Divine Intervention...
Having been postponed from the previous Sunday due to unsuitable ground conditions as a result of heavy rainfall, the Kilworth and Araglin Hunt Pointto-Point went ahead on Saturday last at their well appointed track at Ballyarthur, adjacent to the Amber petrol station outside Fermoy.
The large crowd in attendance were treated to some very exciting fare and none more so than the opening Goffs sponsored 4yr old maiden, for which our largest filed of the day (nine) went to post.
As this contest unfolded it looked a straight match from two out between the Stefan Tobin partnered One Big Bang (3-6) and Timmy Tuesday (3-5) the mount of Jack Hendrick.
Racing downhill away from the back of the second last Tobin was hugging the inner with Hendrick on the outer, there was very little to chose between the pairing at the apex of the home bend and here Hendricks mount appeared to hang across his nearest rival unbalancing Hendricks and he came off out the side door whilst Tobin’s mount was forced through a marker doll and ultimately pulled up.
Their demise gifted the contest to the Dave Kiely-ridden Our Champ in the colours of his breeder / owner / trainer John Halley with the son of Champs Elysees coming home 12L clear of the Rob James partnered Howaya Now (2-3).
“Ah sure we were somewhat fortunate,” said successful trainer John Halley. “He is a nice horse who we bred ourselves, we came here thinking we needed a run so this is a bonus, he will go to a sale now”.
There was more drama to the conclusion of the Tattersalls and Radley Engineering sponsored 5yr old geldings maiden. In what was a strongly run contest and with the tacky ground taking its toll from four out, it was the debutante from the Harry Kelly yard An Peann Dearg (3-5-ev) who made the best of his way home from three out with the progeny of Policy Maker under James Hannon quickly going on by 4 or 5L he looked assured of victory. On the run to the last and the only other horse standing Divine Inspiration (6/4-5/2) had cut the deficit to around the 2L mark under James Murphy, at the fifteenth and final obstacle and An Peann Dearg got this wrong and crashed out this left the recent Bandon runner up and progeny of Malinas, Divine Inspiration to come home alone.
Successful trainer Paul Cashman was on hand to greet his winner whom is shared in ownership by his mother Catherine along with former amateur rider Jane Foley, of the winner Cashman said “He is tough out and was staying on nicely again there going to the last, whether we would have caught the other lad or not I don’t know, I will talk to the owners now but I would imagine he will go to a sale next”.
There was a rousing finale to the 5yr old and up mares maiden sponsored by Dairygold, Gain and KDC Ltd with just 1L separating the first two across the line.
When John Barry edged on with the well supported Porter In The Park (6/4-2-6/4) racing away from the back of the second last the 5yr old daughter of Walk In The Park went on and looked to have this race put to bed, however the Richie Kiely ridden Police Academy (4-7) hadn’t read the script and began to close with every stride but was still half a length down at the last. Both mares took this well but on the run in it was the daughter of Arctic Cosmos, Police Academy who found the greater resolve going on to score a shade snugly by 1L.
Trained by Paul Kiely for owner Richard McGrath and the Dungarvan man McGrath said of the winner “That’s great now, look she is a lovely mare, jumps and stays and is very straightforward at home. I got her off my boss Tommy Radley so he will be equally delighted tonight I would think I will go to a sale now”.
The last winner McGrath had was Cloudy Beach who won at Stradbally in 2013 before going on to join Venetia Williams, on the occasion of that Stradbally win Cloudy Beach was partnered by Paul Kiely, now the successful trainer here at Ballyarthur.
Five horses contested the Open Lightweight contest but at the business end of this contest kindly sponsored by Jimmy Linehan, The Swallow Inn, and McCarthy Insurance Ltd, only one counted as Maxine O’Sullivan had given the Tracey Gilmour trained Come To Me (2-4) office two out and from here the 10yr old progeny of Spanish Moon had kicked clear and with a fleet footed leap at the last came home some 15L clear of Killultagh Vic (2-3) and Emily Cody.
Borris, Co Carlow trainer Tracey Gilmour for whom this was her first winner of the current campaign deserves great credit here to have this fellow so ready after an absence of 1045 days, of the winner she said “I owe a huge debt of thanks to Mrs Masterson, along with Willie and Jackie Mullins for giving me this lad to train, we will tip away in points with him”.
This winner put Maxine O’Sullivan on the three winner mark for the season to date.
Just three contested the winners of three contest sponsored by The Village Inn, with victory here going to the recent Kildorrery scorer Clounts Glory from the Mick Winters yard.
Partnered by Chris O’Donovan, the daughter of Fame And Glory was sent to the head of affairs over the third last along with recent Lismore heroine Rosy Story (5/4-7/4) the mount of Stefan Tobin, they took the second last as one but shortly after this it became apparently obvious that Clounts Glory (4/6-ev) was travelling the better of the two and she duly pulled away from the back of the last to score bodily by 4L from Rosy Story.
“Mallow at Easter is still the plan for this one,” said successful trainer Mick Winters. “She loved that old ground, jumps and stays and we will have a bit of fun with her in points”.
Racing concluded with the Cotter’s Bar, Butcher’s Bar, and Aherne’s Bar sponsored Adjacent Hunt maiden for which four went to post.
Here the Shane Baragry partnered Blooming Fortune was dispatched the even money favourite but the recent Bandon third failed to land a telling blow on the easy winner Queshi Bridge (3-4) who under James Hannon led from two out and the daughter of Shantou came home an eased down 4L winner on the colours of her breeder / owner/ trainer Edmond Kent.
Of the winner the successful trainer said “She didn’t really have a race there and I think I might give her an entry in Ballynoe next Sunday in the Gain Final, this mare has been a little unlucky in her career, but she is tough out and she like a bit of nice ground.”
Edmond Kent also trained the winner of this contest two years ago at the first “Behind Closed Doors Point” held in Ireland, he won this race with Solar Sovereign.