/ Topsy Blue), making all under Jimmy O’Rourke (Belmont, Wexford).
He was well clear of Harley Dunne on James Doyle’s The Little Prayer.
Division 1 of the five-years-old plus mares’ maiden was dominated by the Doyle brothers from Monbeg, Ballindaggin.
Seventeen-years-old Gearóid scored his third career win on Dawn Light (Court Cave/ Strike Three), trained by his brother, Seán. Third brother, Donnchadh, trained the second, Shroughmore Lass, ridden by Rob James.
Donnchadh and James struck in Division 2 on Poppy Hill (Black Sam Bellamy/Talk the Talk) but unlucky here was Kygo, ridden by Luke Murphy (Inch) for his dad, John; he came down at the second last having raced well clear all the way.
Second on Ben Brody for Seán Byrne (Kildare) was the best Barry O’Neill could do, and Derek O’Connor gained one on him in the title table with a single win.
There were few Wexford entries at the Carbery Hunt meeting in Bandon but there was jubilation for rider Benny Walsh (Cleariestown), trainer Richard O’Keeffe (Taghmon) and owner Paddy McDonald (Barntown) who made the long journey pay off with a clear victory for seven-year-old Free Range (Subtle Flower/Tullyspark Rose) in the concluding Winner of One race.
Bred by Kitty O’Connor, this was a follow-up to the horse’s success at Nenagh on January 29.
The meeting at Farmaclaffey, Co. Armagh, was refixed for this Wednesday, and they race next weekend at Tyrella, Co. Down, on Saturday and at The Pigeons, Athlone; Lemonfield, Co. Limerick, and Lismore, west Waterford, on Sunday.