A good spread of winners
THE WEXFORD Foxhounds staged a successful meeting at Knockmullan House near New Ross on Sunday which was well supported despite a number of counter-attractions.
Jamie Codd had an important winner before heading off to Leopardstown for the concluding bumper at the Dublin Festival.
Codd and his regular ally, Denis Murphy, combined to take the first four-year-old maiden of the spring season, sponsored by Tattersalls Ireland, with Brooksway Fair (Mahler) in impressive style. They outstayed Harley Dunne on his own Orbys Legend, trained by Liam Kenny.
Shane O‘Rourke guided Walking the Walk (Imperial Monarch) to success in the Arctic Tack Stud five-year-old geldings’ maiden for trainer Johnny Berry and owners Philip and Orla Hore. They denied Codd a double as he was second on Colin Motherway’s Unit Sixtyfour, with Jimmy O’Rourke third on Colm Murphy’s Macs Charm.
The Nitrofert five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden went to the Kieran Roche debutant, Home Farm House (Winged Love), under James Walsh (Tinahely), ahead of Barry O’Neill on Paul Nolan’s Megans Marvel and Michael Murphy’s Honest Opinion, ridden by Tiernan Roche-Power.
Jimmy O’Rourke and Colm Murphy went a couple of places better in the Cooney Furlong six-year-old geldings’ maiden, with Glendruid (Beneficial) romping in by ten lengths, from Kevin Corrigan on Bernadette Murphy’s Choctaw Brave.
The Ballywalter Farms Winner of Three went across the border to Carlow, with Vinnies Nephue repeating his November success at the venue, under Moira McElligott for her husband, Willie Murphy (Rathoe). Second was the Benny Walsh-ridden and trained Colonel Sam for Michael Staples.
The concluding Horse and Hound older maidens’ race was a war of attrition with only Mr. Cosmos completing from eleven runners, under Barry Lawless (Wicklow) for Bill McLernon (Meath).
At Belharbour in Clare, Rob James made the long trip pay off with a fine double in the first three races – Star Gate (Imperial Monarch) for Milestone and Colin Bowe in the four-yearold maiden, and for Donnchadh Doyle and Monbeg in the five-year-old mares’ maiden on Fashion Nova (Flemensfirth), this one being a dead heat with Rose Milan for Mick Winters (Cork).
There was one Wexford winner at the United Hunt meeting at Carrigtwohill in Cork in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden - Barry Stone (Cleariestown) on board debutant, Stellar Magic (Arctic Cosmos), trained by Jonathan Fogarty for English owner, Allan Stennett. He had half a length on Pay the Piper for James Kenny and Colin Bowe.
Champion Barry O’Neill leads the riders’ table on 22, from Jamie Codd (17), and Rob James and Derek O’Connor (both 13).
This weekend is one of the busiest of the season so far with four meetings scheduled. They kick off at KIirkistown, Co. Down, on Saturday and next day race at Cragmore in Limerick, the Ward Union at Oldtown, Co. Dublin, and at Tallow, Co. Waterford.